SUSE LINUX Unveils the Next Generation of SUSE Linux Enterprise Server

Powered by UnitedLinux, SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 8 delivers efficient, secure, and reliable future-proof operating system available across all significant platforms

Oakland — 11/19/2002 — SUSE LINUX, the international Open Source technology leader and solutions provider, today announced the next generation of SUSE Linux Enterprise Server. Based on the joint industry standard, UnitedLinux 1.0, SUSE Enterprise Server 8 delivers increased security, scalability, reliability, standard-compliance, software maintenance, and support.

Available in December, SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 8 combines maximum reliability and performance with an unprecedented scalability across all significant hardware borders. SUSE Linux Enterprise Server is also certified and validated for central enterprise applications such as mySAP.com and IBM DB2.

"IT experts worldwide aim to reduce costs as well as increase the performance, security and flexibility of their IT infrastructure," said Boris Nalbach, CTO of SUSE LINUX. "SUSE Linux Enterprise Server is the product of choice for corporate deployment. It offers decision makers financial planning security and eases administrators' duties through its technical maturity and continuous maintenance."

"SUSE has broken new ground with this continuum of enterprise offerings," said Bob Butler, Business Unit Executive, Linux Distributors, IBM. "Using a common Linux source code, applications can quickly span heterogeneous environments - from micro to mainframe, small business to Fortune 500. Coupled with full IBM middleware certification and worldwide IBM Global Services support, SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 8 will offer customers a compelling value proposition."

"Based on unified LSB-compliant standards by UnitedLinux, SUSE Enterprise Server 8 enables HP to offer our customers another strong Linux platform choice for their enterprise-level Linux deployments," said Judy Chavis, Worldwide Linux Director, HP Industry Standard Servers. "Running on market-leading industry-standard HP ProLiant servers or our Itanium 2-based server family, SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 8 offers customers a secure, reliable, and well supported Linux platform."

Only Server with Complete Cross-Platform Availability

SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 8 is the only server system worldwide that boasts a uniform code basis for all significant hardware platforms. In addition to SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 8 for Intel and AMD 32-bit and 64-bit processors, Enterprise Server 8 is also available for HP ProLiant servers, HP Itanium 2-based servers, Fujitsu Siemens Primergy servers and the entire IBM eServer series (xSeries, iSeries, pSeries, zSeries) - This makes the SLES8 the perfect platform for consolidating heterogeneous server structures and significantly reduces system administration costs.

SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 8 delivers powerful and mature tools for all mission-critical server applications, such as file, print, web, and security services. In addition, it is highly suitable as a server for applications and middleware solutions such as databases, e-commerce, and storage, as well as for clustering and ThinClient systems.

Unique: The SUSE LINUX Maintenance Program Expands

A new expanded portfolio of system maintenance and support services ensures that businesses get qualified assistance from SUSE for the running system. Installation support is now valid for the entire maintenance term. In the SUSE LINUX Maintenance Web, users can access well-documented fixes, patches, and updates, ensuring optimum system availability. Various support services specifically designed for SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 8 are available at fixed rates, with guaranteed turnaround times, and around the clock.

Maximum Convenience: Easy Installation and System Configuration

SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 8 also improves administration and configuration efficiency with the new installation tool AutoYaST. AutoYaST enables automated installation of a user-defined SUSE LINUX Enterprise Server configuration in a distributed network, greatly reducing installation time and administration costs and guaranteeing a global quality-assured software rollout. Using the graphical YaST2 frontend in SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 8, hardware components and server services can comfortably be configured in the running system. YaST's remote administration by way of a secure encrypted connection provides security and efficiency.

Globally Standardized Base Technology: UnitedLinux 1.0

SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 8 is based on the uniform global Linux business infrastructure, UnitedLinux 1.0. Jointly developed by Conectiva, SUSE The SCO Group, and Turbolinux, and supported by leading hardware and software providers, UnitedLinux 1.0 provides multiple language support and compliance with the main Linux standards (LSB, FHS, OpenI18N).

In Focus: SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 8 powered by UnitedLinux provides performance and high availability

The optimized kernel 2.4.19 enables high availability solutions and the high-performance interaction with storage systems in the SAN by means of asynchronous I/O, multipathing memory access, and the management of up to 600 physical hard disks. Load balancing and the O(1) scheduler are responsible for the optimum balancing of the computing capacity in the network.

SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 8 provides improved scalability up to 32 processors and utilizes up to 64 GB of main memory. Therefore, it is primary choice for deployment as computing cluster for high-performance computing solutions and environments with advanced speed and scalability requirements.

SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 8 includes an expanded and enhanced version of Samba, the file and print server for Windows environments. The introduction of access control lists (ACL) for files and directories facilitates the administration of access permissions for file and print services.

SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 8 supports four file systems with journaling functionality: Ext3, ReiserFS, XFS, and IBM's 64-bit file system JFS. SuSE Linux Enterprise Server 8 is the first Linux system to support NGPT threads. With NGPT (Next-Generation Posix Threads), existing Unix applications can easily and cost-effectively be ported to Linux, thus, do not pose any obstacle for the migration. The previous thread model, pthreads, continues to be supported. The integrated IBM Java tools are key for the availability of crossplatform applications under Linux.

The system is permanently checked for attacks from the Internet or the LAN. OpenSSL reliably encrypts mission-critical data. Through effective user authentication, Kerberos implements a maximum degree of security for client and server applications.

Product Scope and Availability

SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 8 for x86 will be available in December from SUSE LINUX resellers. Other versions of SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 8 for S/390 and zSeries (31-bit and 64-bit), iSeries, pSeries and for Itanium 2-based servers will be available in December, too. SUSE LINUX Enterprise Server 8 will also support AMD's x86 64-bit architecture, which will be available beginning 2003.

The recommended retail price of US$ 749.00 for SUSE LINUX Enterprise Server 8 for x86 includes four CDs, detailed manuals, and the SUSE LINUX Maintenance Program for one server for 12 months. For the benefit of users of SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 7 who participate in the Maintenance Program, SUSE offers an upgrade to SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 8 together with the documentation at the price of US$ 129.00.

For further information, please visit http://www.suse.com/sles/index.html.