HP Servers and Ubuntu: Reading Between the Lines
You can’t be half-pregnant. And Hewlett-Packard can’t be half-committed to Ubuntu Server Edition. Over the next few months, I think you’ll see HP make a far more comprehensive commitment to Canonical’s Linux server strategy. Here’s why.
First, today’s news: Canonical has certified Ubuntu 9.04 Server Edition on Hewlett-Packard’s HP ProLiant G6 servers; Ubuntu is now certified to run on 17 different ProLiant configurations. I’ve been expecting this news for several months. Canonical CEO Mark Shuttleworth hinted during the Ubuntu 9.04 launch that a Hewlett-Packard server announcement would surface within a few weeks or months.
At the time, Shutteworth said Ubuntu 9.o4 had been tested to run on 45 different server configurations from IBM, Sun Microsystems, Hewlett-Packard, Dell, Lenovo and other server makers.
A Closer Look
But what does the HP-Canonical relationship really mean? From my view, HP is essentially beta testing the Ubuntu Server market… kicking the tires and going out for a test drive, if you will.
HP isn’t pre-loading Ubuntu on servers. But this week’s stamp of approval assures VARs and customers that it’s safe to deploy Ubuntu 9.04 Server Edition on the ProLiant G6 systems.
And if customers start demanding Ubuntu Server Edition, you can bet HP will start preloading Ubuntu on ProLiant systems. In fact, I think it’s inevitable. Our own WorksWithU 1000 survey shows a growing number of Ubuntu deployments leaping from desktops and laptops onto servers.
The myth that Ubuntu is just a desktop option is dying.
Ubuntu is gaining momentum as a Web server, email server and application server — though Canonical needs to recruit far more ISVs (independent software vendors) to support Ubuntu. Oracle. SAP. IBM Websphere. Lotus Notes. DB2. Yes, I know Canonical has a relationship with IBM, but IBM’s application support on Ubuntu leaves much to be desired so far.
Still, I see the start of a server business for Canonical and its partners. Small hardware providers like System76 and ZaReason already offer Ubuntu servers. More hardware makers will follow suit. And now, training centers like Fast Lane and Bridge Education have introduced an Ubuntu Server Edition training course.
Reassuring Words
Also of keen interest, according to the HP-Canonical press release:
“HP will release the ProLiant Support Pack for Ubuntu, which includes agents, drivers, and utilities that can enhance the manageability of Ubuntu server on HP ProLiant servers.”
And finally: John Gromala, director of marketing for HP’s Industry Standard Servers, offered up a feel-good quote in the HP-Canonical press release. But regardless of what Gromala said, I’m more impressed by what he did. The fact that Gromala was quoted speaks volumes about improving relations between HP and Canonical.
Understanding the Competition
Still, I have some concerns about Canonical’s server strategy. For instance, I see signs that Canonical wants to try and migrate Novell SUSE Linux and Red Hat Enterprise Linux customers to Ubuntu Server Edition. I’m not sure that’s a good strategy because Ubuntu can’t match Novell or Red Hat on the ISV front.
Repeat after me: People buy applications, not operating systems.
Instead, Canonical should focus long and hard on the appliance market. Email appliances. Storage appliances. Security appliances. Simple hardened devices (built on Ubuntu) that small businesses and corporate IT departments would gladly deploy as they seek reliable alternatives to Windows boxes. Plus, the Unix-to-Linux migration market remains a hot opportunity.
Oh, and I almost forgot to mention: Canonical’s cloud strategy looks incredibly promising to me. It essentially provides a new door for Canonical to enter the server market — without having to win preload deals with hardware providers.
We are still at the very early stages of the HP-Canonical relationship. And Canonical’s own server software initiative remains in its infancy. But mark my words: HP, IBM and Dell all will be pre-loading Ubuntu Server Edition within a year or two.
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That server training at FastLane is very interesting….
Firstly because its aimed at unix/linux admins with 2+ years of experience administering systems. That set of prereq experience right there seems to make a large chunk of the course material sort of redundant.
The get familiar with the Debian packaging system stuff is probably the most useful information..as its the only thing a 2+ year on the job Red Hat system admin hasn’t really had an opportunity to work with as part of the day job. Most everything else, they’ve had an opportunity to work with.
Secondly… students get free landscape accounts and some hands on with the management services. This is the one bullet point that absolutely must be taught well for Canonical to gain significant benefit from the training. Its the landscape service that differentiates their product offering. Most of the training is general task oriented linux administration. Skills the students can take to any distribution and use. ven the Debian packaging stuff is a skillset is a general skill. But getting familiar with lanscape..in a comfortable instructor led environment…that is Canonical’s hook into support contract sales…sales Canonical needs to make to make a server push sustainable.
