The Oracle Cluster File System for Linux Product Analysis
Product Background
Oracle Corp. is the leader in the database market. Linux is the fastest growing server operating system and application server. Oracle has placed a big stake in the ground with its Linux offerings and is putting its research and development dollars where its mouth is.
The proof is in Oracle's impressive Linux product portfolio to which the new Oracle Cluster File System for Linux is the latest addition. Corporate enterprises should feel confident in installing this product. Early users and benchmark tests indicate that the Oracle Cluster File System for Linux delivers robust and reliable performance worthy of the most demanding enterprise loads.
Product Strategy and Trajectory
The demand for Linux application servers - particularly databases - is soaring. The Oracle 9i databases running Linux and the Oracle Cluster File System for Linux solve a distinct and growing need for a robust, leading-edge database running on an open-source operating system that can be deployed on a variety of hardware platforms. It also simplifies the management of cluster databases.
Linux application servers are on a steep upward growth trajectory, estimated to be 20 percent a year. By 2007, the Linux application server market may reach $7 billion in annual sales. Oracle, IBM, Red Hat and other Linux leaders are poised to grab both significant market share and revenue.
Product Analysis
Product Strengths
The Oracle Cluster File System for Linux will be competitive across a variety of vertical markets.
Oracle's status as the number-one database vendor will appeal to corporate customers. Implementation on the Oracle 9i database. The Oracle Cluster File System for Linux runs on the Oracle 9i database. Improved management capability could potentially cut administrative time by 10 to 20 percent. Competitive pricing. The initial purchase price of an Oracle database is higher than that of rival Microsoft's SQL .NET. However, Oracle 9i databases have maintenance, licensing and security costs that average 25 to 40 percent lower than for the SQL .NET Server, according to customer feedback. Collaboration, not carping. Oracle's Linux strategy includes a series of partnerships with Red Hat, Dell, IBM and Intel. More than 3,500 independent software vendors have add-on products for Oracle's "unbreakable Linux."
Product Challenges
Linux is still an emerging market. Technical Service and Support. Oracle must strengthen this to convince skeptics. Marketing. Oracle should abandon its anti-Microsoft rhetoric and highlight the positives of its own products. Training. Oracle should invest in a comprehensive program to train its own engineers as well as those of its resellers.
Bottom Line
Vendor Recommendations
Oracle should tout the advantages of the new Cluster File System for Linux. These include: higher performance and manageability, and near-mainframe-like redundancy. Case Studies. Oracle should publicize as many case studies as possible of the Cluster File System for Linux among "real-world" applications and not just elite corporate accounts. Positioning. Oracle should highlight the inexpensive nature of Linux and Linux licenses, particularly with respect to SQL .NET Server 6.0 licenses that cost significantly more. Linux Installation Tools and Wizards. Oracle also should tout the functionality of Rasta, its installation wizard for Linux. Unlike Windows, Linux does not come equipped with an embedded installation wizard. Rasta is available as a free, separate download; as is Timbo, a messaging catalog that provides database internationalization and a Unix-like user file system. Patches to FireWire, the networking standard used in clustered servers, are also available for free.
Competitive Recommendations
Linux and the Oracle Cluster File System for Linux are still relative unknowns. Service and Support may be spotty and weak in some geographic locations. Lack of skilled Linux IT administrators still may be an issue in many regions. Requirement to train end users may represent a financial burden for some companies.
Enterprise Recommendations
Try It. Corporate customers who find they cannot afford the price hikes of the new Microsoft 6.0 licensing program that impact the SQL .NET Server, as well as companies that have been on the fence with Linux, are well advised to test the Oracle Cluster File System for Linux. Negotiate. Whether you are a longtime Oracle customer or a potential new customer, speak frankly with your Oracle sales representative or reseller to get a better deal. Oracle is very motivated to establish itself as the premier supplier of Linux databases. Construct a Business Case Justification. Before migrating to any new technology a corporation should first determine the business justification for the migration. Make a realistic list of what benefits your organization hopes to gain from the move. In the case of the Oracle Cluster File System for Linux, typical advantages would include: reduced cost of ownership, improved performance and reliability, and open-source, non-proprietary software. Perform a Thorough Cost Analysis. While Linux in general and Oracle's Cluster File System for Linux are both indisputably cheaper than the rival Microsoft SQL .NET Server, they are not free. Your organization should consider all the costs - obvious and hidden. These includes technical training for your applicable IT staffers, third-party add-on products, as well as the cost of purchasing additional server hardware, and management and security packages for Linux and the Oracle Cluster File System for Linux. If your firm has little or no Linux expertise, it also should calculate the cost of hiring a systems integrator or outsourcer.
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