Unix Computer Technology News and Reviews

The Linux Foundation announced April 8 its annual sponsorship of independent IDC predictions about how the Linux ecosystem will grow over time. The answer is “a lot” but exactly what you’d expect in relationship to the UNIX ecosystem. 

I usually measure Linux/UNIX usage growth/decline by following the IDC quarterly view of server shipments. The clear trend from that perspective is that factory shipments of servers with Linux is increasing basically at the rate that factory shipments of servers with UNIX decreases. It gets the rabid open source blogosphere foaming at the mouth to say this but Linux is basically the latest version of UNIX. So market researchers expect the two operating systems to move in this manner. 

From a market research perspective, looking at the Linux ecosystem separate from the UNIX ecosystem would be like looking at the growth of Windows 15 years ago without also watching the decline of DOS. Bascially,  you choose the IBM and HP versions of Linux et al for factory shipments if you used to choose AIX, HP/UX and so forth. In addition, leading server suppliers are partnering with Linux services suppliers such as Red Hat, Canonical and so forth for follow-ons. This is relatively low-margin services business the major systems suppliers used to take for themselves. 

The IDC report released April 8 looks at the same trend from a different perspective. By the way and not coincidentally, the Linux Foundation is funded by platinum sponsors Fujitsu, Hitachi, HP, IBM, Intel, NEC, Novell and Oracle along with dozens of other Gold, Silver and Affiliate sponsors. Rather than measuring your choice of servers, the new IDC research predicts your “Linux-related software spending.” The forecast says Linux-related software revenue will grow from $12 billion to $35 billion between 2008 and 2013 while “Unix spending” goes almost almost flat (from $69 billion to $74 billion). This statistic forecasts not only the Linux- and other open source operating software (e.g., Solaris) revenue flowing in the market but the revenue of license fees, maintenance and related subscriptions for application servers, ESBs, databases, ERP, BI and even consumer software running on those operating systems. Note that much of this software is not tied to open source terms and conditions (Ts&Cs). As an example, an Oracle database and SAP R/3 running on a Linux server would be considered Linux-related software spending in this case. 

The IDC report also has some interesting information about cloud computing, virtualization and the effects on the market of the current economic downturn. It is available free from the Linux Foundation Web site. I wrote about a companion piece of IDC research sponsored by Novell here. 

By comparison, “Windows-related” revenue, according to the same IDC white paper, will grow from $149 billion to $206 billion during the same period. That is, both ecosystems are growing at about the same compound annual growth rate of 6 percent to 7 percent. That’s also as one would expect because both ecosystems are rapidly becoming the two dominant choices you have in the marketplace. As has been the trend for a few years, Linux- and other open source-based software is replacing UNIX-system-based software while Windows-based software is displacing OS/400 and other similar less IT-personnel-intensive systems. 

As always, be careful of statistics. These statistics do not tell the whole story of the marketplace and your choices in it. For example, just as a lot of the software in the open source operating system ecosystem is deployed with traditional Ts&Cs (the Oracle/SAP example above), a lot of the software revenue measured in the Windows ecosystem is distributed with open source Ts&Cs. Examples are JBoss or MySQL running on Windows

Given the sheer number of web hosting providers, making the decision as to which one to go with can become a daunting task. What many people don’t realize is that the wrong choice can introduce a “single point of failure” into your otherwise successful online business. In this articles, I will discuss some of the major factors you should consider before you make that choice.

If you have always wanted to know more about this topic, then get ready because we have all the information you can handle.

interval AND BANDWIDTH

The most usual thing people look for in a hosting source is the total of floppy storeroom cosmos and “bandwidth” vacant to them. While these are indeed important, they should not forlorn be the deciding truthors. truth is, most sources nowadays allocate more floppy cosmos and bandwidth than most people would want. As I explained in an past thing, 5-10 Gigabytes (or more) of storeroom is A LOT of storeroom. Most people will never want this greatly. If you alprompt have your website intended and prompt to go on your own notebook, plainally right-click the folder and choose properties to verify how greatly cosmos it needs. Even if you use backend databases (e.g., MySQL, MS ACCESS), the gigantic margin of sites would never come close to requiring 5GB or more. As long as the hosting sources you are considering give you that 5GB or more, you will be excellent in all but a few underdone suitarguments. If you realize you want more at a later time, make surely your source gives you an painexcluding upgrade avenue to a hosting design with a advanced allocation.

