Linux wspolpracuje z SAP-em

Switzerland's Endress+Hauser (International) Holding AG, a global supplier of process control systems, has migrated all its business applications from SAP AG to a mainframe running the open-source Linux operating system.
The manufacturer, in Reinach, Switzerland, joins a growing cadre of companies moving core IT systems, such as SAP's R/3 ERP (enterprise resource planning) software, to Linux in an effort to lower operating costs and increase performance.

The ERP system runs on Novell Inc's Linux SuSE, which is installed in an IBM Corp. zSeries 990 mainframe and supported by IBM's z/VM server virtualization technology, according to Jan Olaf, manager of marketing and sales at Endress+Hauser Infoserv GmbH, the IT service unit of the Swiss manufacturing group.

"We run a wide assortment of SAP applications, including CRM (customer relationship management), SCM (supply chain management) and the new NetWeaver integration platform," Olaf said. "We use a lot of SAP software, and it's now all on Linux."

More than 3,500 employees use SAP applications within the group, which consists of 35 subsidiaries with 60 sites spread around the globe.

One of the reasons for the migration was to improve performance. "We have much shorter response times with Linux compared to IBM's mainframe operating system, z/OS," Olaf said. "We also find maintenance to be much easier."

The migration to Linux has also resulted in quicker back-up and recovery -- between 10 percent and 20 percent faster than with the former system, according to Olaf.

Asked whether cost also played a role, the manager said, "of course."

In total, Endress+Hauser migrated nearly 20 production applications and over 60 test, quality and development systems to Linux.

Dlaczego IM jest lepszy od E-Mail?

Popularność IM wynika z tego, że e-mail coraz bardziej jest zanieczyszczony poprzez spam i ludzie coraz mniej chętnie czytają e-maile.
Fenomen IM polega na jego świeżości i natychmiastowości, coś w rodzaju "głowi kolegi w drzwiach, który przyszedł za sprawą".
Walory:
1) Wysyłający wie dokładnie, że odbiorca jest na komputerze.
2) Wygladem przypomina wymianę karteczek w podczas lekcji klasie.
3) Coś w rodzaju ulotności, nie zostawia śladu w poczcie. Wiadomość może być zabarwiona emocjonalnie co może wywołać podziw wśród znajomych.

Ukryte koszty VPN

Użytkownicy zauważają, że mimo obniżenia kosztów wynikających ze stosowania VPN zamiast tradycyjnej sieci, wcale nie obniżają kosztów całkowitych. Ma się to szczególnie w obszarze gdzie użytkownicy sami eksploatują infrastrukturę VPN. Użytkownicy przyznają, że wykorzystanie Internetu z VPN może spowodować znaczne oszczędności w (obszarze ruchu w sieci rozległej: wide-area) w porównaniu z łączami dzierżawionymi lub usług frame relay, nawet wydajność i przepustowość sieci jest zadawalająca. To co zżera koszty to bieżąca obsługa klienta końcowego (instalacja, konfigurowanie i wyłapywanie błędów) i koszty help desku

TOra - Toolkit For Oracle - narzedzie dla administratora bazy

Narzędzie Tora - Toolkit for Oracle
Strona: http://www.sofotex.com/TOra---Toolkit-For-Oracle-download_L2090.html
Zawiera:
========
Służy do wsparcia DBA i programistom bazodanowym: PL/SQL Debugger, SQL worksheet z podświetleniem składni, przeglądarkę bazy oraz narzędzia dla administratora
Cena: 100$ dla użytkownika komercyjnego (przedsiębiorstwa)
Inne produkty:
=============
Visual SQL-Designer is a program for easy visual constructing hard SQL-query for any ...
MyDBA - Oracle Databases Observer: MyDBA is a powerful graphical tool to retrieve essential information from any Oracle ...
Oracle Reports Barcode Library: Add barcodes to Oracle Reports with this library. The barcode library is a PLL file that ...
Odbc 4 All: Allows any application, including DOS, to easily run SQL queries using any ODBC data ...
DB SynchroComp: DB SynchroComp compares two SQL Server databases, determining differences between them, ...

