SUSE Linux Enterprise Server
Server Operating System Comparisons
Compare Operating Systems
SUSE® Linux Enterprise Server is your safe choice. When you compare operating systems, you'll find that SUSE Linux Enterprise Server offers some significant advantages. And when you compare Version 11 to Version 10, you'll find we've made some important improvements and enhancements.
| Server Operating System Comparison - SUSE Linux Enterprise Server vs. Red Hat Enterprise Linux, Solaris and Windows Server | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feature | SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11 | Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 | Solaris 10 | Windows Server 2008 |
| Interoperable with Windows |  |
 |
|
|
| Linux recommended by Microsoft | |
|
n/a | n/a |
| Unlimited Virtual Machine Support | |
 see note |
|
|
| Linux recommended by SAP | |
|
na | na |
| Enterprise Support Provided by Vendor with 25+ Year History |
|
|
|
|
| Open Source Software | |
|
|
|
| Broad Ecosystem | |
|
|
|
| Reliable, Scalable, Secure Server Operating System |
|
|
|
|
Note: Four virtual machines with RHEL, unlimited virtual machines with RHEL AP
Detailed Comparisons
Solaris
The server comparison table below lists some advantages of running SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11 over Solaris 10 on x86.
| Area of Comparison | SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11 | Solaris 10 on x86 |
|---|---|---|
| Compare Application Availability | SUSE Linux Enterprise Server has more than 2,500 certified applications, including popular open source applications as well as proprietary applications from leading software vendors such as SAP, Oracle and IBM. Gartner, in its UNIX:Wedged Between and x86 Rock and a Mainframe Hard Place, paper at the 2008 Gartner Data Conference shows SUSE Linux Enterprise Server with more certified ISV applications and higher ISV enthusiasm than for Solaris 10 on x86. | Solaris 10 on x86 has recently surged in numbers of ISV applications, but the ISV enthusiasm is low because it has less than one percent market share. |
| Compare Ecosystem | When you consider Linux vs. Solaris, you should consider the impact of a vibrant ecosystem. SUSE Linux Enterprise Server has a clear advantage over Solaris 10 on x86 with respect to the size and vitality of its ecosystem. Novell has developed partnerships and support relationships with leading hardware vendors such as IBM, HP, Dell, Fujitsu Siemens, Fujitsu Computer Systems, SGI and many others. We also offer a network of hundreds of services and solutions partners that can help you design, implement, manage and optimize your mixed source environment based on open source and proprietary components. In addition, Linux offers a much larger open source community than does OpenSolaris, providing time-to-market advantages in new feature development and bug fixes. | To date, Sun has not been able to create the same kind of ecosystem for Solaris 10 on x86 that it has for Solaris on SPARC. Sun does not have the widespread hardware and software vendor support for Solaris 10 on x86 that Novell offers for SUSE Linux Enterprise Server. This means that Solaris customers have much less choice in how they deploy Solaris 10. Ultimately this lack of choice reduces the flexibility and value of Solaris, preventing customers from achieving the business agility and cost efficiencies they are seeking. |
| Compare Hardware Availability | The breadth of hardware and processor architectures on which you can run SUSE Linux Enterprise Server gives it a big advantage over Solaris 10 on x86. From x86 and x86-64 servers, blades, clusters and grids to POWER and Itanium-based systems to IBM System z mainframes, SUSE Linux Enterprise Server is a powerful operating system that gives you the flexibility to take full advantage of your current and future hardware. | In comparison, Solaris 10 is supported on SPARC with limited support from Dell, HP, and IBM. These three hardware vendors only support Solaris 10 on x86 on limited x86 platforms. This limitation restricts how and where customers can deploy Solaris, and positions it as a niche operating system rather than an enterprise-wide platform. |
| Compare Virtualization | The primary difference between Linux and Solaris 10 on x86 when it comes to virtualization
is experience with customers. Novell debuted the Xen hypervisor with SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 10 in
mid-2006. In September 2008, Sun finally announced the availability of Sun xVM Server and Sun xVM Ops Center
2.0. SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11 supports Xen 3.3 virtualization on both 32- and 64-bit x86-based architectures
with the capability to host 32-bit virtual machines on 64-bit virtualization host servers. SUSE Linux Enterprise
11 with Xen hypervisor fully supports:
|
By comparison, Sun is late to market with Xen-based virtualization technology. The problem that Sun has is that practically no one is using Solaris 10 on x86 (less than 1 percent market share), and few people will be willing to consolidate standalone Windows workloads onto Solaris 10 on x86 with Xen. |
| Compare Windows Interoperability | In 2006, Novell and Microsoft signed a Technical Collaboration Agreement (TCA) to work closely to increase Linux and Windows interoperability on both the client and server sides. The two companies work side by side in their jointly sponsored Interoperability Lab in Cambridge, MA. The two companies have made great strides in federated directory and identity, virtualization, and systems management. | A few years ago, Microsoft and Sun announced a commitment for joint collaboration. However, nothing of substantial value has come of the announcement. Sun, however, has made it easier to download Windows drivers, made StarOffice to run on Windows, enabled single sign-on (SSO) capability. As you can see, Sun's relationship with Microsoft is lightweight when compared to Novell's relationship with Microsoft. |
Red Hat Enterprise Linux
When you compare Linux servers from different providers, you should consider factors such as interoperability, technical support and cost of ownership. Novell offers greater customer value than Red Hat along each of these dimensions.
