Connexion Technologies is a rapidly-growing business that needed to run mission-critical applications on both Linux and Windows servers. As Connexion Technologies continued to grow, the Microsoft/Novell interoperability agreement became an easy way to ensure support for the entire Linux environment.
USA —
01 Jun 2009 —
Connexion Technologies designs, builds, rents and operates Fiber to the Home (FTTH) networks in residential properties throughout the US. Its networks support high-speed connections for television, telephone and Internet. The company is based in North Carolina, and has approximately 500 employees in 17 states throughout the USA.
Since being founded in 2002, Connexion has expanded rapidly. Similarly, its back-office systems have grown quickly, from its original two Linux servers to its current total of sixty. Supporting this fast growth in employees and IT infrastructure has posed difficult challenges for Connexion’s IT department.
“When we first started, support for our Linux servers was not our top priority,” said Greg Lamm, Director, Information Technology at Connexion Technologies. “Our Linux infrastructure has now become highly important for our business, so it’s critical that we have good support, and that we’re able to keep up to date with all the upgrades and patches.”
Linux and Windows
Connexion is the leading company in its market, partnering with properties to construct broadband infrastructure networks that attract and benefit both service providers and residents. From an IT angle, this meant that it could not use “off the shelf” software to run many aspects of its business, and it therefore had to build its systems from the ground up.
The systems that the company created are web-based, built around SUSE Linux Enterprise Server from Novell, and include a database, web servers, load balancers and an OpenACS development architecture.
While much of the company’s back office runs on Linux, it has standardized on Windows-based applications such as Microsoft Office for its users, and uses Microsoft’s Active Directory for authentication, Exchange 2007 Server, Microsoft Office SharePoint Server (Enterprise edition) and Windows Server. It also uses Microsoft’s communication products based around Office Communications Server (OCS) for unified messaging services and Live Meeting.
Simplified Support
Having decided to work with both Linux and Windows, Connexion faced the challenge of how to manage and support this mixed IT environment. Initially, it relied on a contractor who built systems using unsupported Linux, and later it hired an in-house Linux administrator.
As the company grew, the demands on its servers increased, and it became clear that running unsupported machines was too great a risk for the business and too time-consuming for Connexion’s IT staff to manage.
“We considered the time and opportunity costs of a person fixing a problem with a server,” said Lamm. “If high-quality phone support means a server is operational within an hour or two rather than two or three days, that is a substantial saving in terms of Total Cost of Ownership (TCO).”
While Connexion aims to be as redundant and as resilient as possible, its database servers and other machines are critical to continuous operation of the business. Lamm said: “We would never be unsupported with our Microsoft software, so why would we choose to be unsupported with Linux?”
To improve support for its Linux servers, Connexion decided to use SUSE Linux Enterprise from Novell. It was already a Microsoft customer, and was able to purchase the SUSE subscriptions directly from Microsoft.
“I wanted to consolidate and standardize our buying from one source, so that it is easier to manage and more straightforward for budgeting,” said Lamm. “From an audit or investor standpoint, we can prove that our systems are supported and we have a methodology for support and renewals.”
Due to the Microsoft-Novell interoperability agreement, Connexion’s system administrators can call either Microsoft or Novell to get fast and effective support. Without the agreement they would need help from a contractor or wait for their in-house Linux admin to be available.
According to Lamm, cross-training is a priority: “Everything is integrated in some way, so our Windows admins are going to learn Linux, and our Linux admin is going to learn more about Windows. There will be a better appreciation of what the demands are for each side and how you troubleshoot problems that you need to fix.”
For the future, Lamm plans to investigate the tools that will allow his team to manage all of its Windows and SUSE Linux Enterprise servers from one management console.
“It was a straightforward decision to choose SUSE Linux Enterprise from Novell: we get cost savings, better support to improve our business resilience, increased efficiency and a roadmap for greater interoperability between this platform and our Windows environment,” said Lamm.
“Through the great work between Microsoft and Novell, we have the support we need for our Linux environment. We’re able to get someone on the phone quickly for help when we need it,” he concludes.
The Microsoft-Novell AgreementOn Nov. 2, 2006, Novell and Microsoft announced a series of agreements to jointly build, market and support new solutions to improve interoperability, deliver powerful new virtualization capabilities, make Microsoft and Novell products work better together, and give customers peace of mind that both companies stand behind the products they deliver. More information about the Microsoft and Novell agreement, including other customer announcements, can be found at
http://www.moreinterop.com.
About NovellNovell delivers infrastructure software for the open enterprise. Novell is a leader in enterprise-wide operating systems based on Linux and open source and provides the enterprise management services required to operate mixed IT environments. Novell helps customers minimize cost, complexity and risk, allowing them to focus on innovation and growth. For more information, visit
http://www.novell.com.
About MicrosoftFounded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.
Microsoft and Windows are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies. Novell and SUSE are registered trademarks of Novell, Inc. in the United States and other countries. The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.
* Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds. All other third-party trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
For more information, press only:
Rapid Response Team, Waggener Edstrom Worldwide for Microsoft, (503) 443-7070,
rrt@waggeneredstrom.comBruce Lowry, Novell, (415) 383-8408,
blowry@novell.com