The Code Project - A db grid control using ASP - ASP

The Code Project - A db grid control using ASP - ASP: "Introduction%0D%0AA grid control for editing databases on the web. It is written for ASP with JavaScript%2C but should be fully usable from VBScript as well. With just a few lines of code%2C you will%2C with this control%2C be able to edit your data.%0D%0AFeatures%0D%0AWrite protect fields you don%27t want the user to edit. %0D%0AID fields can look up values in other recordsets. %0D%0ASort by any column that supports sorting. %0D%0APaging with custom page size. %0D%0AAutomatically detects primary key%2C but can also be manually overridden. %0D%0AGet default values for new records with custom select statement. %0D%0AUsage"

Finalisci LinuxWorld Expo

Best Data Backup or Storage Solution
PolyServe, Inc: PolyServe NAS Cluster Solution
Storix, Inc: System Backup Administrator
Computer Associates: BrightStor ARCserve Backup

Best Database Solution
Computer Associates: Ingres
Oracle: Oracle Database 10g
IBM: IBM DB2 Universal Database
Object Web: C-JDBC
Voltaire: TerraGrid DBScale

Best Open Source Solution
Mozilla Foundation: Mozilla FireFox
Computer Associates: Ingres
Novell: Novell SuSE Linux Enterprise Server 9
Gentoo Linux: Gentoo Linux 2004.2

Best Utility/Grid Computing Solution
IBM: IBM Deep Computing Capacity on Demand
Topspin Communications: Topspin Utility Computing Solution, featuring VFrameT software suite
VMWare: VMWare GSX 3.1
Emic Networks: Emic Application Cluster 2.0

Best Security Solution
NetIQ: NetIQ Vulnerability Manager 5.0
Novell: Novell Nsure
Astaro: Astaro Security Linux

Best Productivity/Business Application
Sun Microsystems: StarOffice and Migration Tools
Novell: Novell Evolution 2.0 / GroupWise
KDE: Quanta Plus
Hummingbird Ltd: Exceed onDemand 4.5
Computer Associates: BrightStor Document Manager

Best Messaging Solution
Mozilla Foundation: Mozilla Thunderbird
Barracuda Networks: Barracuda Spam Firewall 600
Novell: GroupWise 6.5 for Linux, Evolution and Gaim
Stalker Software: Communigate Pro v4.2 Real-Time Communication

Best Application Development Platform or Tool
Red Hat: Red Hat Application Server
Novell: Mono
Parasoft: Insure++
Sun Microsystems: Sun Java Studio Creator

Best Systems Management Tools
Novell: ZENworks Linux Management
Black Duck Software: protexIP/development
RLX Technologies: RLX Control Tower 6G
Xandros, Inc: Xandros Desktop Management Server

Best Embedded Solution
IBM: IBM Cloudscape V10.0
Trolltech: Qtopia Phone Edition

Best Clustering Solution
Red Hat: Red Hat Global File System
IBM: IBM Departmental Supercomputing Solutions
Penguin Computing: Scyld Beowulf

Most Innovative Hardware Solution
Rackable Systems: Rackable Systems Scale Out Server Series
E28 Limited: E2800+
Sun Microsystems: Sun Ray Thin Client

Best Integration Solution
Alacos: Linux Migration Agent Professional
Novell: exteNd Suite 5.2
Veritas: Storage Foundation 4.0

Nogrodzeni wystawcy na LinuxWorld Expo

Winners of Product Excellence Awards Announced at LinuxWorld Conference & Expo
Sandy Dawkins

08/04/2004 - Awards recognize the best products and services on the exhibit floor

FRAMINGHAM, MA – August 4, 2004 – IDG World Expo, the leading producer of world-class tradeshows, conferences and events for technology markets, has announced the winners of the LinuxWorld Product Excellence Awards. Presented in a ceremony held yesterday afternoon at LinuxWorld Conference & Expo®, the awards recognize the best products and services showcased on the exhibit floor at this week’s event. LinuxWorld Conference & Expo runs through Thursday, August 5 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco.

The LinuxWorld Product Excellence Awards were managed in conjunction with LinuxWorld Magazine, and winners were selected by a panel of judges comprised of respected industry experts. Divided into 13 product categories, the awards represent major areas of innovation in the Linux and open source community.

