“…Non-stop operation capability is a must for e-business,
where a down system means a loss of business. This requirement is
increasing for Web or mail servers as well because they are now
essential elements of the infrastructure for enterprises.”
“Therefore, users, who are cost-conscious about system
integration or hardware expenditures, are becoming more and more
willing to invest in high system availability. With this
background, users are paying attention to Linux cluster systems,
which have less expensive software and hardware expensive than
other platforms while maintaining equivalent performance.”
“A minimum Linux cluster system with two servers and a small
number of clients will not show a price advantage compared with
Windows NT. As for a large-scale cluster system, on the other hand,
a UNIX system shows an advantage in reliability. System
providers think that Linux clusters are most competitive in the
market just in-between small-scale Windows NT clusters and
large-scale UNIX clusters. A deputy manager at Ostsuka Shokai Co.,
Ltd.’s technical solution center says, “Linux cluster prices range
from 10 million yen to 50 million yen. Linux clusters are most
accepted by users who can afford several million yen for hardware
and need to 300GB disk capacity.“