The same thing applies to bandwidth. Many, if not most, sources now give bandwidth allocatioins of 200Gb/month or more. That total would be more than adequate for most small businesses. Let’s look at an example. If each visitor to your site uses, on ordinary, 1MB of bandwidth to side through your pages, a 200GB/month bandwidth allocation would sell 200,000 visitors/month. Even if each visitor browsed an ordinary of 10MB on your site (which is decidedly dodgy), you could still sell 20.000 visitors/month. Of course, if your business truly explodes into a massive victory, your failsafe fallback locate is choosing a hosting source that allocates for a painexcluding upgrade avenue.

Keep reading further to learn how this topic can benefit you, as the rest of this article will supply you will the needed information.

communal VS. DEDICATED HOSTING

In a common hosting environment, your site is sited on a server that also grants hosting for a number of other people. You have your own cosmos, your own domain and the respite, but other people are also with the capital of that server for their sites. There is no chance of your pages viewing up on the other people site, or associate versa. Each site has its own sole set of folders, logins, and so forwards.

likewise the truth that common hosting expenses considerably excluding, the important consideration for most people is that the hosting circle prop workers administers the server. If there is a catch with the server, they have to fix it, not you. When the working technique or other technique software wants to be upgraded, they do it. All you care about is your own site and the pages enclosed on it.

For a large number of small businesses, common hosting is more than adequate. In a common hosting environment, there is no want for you to have official skill of Windows or Unix server administration. Thats not your soul business so why would you want to take that on?

In some suitarguments however, there may be exact reasons why superstar wants to administer their own server. These generally need people who have specialized needments. In that argument, a dedicated server would be the decision of choice.

In a dedicated server environment, you have packed manage over everything. You configure the server the way you want it. You ensconce working technique upgrades and patches, and you fix stuff when they crunch. You verify what components run on the server (e.g. ASP .NET 1.1 or .NET 2.0). You verify if the server runs CDONTs or some other mailer series. Its almost as if the server were in your home or place of business, excepting that you are administering it distantly.

Again, in the gigantic margin of suitarguments for a small business, common hosting would be the preference. In those suitarguments where a dedicated server is vital, most hosting companies grant that, along with the headaches.

expense

It is amazing to me what some hosting sources trust for their serassociates. It is even more amazing that so many people pay these worths. Let’s consider a few of the “low end” hosting designs untaken by some of the “big boys” in the web hosting sector.

One of them trusts $9.95/mo for their plain serassociate. They also need a $25 system fee. For that, you get 2GB of storeroom cosmos and 20GB of bandwidth. Another trusts $14.95/month. With that, you get 500MB (MB, not GB) of storeroom, and 30GB of bandwidth. Are you kididng me?? There are thousands of hosting sources that will give you 10 period these totals for $5/month or excluding. And if you relate other skin, you will find that in most suitarguments, these other sources also give you more in language of dispatch accounts and other “boundlessbies”. It pays to relate. For those who want to expend lookalike, or even triple, for domains and web hosting, go right before. It is your money after all.

Of course, you can forever go with a boundless hosting account. You cant beat the worth. But that doesnt routinely allocate you to use your own domain. You just become an increase of superstar elses (e.g., somehostingserassociate.com/yoursite). That doesnt do greatly for your branding. With boundless sites, you can also presume a boatload of ads that the hosting circle puts there. I disbelief that is truly the aura you want to portray to your customers.