“The winners of the LinuxWorld Product Excellence Awards represent the best that open source has to offer,” said Warwick Davies, group vice president, IDG World Expo. “With the help of LinuxWorld Magazine and our experienced judges, we have selected the most innovative and effective solutions for users of Linux and open source. We applaud the developers of these solutions for their hard work and dedication to innovation.”

The “Best of Show” award, which recognizes a product deemed by the judges to be an important advancement and a major step forward for Linux in the marketplace, was presented to the Mozilla Foundation for Mozilla FireFox.

Additional award winners included:

Best Data Backup or Storage Solution
Storix, Inc: System Backup Administrator

Best Database Solution
Voltaire: TerraGrid DBScale

Best Open Source Solution
Mozilla Foundation: Mozilla FireFox

Best Utility/Grid Computing Solution
Topspin Communications: Topspin Utility Computing Solution, featuring VFrameT software suite

Best Security Solution
Novell: Novell Nsure

Best Productivity/Business Application
Sun Microsystems: StarOffice and Migration Tools

Best Messaging Solution
Stalker Software: Communigate Pro v4.2 Real-Time Communication

Best Application Development Platform or Tool
Red Hat: Red Hat Application Server

Best Systems Management Tools
Novell: ZENworks Linux Management

Best Embedded Solution
Trolltech: Qtopia Phone Edition

Best Clustering Solution
Red Hat: Red Hat Global File System

Most Innovative Hardware Solution
Rackable Systems: Rackable Systems Scale Out Server Series

Best Integration Solution
Novell: exteNd Suite 5.2

The LinuxWorld Product Excellence Award judges included: Kevin Bedell, editor in chief for LinuxWorld Magazine; Bill Claybrooke, industry analyst at New River Linux; Gary Hein, vice president and service director for Application Platform Strategies at the Burton Group; Sam Hiser, marketing project co-lead for OpenOffice.org; Dee-Ann LeBlanc, Linux author, consultant and trainer; Robin "Roblimo" Miller, editor in chief for OSDN; Paul Nowak, CIO for the North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE); Brian Proffitt, managing editor for Linux Today, LinuxPlanet and JustLinux; Stacey Quandt, industry analyst at Quandt Analytics; Bill Roth, senior technical evangelist at E.phiphany; Doc Searls, senior editor for Linux Journal; Leon Shiman, president of Shiman Associates and member of the Board of Directors for X.org; John Terpstra, mentor on the Samba Project; James Turner, senior editor for LinuxWorld Magazine; Maria Winslow, open source business analyst; and John Weathersby, executive director of the Open Source Software Institute.

Techworld.com - Microsoft firewall could be security risk

Techworld.com - Microsoft firewall could be security risk: "But if an installer can switch off Windows Firewall%2C so could an attacker%2C%0D%0Aargues Zone Labs%2C maker of the popular ZoneAlarm firewall. The company said%0D%0Aits own products are locked-down in such a way that third-party applications%0D%0Acan%27t disable firewall protection without uninstalling the software.%0D%0A%0D%0AMicrosoft admitted that%2C in some cases%2C malicious code could indeed switch%0D%0Athe firewall off. However%2C this isn%27t so much a flaw as a limitation on the%0D%0Arole firewalls should play in a company%27s security system%2C Microsoft said.%0D%0A%22An attacker could misuse that %28administrative%29 capability%2C%22 said Microsoft%0D%0Atechnical specialist David Overton. %22But you%27re already in a compromised%0D%0Astate%2C if you%27re at that point.%22 He said that Windows Firewall is designed%0D%0Ato stop malicious transmissions to the PC%2C rather than protecting the PC%0D%0Aonce it%27s been infected."
If malicious code makes it past the firewall, it is the role of anti-virus
software to protect the machine, Overton said. Likewise, it is not the
firewall's place to stop malicious code from sending outbound packets -
Microsoft argues companies should use perimeter technologies to examine
outbound traffic. "The firewall is a management process, not a silver
bullet," Overton said.

