As mentioned in Free Sample: Open Source Strategy Outline Linux is a key component of your company’s open source strategy. Having a formal Linux Strategy can help you educate non tech business leaders, calm their concerns, and provide a framework that shows if, when, how, and where Linux makes sense in the enterprise. Even if you don’t have Linux deployed, it is a big enough hot topic that you will eventually be asked about it. Having a strategy document that explains why you do not use Linux shows you have researched and thought about the issue. Below is a sample of an outline I have used successfully for Linux strategy documents. Fill in details of you company and situation and enjoy! Note: places to insert information are denoted by curly braces {}. I. Scope

a. This document is specifically a Linux Strategy, this discussion should concentrate on how, where, and why Linux is deployed in the Enterprise b. The scope of this strategy only applies to use in the {insert company name} IT Enterprise – i.e. pros and cons would be different for a vendor planning to sell software

II. Linux Background and Overview

a. Linux was originally developed and released in 1991 by Linus Torvalds who wanted a free Unix operating system b. Linux (Linus’ Unix) was originally and still is released under GPL licensing terms and Torvalds still oversees kernel development c. There are now many distributions of Linux including Redhat, Suse, Debian, and Slackware to name a few that all share the same kernel base d. Of these vendors Redhat and Suse offer their own versions of commercial Linux software aimed at the enterprise server market

III. Current {company} Linux Implementations

a. Run on Sun and Compaq hardware b. Used for Sendmail relays c. Used as web server hosts d. Used as platform for MySql for {} applications

IV. Linux Technical Benefits

a. Hardware Independence – Linux can be run on many different hardware platforms including Intel (Compaq/Dell), AMD (Compaq/Sun), and Sparc (Sun) which are currently deployed in the {} Enterprise b. Linux can combine a Unix operating system and the CPU clock speeds of Intel/AMD processors – This provides a high performance platform for applications whose usage patterns are a large number of small integer based transactions. c. Filesystem – Has several free choices in journaling filesystems d. Software – There is a large number of software applications that run on Linux including many administration tools

V. Linux Non-Technical Benefits

a. Cost – Linux is available for free and also available in low cost enterprise software bundles b. Hardware Independence – Being able to choose the hardware platform (Compaq, Dell, Sun) provides leverage to {} when dealing with hardware vendors and flexibility in hardware reuse c. Business Software – Many freely available software applications geared for business use are available for Linux to compete with commercial software packages including BEA, Websphere, Oracle, and Microsoft. Also, many of the large commercial software vendors now have Linux editions of their software d. Administration Tools – Current administration tools used by {} Unix Administrators can be used to manage Linux servers at no additional costs

VI. Linux Drawbacks

a. Intellectual Property – There have been IP concerns over Linux. Commercial vendors such as Redhat now provide software assurance programs to protect against concerns b. Security – Malicious hackers have access to the same source as those with good intentions c. Interoperability – Proprietary commercial software vendors could make it difficult with interface them without purchasing their software

VII. Where Linux Makes Sense

a. Linux makes sense to deploy for applications whose operating characteristics are mainly composed of a high number of small integer based transactions. Examples would be:

i. Web Servers ii. Application Servers iii. Mail Relays iv. LDAP v. Firewalls vi. DNS vii. Lower End Databases

b. Linux also makes sense to deploy as the underlying platform for Open Source applications to fully realize Open Source cost savings

VIII. Deployment Criteria

a. Linux has been evaluated to ensure that it meets the below minimum requirements to deploy into a production environment

i. Supported by current fault management tool ii. Supported by current performance metric tools iii. Portscan detection security tool available iv. File integrety checker available v. Automated system build capable vi. Volume Management software available vii. Journaling Filesystem available viii. SSH Support ix. Supported backup client available x. Remote administration

IX. Linux Strategy

a. Linux should be regarded as a choice for an operating environment when it makes sense in greenfield applications and enhancements to existing applications b. Linux should be deployed as the base operating environment to support other Open Source applications to fully realize cost savings of Open Source c. Deploy Linux in web, application, and network services to give management comfort level before moving to larger database space d. Continue down {} path by phased migration of JBoss applications to internal Linux cluster e. Utilize “Incident Packs” for Linux software support