Area of Comparison |
Novell / SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11 |
Red Hat / Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Compare Windows Interoperability | You have a variety of platforms in your organization and you need those technologies to
work well together today and in the future. Now they can, when you bring Windows and Linux together securely
and reliably with SUSE Linux Enterprise. SUSE Linux Enterprise is the fundamental building block of the
next generation data center. It's the only Linux distribution that Microsoft officially recommends for
customers who want Windows and Linux solutions. And the only Linux with complete support from both Novell
and Microsoft. Microsoft and Novell deliver powerful, cross-platform virtualization solutions that allow SUSE Linux Enterprise Server to run as an "enlightened" (or paravirtualized) guest on Windows Server 2008 and allow Windows Server 2008 to run as an enlightened guest on SUSE Linux Enterprise Server. The two companies also provide joint customer support for customers that run this virtualization solution. Giving customers the ability to manage their mixed-IT environments of physical and virtual systems with common tools is another area of focus. Novell and Microsoft are working together to develop standards-based systems management solutions. We are developing an open source implementation of the WS-MAN specification, which allows you to use the Microsoft System Center Suite (specifically Operations Manager from Microsoft) to manage both Windows and Linux environments. Novell and Microsoft also collaborate on identity and directory management, providing technologies that facilitate interoperability between Microsoft Active Directory and Novell's eDirectory™. In addition, Novell Access Manager will support the WS-Federation protocol. The resulting solution will give you the ability to utilize a common authentication method against Windows and non-Windows environments. |
Red Hat does not perform significant technical collaboration with any other major operating system vendor, limiting its ability to help customers build flexible and interoperable computing environments. In the area of virtualization, while Red Hat Enterprise Linux supports Windows guests, it cannot offer the high levels of performance for running virtualized Windows guests that SUSE Linux Enterprise Server offers. For example, Red Hat Enterprise Linux does not allow customers to run Windows operating systems as "enlightened" virtual guests, which is required for maximum performance. And Red Hat customers cannot receive support from Microsoft for their Windows virtual machines running on a Red Hat Enterprise Linux host. In heterogeneous systems management, Red Hat offers no comparable cross-platform solutions. And while Red Hat supports Samba, this does not match the value that Novell will be delivering through its interoperable identity solutions with Microsoft. |
| Compare Technical Support | Novell is widely acknowledged to offer the highest quality Linux support in the industry. In a recent survey of more than 500 customers conducted by independent research firm Lighthouse Research, customers demonstrated higher satisfaction with Novell's Linux support than with Red Hat's Linux support. Customers rated Novell's overall quality of service at 7.09 vs. Red Hat's at 6.56. They also rated Novell's support for mixed-platform environments (open source and proprietary software) at 7.10 vs. Red Hat's at 6.50. In addition, the Association of Support Professionals has named Novell as a "Best Web Support" winner for 2007, while the Help Desk Institute has honored Novell with its "Team Excellence Award for External Support." These awards reflect Novell's commitment to customer success and our more than 20 years of experience in providing and supporting enterprise operating systems. | Red Hat has not been providing enterprise technical support for as long as Novell, nor has it received the same industry praise for its support. |
| Compare Cost of Ownership | Cost of ownership is an important factor for any server deployment. Novell provides the lowest cost, highest value Linux operating system in the industry. Each subscription includes SUSE Linux Enterprise Server, AppArmor® application security, the Xen virtualization hypervisor and support for many guest operating systems, award-winning support, and vouchers for training or consulting services. With all of that, Novell customers still save money versus competing offerings. Red Hat has two Red Hat Enterprise Linux products: RHEL 5 Server and RHEL 5 Advanced Platform. RHEL 5 Server is available for up to two sockets while RHEL 5 Advanced Platform is priced for an unlimited number of sockets. SUSE Linux Enterprise Server is priced for an unlimited number of sockets. For servers with more than 2 sockets or running more than 4 guests (i.e., RHEL 5 Advanced Platform), a 3-year SUSE Linux Enterprise Server standard subscription ($2,160) costs 46% less than a comparable Red Hat subscription ($4,047). | |