HOSTING supplier VIABILITY

Many people overlook this consideration, but liability so can be a important gaffe. The last thing you want is to get a great site online, jerk getting a ton of visitors and sales, and then have your hosting circle go stomach-up on you. Its happened all too regularly.

It is to your help to make surely that whoever you host with will be there tomorrow, next month, next year and five days from now. You would be astounded how many hosting companies are run by a single self out of the basement of their home, or how many of them are working on a shoestring.

Dont be anxious to ask a possible hosting circle where their servers are located, or how many people are on their workers. I have confirmed in other stuff that it is truly important for all businesses to have a issue Continuity chart. Ask your possible hosting circle if they have one. Ask them what happens to YOU if there is a fire in their server knotty. And dont be anxious to ask them what happens to the circle if the possessor gets hit by a beer truck on the way to work. It happens.

OTHER CONSIDERATIONS

Depending on the wants for your online business, there are numerous other truthors to consider when choosing your hosting source:

- how many dispatch accounts do they grant?

- do they grant “Blog” software or do you want a 3rd-group plugin

- do they grant “Discussion Forum” software, or do you want a 3rd-group plugin?

- do they grant a “shopping drag”?

- do they grant “business accounts” if you don’t alprompt have one?

- do they grant “SSL” certificates for obtain transactions?

- what is the upgrade avenue for adding skin at a later court?

- do they grant robust transfer statistics?

You may not want all these skin, but if you do, it’s easier to go with those that are integrated into your hosting design. affect what YOUR wants are, then choose the hosting source that gives you the best combination of worth and skin.

.

If we look over the last century and examine the rate of technological growth. We can forgive ourselves for feeling a little proud about how quickly things have moved forward compared to the previous centuries. Flying at speed. Moving underwater stealthily. Travelling in space to name a fraction of what the human race has achieved in such a short span of time.

The big question though, is could we have progressed any faster and further in that space of time? The answer to that question is a big resounding YES!

Since we have been civilised enough to be able to maintain a system of currency, we have had to rely on that very method of exchange, and commerce has taken full advantage of this situation. In fact, commerce has become so powerful that it actually controls the rate at which we progress.

There are currently three levels of technology in existence.

1) Commercial Technology.

This is the technology we use in everyday life. Covering all manner of toys, tools and useful objects. However, the level at which commercial technology is at. Is higher than that used in commercially available products. Now we could argue that the technology they hold back, is not fully tested, and therefore not completely safe. This might be true in very small percentages. The major reason for holding back is good old money. It’s all about making as much money out of a particular product before they move on to the next one. How many times have you seen products advertised as cutting edge at cut price? Only to find that they are outdated months later. Hard selling of latest technology at low prices is a key indicator that commerce is about to release a technologically superior product. So perhaps you can now see the control. What would happen to our technology if this didn’t happen?

2) Military Technology.

This is more advanced than commercial technology. There’s a lot of military technology we know about, and a lot we don’t know about. Governments will hold back the release of this technology into the commercial arena, because it can give them a tactical advantage in a military sense. The components used in military hardware will generally have a longer life than those used in commercial products. I remember having a component catalogue in the 1980’s. I could buy standard or military components. Standard were guaranteed for 1 year. Military for 5 years. They are generally more expensive. Commerce avoids using these products. The excuse is cost but it’s more likely to be because they want to sell you products at regular intervals. Having a product that lasted for a long time would be counter productive to them.

3) Experimental Technology.

This area is way ahead of commercial technology, but is closely watched by the military. There are developments currently in progress which are things that you possibly, couldn’t even comprehend, or didn’t even think was in the realm of possibility. The deepest and most secret of these are run by government bodies, and some of them, apparently, don’t exist. Again, this is for tactical reasons. If you could see what they were cooking up you would be amazed in one sense, and possibly frightened out of your skin.

So there we have it. After taking all these points into consideration, it’s quite obvious to see that progress is thwarted by these processes. Well, let’s see what the next few decades bring. Don’t worry though. Most of it is already here.