X. Linux Support Strategy

a. Linux should be deployed as another Unix operating environment to include the following:

i. Standard initial configuration ii. Remote fault monitoring iii. Performance metrics

b. Linux should be managed using existing Unix practices and procedures currently in place

As mentioned in the article Your Open Source Software Strategy having a formal open source strategy can help you educate non tech business leaders, calm their concerns, and provide a framework that shows if, when, how, and where open source software makes sense in the enterprise. Even if you don’t have open source software deployed, it is a big enough hot topic that you will eventually be asked about it. Having a strategy document that explains why you do not use open source shows you have researched and thought about the issue. As promised below is an outline I have used successfully for open source strategy documents. Fill in details of you company and situation and enjoy! Note: places to insert information are denoted by curly braces {}. I. Scope

a. The scope of this strategy only applies to use in the {insert company name} IT Enterprise – i.e. pros and cons would be different for a vendor planning to sell software

II. Open Source Background

a. Open Source Software (OSS) refers to a program in which the source code is available to the general public for use and/or modification from its original design free of charge b. Examples of commonly used Open Source Software: c. Linux – A Unix operating system d. Sendmail – Email processing software e. JBoss – A J2EE application server f. Apache – A web server g. MySQL, Postgres – Database software h. Open Office – Microsoft Office competitor i. There are many different licensing types that fall under the Open Source umbrella. The most commonly used licenses are the GPL, LGPL, BSD, MIT, and MPL licenses.

III. Current {insert company name} Open Source Software Implementations

a. The following software is used for Data Center level processing:

i. Linux – Linux is being run on Compaq hardware to provide services such as… ii. JBoss – Many applications such as {} are built on the JBoss platform iii. Sendmail – Used by servers to send mail iv. MySQL – Used as part of {} v. Administration Tools – Used daily to administer systems vi. Etc, etc

IV. Open Source Benefits

a. Technical

i. “Given enough eyeballs, all bugs are shallow” – Eric Raymond ii. Developers/Administrators can review the source code of the software iii. Platform independence

b. Non-Technical

i. Freely available ii. Use to leverage commercial vendors iii. Access to source negates need for software escrow iv. No licensing audits v. Independence from vendors

V. Open Source Drawbacks

a. Technical

i. Software might not have specific features of comparable commercial products ii. Hackers have access to source code

b. Non-Technical

i. For some software support is done by “Google” ii. Lack of specific business applications iii. Possible lack of documentation

VI. Open Source Applications

a. Open Source applications can provide competition to widely used commercial applications as shown below

i. Jboss -> BEA Weblogic ii. Apache -> Microsoft IIS iii. Bind -> Microsoft DNS iv. MySQL -> Oracle

VII. Open Source Application Strategy

a. Bring architecture, development, and application support teams to table to participate in IT strategy for Open Source applications b. Suggested use of Open Source applications is in place of commercial applications in scenarios where application functionality is acceptable and licensing cost considerations are a driving factor c. Review licensing terms with legal and procurement for each Open Source software package to be used in the Enterprise d. Deploy Open Source applications and development software environments on Open Source operating environment (Linux) to realize full license cost savings e. Utilize Open Source to leverage pricing from existing and new commercial hardware and software vendors f. Open Source software should be treated like commercial software and source code should not be modified

We realize that often Linux is specifically a key component of a company’s open source strategy. So for a future post, we will provide a free Linux Strategy Outline you can use.