| Compare Application Availability | Today, Novell has more than 2,500 ISV certified to run on SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 9 and 10, Novell's two most recent releases prior to release 11. Novell's ISV application catalog for SUSE Linux Enterprise Server is growing at almost 10% a year. | Red Hat has 2,300 ISV applications certified for RHEL 4, 5, its two most recent releases, less than Novell for its last two releases. Red Hat is growing its ISV application catalog at a rate of 1.25% annually, with Novell's growing almost eight times faster. With Novell's rate of growth, it will soon hold a commanding lead over Red Hat in terms of ISV applications certified on its most recent releases of Linux. |
Windows Server
When you compare Linux operating systems to Windows, you should consider factors such as cost of ownership, security and virtualization. SUSE Linux Enterprise Server offers greater customer value than Windows Server along each of these dimensions.
Area of Comparison |
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11 |
Windows Server 2008 |
|---|---|---|
| Compare Cost of Ownership | When you compare the cost of Linux servers to Windows servers, you'll find that Novell provides
the lowest cost, highest value operating system in the industry. Each subscription includes SUSE Linux
Enterprise Server, AppArmor security technology, Xen hypervisor technology, technical support and vouchers
for training or consulting services. There is no license cost for SUSE Linux Enterprise Server. The cost of a basic product subscription, which includes maintenance updates and product enhancements, is US$349 / €290 for 1 year. There are no fees for client access to services running on SUSE Linux Enterprise Server. Unlimited technical support starts at an additional US$450 / €374 for 1 year. |
The list price of a Windows Server 2008 Enterprise Edition license is US$3,971 which includes 25 Client Access Licenses (CALs). Additional packs of 5 CALs cost US$199. A Windows Server 2008 CAL is required for each user or device that accesses or uses the server software. Existing Windows 2003 CALs cannot be used with Windows Server 2008. Software Assurance, which includes product enhancements and a small amount of technical support, costs 25 percent of the total license fees for Windows Server and Windows Server CALs, and is charged annually. Technical support for Windows Server can be purchased per incident, which starts at US$259 during business hours, or in a package such as Essential Support which starts at US$8,299. |
| Compare Enterprise Security | Every Windows vs. Linux server comparison has to include the essential factor of security.
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server provides enterprise security at no extra cost, through AppArmor application-level
security technology. AppArmor gives you network application security for programs,
protecting against the exploitation of software flaws and compromised systems. AppArmor includes everything
you need to provide effective containment for programs (including those that run as root) to thwart attempted
exploits and even zero-day attacks. AppArmor offers an advanced toolset that largely automates the development
of per-program application security so that no new expertise is required. SUSE Linux Enterprise Server is certified to be compliant with the Common Criteria (CC) Controlled Access Protection Profile (CAPP) at Evaluation Assurance Level 4 with augmentations (EAL 4+) for the x86-64, POWER/ppc, and s390x architectures—from SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 10 Service Pack 1 onward. Download Certification Report |
Windows operating systems have a long history of security flaws, many built into Internet
Explorer, IIS, Active X, and other components. These flaws have resulted in billions of dollars in lost
business due to downtime required for patching, installing, security service packs and taking other measures. Windows Server 2003 is certified with the CAPP at EAL 4+. Windows Server 2008 will be certified at EAL 4+ in the near future. |
| Compare Manageability | Novell has the most complete set of management tools in the industry, allowing you to manage Linux, UNIX, and Windows running on physical servers and allowing you to manage Hyper-V, VMware ESX3, and Xen virtual servers on a number of virtual host platforms. This allows you to purchase one set of management tools for your data center. | Microsoft has its System Center Suite of management tools that will manage Windows servers and through its cooperation with Novell, Operations manager will be able to manage some Linux servers. Today, System Center Suite will manage some high level aspects of VMware ESX Server 3-based virtual servers. |
openSUSE
To many observers, SUSE Linux Enterprise Server and openSUSE® appear to offer very similar features. So the question often arises "Which one should I choose?"
