[Erlug] Fwd: I: Oracle Set to Run on Linux

[Daniele Medri [Permanent Link]]

Ellison: Oracle's 'Whole Business' will Run on Linux
By James Niccolai

Oracle Corp. is about to replace three Unix servers that run the bulk
of its business applications with a cluster of Intel Corp. servers
running Linux, Oracle Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Larry
Ellison said. He also predicted the "inevitable" demise of large server
systems, exposing a potential conflict of interest with longtime ally
Sun Microsystems Inc.

The Oracle chief made his comments while touting the benefits of
Oracle's clustering technology to an audience of financial analysts.
Clustering allows customers to run applications or a database across a
group of relatively low-cost Intel servers, with the goal of reducing
costs and boosting reliability.

Instead of upgrading three of its older Hewlett-Packard Co. Unix
servers, Oracle will move its application server and business software
to Linux-based Intel machines later this year, Ellison said. "We'll be
on Linux no later than the summer, so we'll be running our whole
business on Linux," he said.

It wasn't clear exactly which applications would be moved to Linux, but
the Oracle chief portrayed it as a significant step. He favors Intel
servers because they are "cheap" and can be easily replaced, he said,
and he picked Linux over Microsoft Corp. Windows because Linux is "much
safer if you're on the Internet." Ellison is a longtime Microsoft foe.

Oracle also will work closely with Linux provider Red Hat Inc. to offer
customers preconfigured servers loaded with Oracle's application
server, Ellison said. "You'll see us taking full support responsibility
for Linux," he said. "If you're running the app server and something
goes wrong, call us and we'll come and fix it."

Promoting smaller Intel-based servers would appear to put Oracle at
odds with Sun, which makes powerful servers based on its Solaris
version of Unix. Both Intel and Microsoft have worked hard to boost the
performance of their products in a bid to move up the food chain and
compete in Sun's more profitable, higher-end market.

Asked by an analyst here what the growth of Intel-based servers could
mean for Unix vendors like Sun, Ellison seemed to lose his stride for a
moment.

"Things will move slowly," he said, adding that many customers aren't
convinced yet that clustering even works. "It will be several years
before the big machine dies," he said, "but inevitably the big machine
will die."

An appropriate set-up for some businesses might be to use midrange
servers for the database and smaller servers for their applications, he
said. However, "in a couple of years it's not inconceivable that we
could be recommending (Intel-based servers) for everything," Ellison
said. "It's not out of the question."

Asked earlier if Sun and Oracle are now competitors, since Sun sells an
application server that competes with Oracle's, Ellison delivered a
friendly potshot.

"I have this conversation with Scott a lot," he said, referring to Sun
Chairman and CEO Scott McNealy. "He always wonders if I'm mad at him
for going into competitive markets, and the answer is no, because I
don't think they stand a chance. Bless their heart, it's not what they
do well. I think it's going to be really hard for an open standards
company like that to get deep into the software business."

Besides their mutual dislike of Microsoft, Oracle is a firm supporter
of Sun's Java technology, and the two companies have been closely
aligned since the mid-90s in their support of network-based computing.



-- 
Daniele Medri - http://www.linux.it/~madrid/
"Per molte persone il giudizio rimane un dente da estrarre"

SOLUTIONS INTEGRATOR --- February 14, 2002
Published by ITworld.com -- changing the way you view IT
http://www.itworld.com/newsletters
________________________________________________________________________________

HIGHLIGHTS

* Oracle substantiates its clustering technology by moving its
  application server and business software to Linux-based Intel
  machines.
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Ellison: Oracle's 'Whole Business' will Run on Linux
By James Niccolai

Oracle Corp. is about to replace three Unix servers that run the bulk
of its business applications with a cluster of Intel Corp. servers
running Linux, Oracle Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Larry
Ellison said. He also predicted the "inevitable" demise of large server
systems, exposing a potential conflict of interest with longtime ally
Sun Microsystems Inc.

The Oracle chief made his comments while touting the benefits of
Oracle's clustering technology to an audience of financial analysts.
Clustering allows customers to run applications or a database across a
group of relatively low-cost Intel servers, with the goal of reducing
costs and boosting reliability.

Instead of upgrading three of its older Hewlett-Packard Co. Unix
servers, Oracle will move its application server and business software
to Linux-based Intel machines later this year, Ellison said. "We'll be
on Linux no later than the summer, so we'll be running our whole
business on Linux," he said.

It wasn't clear exactly which applications would be moved to Linux, but
the Oracle chief portrayed it as a significant step. He favors Intel
servers because they are "cheap" and can be easily replaced, he said,
and he picked Linux over Microsoft Corp. Windows because Linux is "much
safer if you're on the Internet." Ellison is a longtime Microsoft foe.

Oracle also will work closely with Linux provider Red Hat Inc. to offer
customers preconfigured servers loaded with Oracle's application
server, Ellison said. "You'll see us taking full support responsibility
for Linux," he said. "If you're running the app server and something
goes wrong, call us and we'll come and fix it."

Promoting smaller Intel-based servers would appear to put Oracle at
odds with Sun, which makes powerful servers based on its Solaris
version of Unix. Both Intel and Microsoft have worked hard to boost the
performance of their products in a bid to move up the food chain and
compete in Sun's more profitable, higher-end market.

Asked by an analyst here what the growth of Intel-based servers could
mean for Unix vendors like Sun, Ellison seemed to lose his stride for a
moment.

"Things will move slowly," he said, adding that many customers aren't
convinced yet that clustering even works. "It will be several years
before the big machine dies," he said, "but inevitably the big machine
will die."

An appropriate set-up for some businesses might be to use midrange
servers for the database and smaller servers for their applications, he
said. However, "in a couple of years it's not inconceivable that we
could be recommending (Intel-based servers) for everything," Ellison
said. "It's not out of the question."

Asked earlier if Sun and Oracle are now competitors, since Sun sells an
application server that competes with Oracle's, Ellison delivered a
friendly potshot.

"I have this conversation with Scott a lot," he said, referring to Sun
Chairman and CEO Scott McNealy. "He always wonders if I'm mad at him
for going into competitive markets, and the answer is no, because I
don't think they stand a chance. Bless their heart, it's not what they
do well. I think it's going to be really hard for an open standards
company like that to get deep into the software business."

Besides their mutual dislike of Microsoft, Oracle is a firm supporter
of Sun's Java technology, and the two companies have been closely
aligned since the mid-90s in their support of network-based computing.

________________________________________________________________________________

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________________________________________________________________________________

About the author(s)
-------------------
James Niccolai is the San Francisco bureau chief for the IDG News
Service.
________________________________________________________________________________

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Oracle Making OpenWorld Waves In SF
http://si.solutionsintegrator.com/GoNow/a14724a52630a76671502a2

Has clustering lost its appeal?
http://si.solutionsintegrator.com/GoNow/a14724a52630a76671502a1

Oracle Releases Database on Linux, Windows Later
http://si.solutionsintegrator.com/GoNow/a14724a52630a76671502a3

Oracle bets big on clusters
http://si.solutionsintegrator.com/GoNow/a14724a52630a76671502a4
________________________________________________________________________________

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