Linux 2.4 breaks the enterprise barrier

by Kevin Railsback

February 6, 2001 —

IN THE YEAR 2000, Linux heads enjoyed a huge increase in the enterprise adoption of their favorite OS worldwide. Many commercial applications were released on Linux, and the backing of mainstay companies such as IBM helped Linux break in to many businesses.

Linux kernel 2.4

BUSINESS CASE

Many high-level features have been greatly enhanced in the 2.4 kernel, including scalability and reliability, making Linux a very attractive option for enterprise OS implementations in which cost savings and high performance are paramount.

TECHNOLOGY CASE

With its more robust SMP (symmetric multiprocessing) support, improved reliability, and increased driver availability for high-end hardware, the 2.4 kernel makes Linux an even stronger contender in the enterprise space. This version has been long in coming, but the extensive testing and optimizations make it a perfect fit in high-performance, mission-critical situations.

PROS

+ Superior multiprocessor support

+ Wider range of included hardware drivers

+ Many enterprise-level optimizations

+ USB support makes Linux a better desktop choice

CONS

- Numerous changes require rebuilding of some Linux applications

- Encryption still an add-on, not integrated into kernel

COST

Free

PLATFORMS

Intel compatible, IA-64, Sparc, Alpha, PowerPC, StrongARM, and others

And last week, much of the promise that Linux holds for large companies was finally made a reality with the release of Version 2.4 of the kernel, which boasts wider hardware support, superior scalability, and reliability improvements.

Released a year later than first projected, the kernel was exhaustively debugged and improved. Members of the development team are currently working on in-depth security audits of Version 2.4 and the current stable kernels. This will increase the overall security and reliability of Linux-based systems, which is vital for those deploying mission-critical solutions on the Linux OS.

Scalability is another big issue in large environments. Version 2.2 of the Linux kernel can scale well only to as many as four processors, whereas many high-end systems ship with eight and 16 CPUs. But the revised 2.4 kernel can handle 16 or more processors without taking a large performance hit in coordinating tasks among CPUs. Linux can now move into these high-end environments without creating a performance bottleneck.

Of course, scalability is not limited to the number of CPUs in a serveer. Increased memory support and improved clustering capabilities also make the Linux kernel 2.4 a must-have for transaction-intensive applications such as e-commerce and database systems.

Networking support and storage enhancements have also been made in 2.4. For instance, NFS (Network File System) Version 3 is now supported by the latest Linux kernel, offering a more stable network file system with increased performance. This will be a boon for network storage vendors that need to develop Linux-based products that offer top of the line performance at a low cost without sacrificing reliability.

Also crucial to the enterprise market are the many significant enhancements that the 2.4 kernel offers on the desktop. Limited USB support is available in 2.2-based Linux systems, but the much-improved USB capabilities of 2.4-based machines will make the new version essential for desktop and laptop systems. Many would-be users of Linux on the desktop can't run it and USB floppy drives or other peripherals unless they move to the revised kernel.

Many Linux distribution vendors will soon make updated kernels available for download or automatic update, depending on the distribution. Setting up a new kernel is a fairly straightforward procedure on most Linux flavors, but caution should be exercised when upgrading production servers.

If you don't have an immediate need for the server-side scalability and reliability enhancements of Version 2.4, it's wise to wait for real-world use to thoroughly test out the new code before depending on it. The same holds true for desktop systems, although you'll probably want to get the enhanced USB support of the 2.4 kernel more quickly.

Some criticize the "lateness" of Version 2.4. This is primarily a result of the commercial software industry's notion of release schedules. The No. 1 priority for Linux kernel releases is for them to be stable and well-tested before they're made final, whatever the original projected release date. Even when a new kernel is made public, it's best to stick with an older version that has proven itself, unless your particular application requires a new feature or functionality of the bleeding-edge kernel.

The 2.4 release of the Linux kernel has been a long time coming, but it's definitely worth the wait. The added features and functionality make it an even stronger contender for the enterprise environment. Improved multiprocessor support, high-end hardware drivers, and increased reliability will make Linux a powerhouse in high-end environments where performance and stability are key.

InfoWorld