Using Oracle Enterprise Linux for Grid Control

Last week a colleague asked me what was the best platform to install Enterprise Manager Grid Control. He wanted to install everything on 1 server since it was only going to manage about 20 targets. Then he suggested he would get a Windows server.

Well, I have personally installed Grid Control on Windows (as also on Solaris, Aix and Red Hat Linux) and it works fine on all these platforms. However, when Oracle supplies Oracle Enterprise Linux as a FREE distribution, the only cost being support (which is less than the support cost of other commerical Linux Distros), then what's the point in getting any other op system?

Just get the Oracle Free Distro of Enterprise Linux (which is equivalent to Red Hat Release 5) and install Grid Control on top of that. You get savings instantly because you are not paying the initial licence fee. And you get ONE support point for both Oracle and Linux, which is Oracle's Worldwide Support.

That got me thinking about why Oracle is giving out Enterprise Linix for free. Personally I feel Oracle is doing this for a very noble reason, to make sure Linux Distros that are certified fully with Oracle, stay very affordable. Oracle is doing this to support the Linux OS in the commerical world, and I feel the Linux community would be grateful.