* Oracle continues its enterprise Linux power play
Oracle continued its enterprise Linux power play last week, this time bringing a host of big-name enterprise IT partners into the fold of its Unbreakable Linux and Oracle Enterprise Linux efforts, and possibly marginalizing Red Hat.
Over a dozen partners now support Oracle’s Linux programs, which provide discounted Linux OS database and application support for customers running servers based on Red Hat Enterprise Linux and Oracle business software. New Oracle Linux partners include: 170 Systems, AMD, AppWorx, Egenera, EMC, Emulex, Hitachi Data Systems, HP, LSI, NetApp, Patchlink, Pillar Data Systems, QLogic, and Synoran.
Oracle says all these companies now offer full support for Oracle Enterprise Linux — a fork of Red Hat Linux, optimized to run Oracle software, which the database vendor claims is fully compatible with the original code.
Red Hat, whose base operating system Oracle is using and supporting itself, vehemently argues that this is not the case. A Web page on Redhat.com, with the clever term “unfakebale” in the URL lays out some of the issues regarding Red Hat Linux, and Oracle’s activities. According to Red Hat:
* There will be a delay between the time a Red Hat Enterprise Linux update is issued and the time the source code makes its way to Oracle.
* Oracle “reserves the right to de-support certain Enterprise Linux program releases” as part of their Oracle Enterprise Linux support policies.
* There is no guarantee that the source code for the Red Hat Enterprise Linux update will work correctly when integrated into Oracle’s modified Linux code base.
Red Hat maintains that it has had “a productive seven-year relationship with Oracle” … and “will continue to work closely with Oracle.” Given the partners Oracle is lining up behind its own Red Hat-based Linux effort, it’s hard for me to see this play out.
My question to Oracle/Red Hat users: does any of this matter? Who do you trust to support your core Linux servers — Oracle or Red Hat? Let me know what you think.