Live from the American Airlines Center in Dallas Texas. It is time to introduce the starting lineups for the 2007 High Tech Leader All-Star Game. We swing it over to your announcers Marv Albert and Bill Walton. Marv: Welcome to this year’s All-Star game, Bill. I’m glad we can be part of this year’s festivities. Bill: Hello to you Marv. This year, there has been quite the buzz around the game and who will be representing the East and West teams on the court. Marv: Let’s get right to it. Let’s begin with the West All-Stars. Starting a center is long time star – Bill Gates from the Seattle Supersonics. There’s no surprise here, as Gates has made the team for the last 20 years. Bill: What a player. Gates has led his team to 10 championships and is regarded as one of the best to play the game. With his point totals upwards of 56 billion, how can you argue? He might be winding down his career, but is still active and makes the Supersonics a powerhouse. Marv: Yes, I agree. His only negative is the fact he leads the league in charges each year. When another player is in a spot that he wants, he simply tries to push them aside. It is interesting to note that the Supreme Court has ruled that many of his charges are not indeed fouls. He is the only player who is allowed 8 fouls per game instead of the standard 6. Marv: Starting at forward from the Dallas Mavericks is Mark Cuban. Bill: Another great talent to be reckoned with. Some might not like his brash behavior sometimes, but you can’t argue with his results. Marv: Filling the small forward position for the west is Steve Jobs from the Sacramento Kings. Bill: Jobs plays the consummate underdog to a tee, but style he has brought to our beloved game is stupendous. Jobs only misstep this season was recommending a new ball called the iball to the league. It was given a test drive in preseason but its cubed shape reeked havoc with the game. Marv: At shooting guard is Andrew Grove from the L.A. Clippers. Another long standing All-Star, we are excited to see what he brings today. Bill: Grove is exciting to watch. He has the most pure athletic talent of anyone on the court. His 40 yard dash time was rumored to have been over-clocked at 2.6 seconds. Marv: Starting at point guard for the west from the Golden State Warriors is John Chambers. Bill: Chambers has the unique ability to distribute the ball with uncanny precision to others on his team. He has led the league in assists for the last decade and is showing no signs of slowing. Marv: And lastly, the West team’s 6th man is Scott McNealy of the L.A. Lakers. Bill: Scott has made significant contributions to the Lakers over the years. He is well known for being a streak shooter that is either lighting up the scoreboard or not a factor in the game. His trash talking is also legendary amongst the players. Bill: Coaching the West this year is Sergey Brin & Larry Page. They should bring an offensive style that has not been seen since the early 90’s Lakers and Celtics teams. Marv: I would also like to mention that coaches Brin and Page are accompanied by their big bodyguard Matt Cutts. Cutts religiously protects them from abusive and sometimes rabid fans. Marv: Now let’s go to the squad from the East. Starting at center from the Boston Celtics is Joe Tucci. Bill: Tucci is a presence to be reckoned with in the middle. He is big and he is bulky, but he gets the job done day in and day out. His reliability is unquestionable. He does however require a huge contract renewal to play each year. Marv: Next up for the East is starting power forward Linus Torvalds from the Cleveland Cavaliers. Bill: Originally from Finland and recently traded from the Lakers, Torvalds brought a European influence to the American game and brought a new style that has been a hit with our younger fans. Marv: Starting at small forward from the New York Knicks is Louis Gerstner. Bill: We can’t say enough about Gerstner’s play over the years. He single handedly brought the Knicks back from the league basement to be championship contenders. Marv: The shooting guard for the East this year is Kevin Mitnick from the Miami Heat. Bill: Oh yes, Crafty Kevin Mitnick. Mitnick is best known for leading the league in all-time steals. He now not only leads his team on the floor, but is a defensive consultant for many other high profile organizations. Marv: The last starter for the East this year at point guard is Mark Andreessen from the New Jersey Nets. Bill: Mark fundamentally changed the way the game is played. His knack for reading the floor and knowing where his teammates are on the court and distributing the ball accordingly has made him famous. Marv: And the 6th man for the East is Dennis Ritchie who plays for Chicago Bulls. Bill: Another old timer that established how the game is currently played. Many current and future players owe credit to Ritchie for demonstrating the fundamentals. Bill: Coaching the East is Rupert Murdoch. His many years of experience and success set a standard for coaching today. While he is the oldest active coach in the league, he remains young at heart if not a little crazy in the head. Marv: Bill, as I look around the stadium today, I would like to point out a couple of notables in attendance. I see Sir Tim Berners-Lee in the front row. Berners-Lee actually built all of the stadiums in the league that these great players play on day in and day out. I also see the commissioner, Michael Dell. He moved to the front office after retiring as a player but is considering a comeback. Bill: Good point, Marv. There are also a couple of notable people I want to point out. Do you see Larry Ellison over there? Why is no one sitting within a 10 foot radius of him? Why does his shirt say “Go Gates. No, wait - go McNealy. No, go Torvalds”? Also look at Kevin Rose who is doing ball boy duty today. Marv: Quickly, let’s thank our technical crew today. Thanks to Nicholas Negroponte for providing the laptops we are using today, Jimmy Wales in our research and stats department, and Chad Hurley and Steven Chen for today’s video highlights. Bill: Enjoy the game everyone, and we’ll see you next year.