I wonder, how long do they get free landscape access for? The syllabus doesn’t say. Longer than the current 60 trial Landscape is running? Do they get to keep using that access for a significant amount of time to use with an Ubuntu server deployment at work? The most important statistic to watch is how many of those freebie landscape accounts get renewed as paying landscape access accounts on down the road. Sadly, Canonical doesn’t really like talking about how many paying versus free landscape users it has on the books.
-jef
You’re dead right about ISV support. It’s great that Ubuntu is certified on hardware, but it doesn’t give me a reason to run it to begin with.
Don’t get me wrong; I use Ubuntu on the desktop, and Debian on servers when I can get away with it. But when the boss demands a “supported” Linux, I end up with SLES, because we aren’t going to run a $40k vertical app or DB engine on an uncertified system. Then the other less-Linux-savvy admins start making comments about why we don’t standardize on SLES instead of having multiple distros to deal with.
But the, even with ISV support, how is Canonical planning to compete? The prices I’ve seen for support are significantly higher than the competition, and the product isn’t as mature. On top of that, they’re moving away from graphical tools instead of toward them (I know, GUIs don’t belong on servers etc etc). What’s the selling point for ubuntu server?
They have to start somewhere.
The server edition needs a GUI and with it can be aimed for enterprise and home.
Alan, Zac: I completely agree with you on the GUI debate. For some reason, it sounds to me like Canonical is trying to compete with NOVL and Red Hat on the server. I think that’s the wrong move, since Ubuntu can’t match NOVL and RHT ISV support.
Instead, Canonical should promote GUI-based LAMP server and go head-on against Microsoft as an easy-to-manage but less expensive alternative to Windows Server. Plus, try to grab some Unix shops that want to migrate to Linux.
If Canonical is trying to take share from NOVL and Red Hat on the server by competing head-on against those Linux distributions, I think it’s a very steep uphill battle.
Joe- HP doesn’t preload SUSE or Red Hat on any of their servers. They OEM the software as a drop-in-box offering. Thus, your conclusion is way off. HP will never preload any Ubuntu on their servers. (you should update your article to fix this)
Corman: I’ve been told by multiple VARs that HP will do special preloads of Red Hat and SUSE when asked by major solutions providers. I’ve also been told no such offers are made for Ubuntu Server Edition.
Also, no where in the article do I say HP preloads SUSE or Red Hat. But no doubt HP has a much closer working relationship with Novell and Red Hat compared to the HP-Canonical relationship… which is just starting.
I understand your point, though. If you’re just skimming the article I seem to be suggesting that HP has server preload relationships with Red Hat and Novell but not with Canonical. I apologize for allowing readers to reach that potential conclusion.
@Joe:
Here’s the paradox as I see it. With virtualization and utility computing on the rise…there might be a very distinct market split in terms of the deployment stats of linux based operating systems used as host operating system compared to the demographics of guest systems. What is required in a virtualized guest and what is required in a host running many such virtualized guests can be very different both in terms of specific features and the level of support guarantees. Do you think that Canonical has a chance at being the support provider to the companies like Amazon for the machines actually hosting the cloud? In the face of competition from Red Hat who is putting the hard work in things like SVirt…is Canonical really got a chance at being deployed on the iron anchoring the clouds? In a value for money proposition, how valuable are Canonical’s support services really for cloud providers.. for people who are willing to pay for support in a very big way?
If Canonical is serious about being the leader in guest operating systems in a utility computing world, it may actually be counter-productive to certify against physical hardware. But on the other hand, Canonical really hasn’t shown that they can make money off of supporting guests in a cloud environment, so they may have to claw away at traditional server deployments as an understood revenue stream in direct competition with Red Hat and Novell. Even though by their own vision of the future, small businesses are going to be purchasing less of their own iron and relying on utility computing services. In a utility world, even if Canonical has HUGE deployment numbers for virtualized guest instances… Red Hat and Novell may still be out performing them as a business by providing the hosting solutions that cloud providers rely on.
-jef
Hello
I think its just a matter of time and HP will preload Ubuntu on Servers… I know at least two companies (one of them >1000 staff) already using Ubuntu on HP ProLiant hardware…
@Zac: Server doesnt needs a GUI! And anyway, as long as there is no graphical administration tool like yast you have to tweak config files anyway.
Does anyone has found this list of certified ProLiant configuration?