The answer is quite straightforward. If you are a business looking to deploy a hardened, supported operating system that is capable of running corporate IT applications, then SUSE Linux Enterprise Server is the right choice. If, however, you are a Linux enthusiast looking to evaluate some of the latest "bleeding edge" Linux technologies (perhaps not quite ready for prime time) then openSUSE (formerly known as SUSE Linux) would better suit your needs. Let's do a Linux server comparison between these two Novell Linux offerings.
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server is Supported (what that really means)
It's easy to say that the key difference between the versions is that SUSE Linux Enterprise Server is supported, and openSUSE is not. But it's important to understand what that really means in order to truly compare and appreciate the difference. Let's take a look at what it means to you when a world-class corporation like Novell stands behind a product like SUSE Linux Enterprise Server.
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server passes through rigorous quality assurance procedures before it is released. These tests include months of regression testing of the open source projects included in the distribution, months of performing test cases of 3rd-party applications like Oracle and SAP, months of hardware tests on all the major processor architectures. All with the purpose of delivering an operating system of the utmost stability and reliability.
"Support" is a guarantee that, right from the start, if you have issues with installation you can call someone who will help you.
"Support" is also a guarantee that certified hardware has been rigorously tested to work with the operating system. (And if it doesn't work, you have the right to place a support call.)
Similarly "support" also means that 3rd-party applications like Oracle or SAP have also been certified to work with the distribution. Again if you find this not to be the case, you have the right to place a support call. (Check the Partner Product Guide to find applications that are certified to work with SUSE Linux Enterprise Server.)
Once your system is up and running, "support" means that you are entitled to automatically receive OS updates via Novell Customer Center for the length of your subscription, ensuring that your operating system maintains its superior levels of reliability and performance. During this time, should a security vulnerability be discovered and a patch produced, "support" ensures that you automatically get that patch!
Finally "support" also ensures that any Novell technical training or IT consulting offerings that are available have been developed specifically for the hardened, stable, and tested platform.
So support doesn't just mean telephone technical support. It means you've got Novell on your side.
Comparison of SUSE Linux Enterprise Server and openSUSE
Here's a look at the different features and benefits you'll find in the two versions.
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Server | openSUSE | |
|---|---|---|
| Products | SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11 | openSUSE |
| Target Users | IT professionals looking for a hardened, supported Linux platform |
Linux technical enthusiasts, or community developers |
| Release Strategy | Major release every 18-24 months; service pack release every 9-12 months |
Eight months |
| Technical Support | 60-day installation support, plus comprehensive optional support offerings, available in flexible configurations |
60 days of installation support for boxed version |
| Printed Manuals | |
|
| Security Patches | |
|
| Software and Driver Updates | Automatically distributed | Self-service |
| Update Protection | |
|
| Service Pack Availability | |
|
| ISV Certifications | |
|
| IHV Certifications | |
|
| Indemnification | |
|
| Lifecycle Guarantee | Seven years* |
Two years |
| Training | |
|
| Consulting | |
|
*Platform is guaranteed for five years from date of general availability
Compare Version 11 to 10
| Server Operating System Comparison – SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11 vs. SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 10 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Feature | SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11 | SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 10 |
| Integrated Systems Management |
|
|
| Reliability, Availability and Serviceability |
|
|
| Cross Platform Virtualization |
|
|
| Interoperability with other Platforms |
|
|
| Green IT |
|
|
| Comprehensive Security |
|
|
| Advanced Networking |
|
|
| Modular Extensions |
|
|
| Simplified Subscription Management |
|
|
| World Class Service and Support |
|
|