For business, free Linux versions aren’t appropriate. To begin with, there may be regulatory or corporate policies that require a vendor contract. In addition, businesses need vendor support to ensure that critical applications run reliably.
Given those needs, the decision for businesses isn’t whether to pay for Linux; the question is which Linux should they pay for. Like many technology questions, the best answer comes when you don’t look at the technology in isolation but instead consider where it fits along with the rest of your IT strategy. In businesses that rely heavily on Oracle products, including Oracle database and Oracle cloud, Oracle Linux provides a cost-effective, reliable Linux solution that’s designed to work with those critical applications.
The important features Oracle Linux offers include:
• Support. There’s 24×7 support for Oracle Linux, whether it’s used in conventional, cloud, or virtual servers. The most basic level of support includes updates and security fixes. More comprehensive support is also available and provides service requests and additional management features.
• Simplified management. Having vendor support is an important feature; even better is not needing to use it. Oracle Linux is actually Oracle Autonomous Linux. Along with the Oracle OS Management Service, those autonomous features mean support is simplified, reducing the need for manual intervention and the corresponding risk of human error.
• Enhanced security. One of the reasons businesses remain vulnerable to expensive security breaches is that they fall behind on applying critical security patches. The autonomous features of Oracle automate patch management, allowing security levels to stay high even when new vulnerabilities are identified.
• Comprehensively tested releases. Choosing an operating system isn’t literally about the operating system; it’s about numerous tools and libraries that will run on the OS. Only commercially supported Linux such as Oracle ensures that those tools are delivered on a coordinated schedule rather than having to be individually installed, configured, and validated.
• Oracle product integration. This is the biggest advantage for organizations that use Oracle’s database and other products. While they will run on other Linux distributions, there’s a higher level of performance and assurance when you run Oracle’s software on Oracle’s operating system.
• Single vendor relationship. Vendor management remains a difficult task for many businesses. By using Oracle Linux along with other Oracle software solutions, you develop a stronger relationship with a single vendor.
• Easy adoption. Switching to Oracle Linux from Red Hat is simple and requires only a short sequence of commands. Customized configuration files are preserved.
VAST IT Services provides support for the complete suite of Oracle products. Call us to learn more about Oracle Linux and to plan your migration.