Narzedzia dla obszaru serwerow MS Windows mozna znalezc na LinuxWorld

Podsumowanie:
===========
Dwie ciekawe technologie pracy wieloprocesorowej:
1) kombinacja platformy sprzetowej blade z Linux (opcja wbudowana wirtualizacja) IBM + TotalStorage SAN = niegraniczona rozbudowa mocy obliczeniowej i niezawodnosci,
2) rozwiązanie klastrowe Boewolf mozna dodawać/zdejmować węzły - całosć pracuje jak jeden wielki komputer,
Rozwiązania Novell: nowe serwery, ZenWorks oraz nasladowcy Exchange'a
=====================================================
Good stuff, but the combination of IBM's blade server platform running Linux, taking advantage of Linux's embedded server virtualization capability while running a TotalStorage SAN solution on the back end, has so much flexibility that it's mind-boggling
If I only had a dime for every time someone asked me that last week, I'd be wealthier -- by about 10 cents. But why shouldn't I be at LinuxWorld? After all, I write about the best ways to manage a Windows-centric enterprise network, and we all know that isn't always done by using only Windows-based products.

LinuxWorld was actually an eye-opener for me in a number of ways. For one thing, I couldn't believe the number of Windows XP machines running at this show. And not just in the press room, although here I was mighty surprised to be the only one with Slackware available on his notebook. I was also surprised by the ratio of green hair and lip piercings to khakis and golf shirts; khakis and golf shirts were definitely winning. Except over in the dot.org section where it was still T-shirts and anti-Bill tattoos. Frankly, it was a little disappointing. My first Linux gathering and everyone was corporate. Might as well have been at TechEd .

I saw a couple of upsides to all the Windows machines at the show, however. First, I can stick it to some of those Linux OS zealots I run into from time to time (of which, again, this show had surprisingly few). Second, it shows you really can integrate Linux into a Windows-based installation without compatibility taking a dive and the world coming to an end.

But from a Windows IT management perspective, Linux still isn't a cure-all. The battle for the Linux desktop seemed on many folks' mind at the show, but from my perspective, that was the least interesting aspect. What made my eyes flutter was clustering, blade server management, and storage management.

Microsoft is making a big deal out of its Windows Storage Server product line, along with hardware partners galore. Good stuff, but the combination of IBM's blade server platform running Linux, taking advantage of Linux's embedded server virtualization capability while running a TotalStorage SAN solution on the back end, has so much flexibility that it's mind-boggling. Any server you want, any capacity you want, any number of network interfaces, any amount of fail-over. All in software, all via a sweet little interface with IBM's ultra-quality hardware making you feel warm and fuzzy all over. That is one tough solution to beat.

Scyld Software's Beowulf clusters were similarly impressive, although they were flexible in the opposite way. Whereas server virtualization lets you expand your hardware into as many virtual software nodes as possible, Beowulf clusters let you easily combine your hardware resources into a single, and heavily muscled, logical computing resource. And what a resource. Scyld Beowulf solves many of the problems of the first-generation Beowulf clusters by effectively using a single-system front end. The entire cluster can be completely managed from a single console and looks to that user as a single computer. Even better, groups of nodes can be split off for individual tasks with just a few mouse clicks and can then be added to the grid again to help out with works in progress with the same number of index-finger motions. It's smart, it's seamless, and it really works.

Another company that's going to give Redmond some real headaches in the coming year is Novell. They're back, they're loud, and they're serious. The SuSE distro is being expanded into a heavily muscled enterprise server platform that will soon have a front end unified with Netware. No, it's not a bad LSD flashback to SuperNOS, but a single management front end that can run over both operating kernels. SuSE is also becoming a powerhouse on the desktop side with Novell promising a new desktop distro that will allow Windows XP users immediate gratification with no learning curve. We'll see.

Managing that desktop, however, is going to be one of Novell's real strengths with a new version of ZENworks that spans over both Linux and Windows XP desktops with equal effectiveness. That's a real boon to those of us in mixed platform marriages, because ZENworks really delivers, feature-wise.

SuSE Openexchange is also on the warpath as we'll soon see in an upcoming review of non-Windows Exchange-killers. It's a little unclear how Openexchange will play out with Groupwise for Linux, but it's not unclear that messaging and collaboration are Linux server darlings. Scalix, Stalker Software, and others are working hard to give Exchange administrators viable alternatives without loss of features or front-end compatibility.

It may be strange talking about the rebel OS in a Windows management column, but many of the rebels have gone mainstream and are truly worth a look for any Windows network installation. Linux still can't run everything, especially Windows-based client/server applications, but it can sure make a dent in core network services.

Oliver Rist is a senior contributing editor at InfoWorld.