SUSE Appliance Program

The SUSE® Appliance Program enables independent software vendors (ISVs) to bundle their applications with a subset of the SUSE Linux Enterprise platform and deliver the bundle as a software appliance.

What Are Software Appliances?

Software appliances are software applications combined with a purpose-built operating system that is optimized to run on industry-standard hardware or in a virtualized environment. This operating system is an integrated software stack that sits directly on a server. Since most applications don’t need much operating capacity to function properly, software appliances offer an unprecedented opportunity to reduce the complexity of an operating system and simplify application deployments.

Discover a new approach to software development and distribution.

Why Use Virtual Appliances?

Virtual appliances are software appliances that are specifically created to run on top of virtualization platforms, making it easy to deploy applications on virtual servers. Preconfigured software applications with minimal component sets run integrated inside a virtual machine. As a result, multiple software appliances can seamlessly coexist and interoperate with their underlying operating system on the same physical servers. Since virtual appliances are also highly portable, they are easier to install, manage and update.

The SUSE Appliance Program is the next step in the evolution of the SUSE Linux Enterprise platform because it enables ISVs to create virtual appliances combining their applications with SUSE Linux Enterprise. This combination will simplify application deployment and support, and will dramatically reduce development costs.

Just Enough Operating System (JeOS)

The first component of the SUSE Appliance Program is the delivery of a minimal version of the award-winning SUSE Linux Enterprise platform, or JeOS (pronounced “Juice”) version of SUSE Linux Enterprise. SUSE Linux Enterprise JeOS is built to fit the needs of particular applications. Customers can now deploy appliances based on Linux* more efficiently, with higher performance, increased security and simplified management.

SUSE Linux Enterprise JeOS has been certified to work as a virtual machine on top of both the Xen hypervisor and the VMware hypervisor.

Download a technical preview of SUSE Linux Enterprise JeOS

"Virtual appliances are the wave of the future," said Al Gillen, vice president at IDC. "Virtual appliances allow ISVs to package together a fully configured, optimized software stack, broadening their market. Customers are looking for simplified ways to deploy their applications, with the guarantee that the application and operating system will work together seamlessly. This market demand is changing the way software is deployed and supported. Moving forward, we expect more operating systems to be bundled with ISVs."

Learn more and join the SUSE Appliance Program for Early Adopters

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The SUSE Appliance Program provides simplified ways to develop, distribute, deploy and manage applications with the guarantee that the application and SUSE Linux Enterprise will work together seamlessly.

The SUSE Appliance Program enables ISVs to deploy their applications preconfigured in appliances built on a minimal version of SUSE Linux Enterprise JeOS. This will reduce the cost and complexity of software development at the same time.

Ease Application Deployment

Delivering software as a virtual appliance brings many benefits. Virtual appliances are easier to install and easier to maintain than physical appliances. Customers can quickly deploy new applications and reduce complexity at the same time, because the appliance is one less thing they have to manage. The high portability of virtual appliances is simplifying software deployment even more.

Easily deliver solutions to customers.

Customers benefit from:

• Easy deployment of applications on a virtual server
• Reduced need for support and maintenance
• Higher reliability due to pretesting and prepackaging of components
• Facility for standardization and consolidation
• Special skills not required

Simplify Application Development

Virtual appliances address many challenges that ISVs face today. Since all components in an appliance are packaged together, they can be delivered pre-installed and with proof that they work together on a supported platform. ISVs can concentrate on the complete stack and provide customers higher value-adds.

ISVs providing virtual appliances can:

• Deliver their application on a supported platform in a turn key manner
• Reduce costs by supporting only one operating system, integrated with their applications
• Reduce complexity of sales process: demo, evaluation, sale, deployment
• Reduce maintenance and support complexity
• Reduce customer's maintenance costs through virtualization
• Enable software as a service
• Provide a repeatable, consistent solution

The SUSE Appliance Program is the first step in a comprehensive path to enable ISVs to build appliances based on SUSE Linux Enterprise.

Download a technical preview of SUSE Linux Enterprise JeOS

Experience the benefits of virtual appliances for ISVs. Join our SUSE Appliance Program for Early Adopters

Benefit from being a Novell partner. Learn more about the ISV Partner program

The SUSE Appliance Program is the first step in a comprehensive path to enable ISVs to build virtual appliances based on SUSE Linux Enterprise JeOS—the minimal version of the award-winning SUSE Linux Enterprise platform.

JeOS

The first component of the SUSE Appliance Program is the delivery of the JeOS, or "just enough operating system" version of SUSE Linux Enterprise. SUSE Linux Enterprise JeOS is a minimal edition of the SUSE Linux Enterprise Server, which ISVs can use as a starting point for developing virtual appliances. SUSE Linux Enterprise JeOS is built from the same code base as SUSE Linux Enterprise Server, and applications certified to run on SUSE Linux Enterprise Server will carry that certification onto the JeOS platform as well.

Highly efficient and optimized for virtualization.

The term JeOS refers to a customized operating system that precisely fits the needs of a particular application. JeOS includes only the pieces of an operating system required to support a particular application and any other third-party components contained in the appliance. This makes the appliance smaller, more efficient, more secure and higher performing than an application running under a full, general-purpose operating system.

SUSE Linux Enterprise JeOS has been certified to work as a virtual machine on top of both the Xen hypervisor and the VMware hypervisor. The beta release is available in several virtual image formats, including a raw hard-disk image, VMware VMDK, and Xen.

Download a technical preview of SUSE Linux Enterprise JeOS

Join the SUSE Appliance Program for Early Adopters

The SUSE Appliance Program for Early Adopters is looking for ISVs to give feedback and help us develop the best questions and answers around alliances and the appliance program. We would like to encourage all ISVs to join our program, test the new version of SUSE Linux Enterprise, SUSE Linux Enterprise JeOS and discuss questions with our experts.

Experience the benefits of virtual appliances for ISVs. Join our SUSE Appliance Program for Early Adopters.

Build. Sell. Grow. Expand the market for your products and deliver them faster by partnering with Novell. Learn more about the SUSE Linux Enterprise ISV Partner program.