Reiterating its committment to Australia's Linux community, Sun Microsystems has ported one local ISV's system management software with its low-cost Linux-compatible server LX50, aiming to make system management more affordable for the enterprise.
Announcing the first partnership of its kind with Australian software developer Functional Software at the national Linux conference in Perth last week, Sun said the ISV will port its system management offering -- Sentinel3G -- to Sun's Linux server LX50 using commodity Intel hardware.
The Sun LX50 server is a dual-processor system running the company's own version of the Linux operating system and also Solaris. Duncan Bennett, Linux products director at Sun Microsystems Australia, said LX50 was designed for the edge of the network, "providing a cost-effective, manageable starting point for customers who are serious about maintaining service levels".
The Sentinel3G software tool monitors and reports on Linux and Unix performance. Functional Software managing director Alan Main said by porting Sentinel3G to Sun's LX50, his company can provide system management solutions for up to 80 per cent less than other products running on non-Linux based equipment. "It makes system management more affordable for all customers regardless of budget," he said.
"In these tight economic conditions, IT decision-makers are asking why they need to spend so much on complex management tools.
"Who wants to spend $20,000 to obtain the same service quality?" Main asked.
Sun said Sentinel3G allows Sun LX50 to be used in the entry-level space as an enterprise-wide monitoring console, helping to lower total cost of ownership. "It provides network-wide monitoring of all Unix, Linux and NT resources and . . . can be implemented without having to install agent software on managed hosts," company officials said.
Australian customers porting to a Sun-Linux environment include Griffith University in Queensland, Perth-based content management systems developer Harvest Road , South-Australia-based network performance specialist Foursticks and a handful of other organisations from the government, education and mining industries, according to a local Sun spokesperson.