It was a simple idea for an operating system, then to embedded systems, and ending up in virtually all supercomputers. It all began back in 1991, when Linus Torvalds, a 21-year old frustrated student, studying computer science, at the University of Helsinki, Finland created the Linux Kernel. His creation would go on to influence the computer community, global economies, governments, militaries, and the entire aerospace industry.
A perfect example of this was from our very own aerospace giant, NASA when back in the mid-1990s they started dumping their expensive machines and replacing them with low-cost cluster computers running Linux and their first working system was called Beowulf.
In the 1,011-page pdf book; Practical UNIX and Internet Security. O’Reilly. Written by authors Simon Garfinkel; Gene Spafford; and Alan Schwartz. (2003) on page 44 the NASA reference is covered in detail.
Here is that excerpt from the book:
“One key influence in the mid to late 1990s occurred when researchers at various national laboratories, universities, and NASA began to experiment with cluster computing. High-end supercomputers were getting more and more expensive to produce and run, so an alternative was needed.
“With cluster computing, scores (or hundreds) of commodity PCs were purchased, placed in racks, and connected with high-speed networks. Instead of running one program really fast on one computer, significant problems were broken into manageable chunks that were run in parallel on the racked PCs.
“This approach, although not appropriate for all problems, often worked better than using high-end supercomputers. Furthermore, it was often several orders of magnitude less costly. One of the first working systems of this type, named Beowulf, was based on Linux. Because of the code sharing and mutual development of the supercomputing community, Linux quickly spread to other groups around the world wishing to do similar work.”
This Exponential Growth, The Linux Consultant, Was Born
In today’s Information Technology world, it is not surprising to see consultants jumping onboard every new technology to come along. Hoping to be in the forefront of the next cutting-edge scientific or technologic breakthrough. But what is more surprising is that a nearly 30-year old open-source operating system has more consultants vested in advising clients about their Linux system.
Linux Consulting firms like Veltec Networks in San Jose, California are one of those IT Technology firms focused on and continually educating their teams about the Linux open-source, enterprise-class operating system. Veltec Networks will only employ highly knowledgeable and experienced engineers to consult with you about your Linux system.
What Does a Linux Consulting Engineer Know?
Before you reach out and hire the services of a Linux Consultant, there are few things to know ahead of time. You will want to know about costs, but also the variety of support services they do and do not offer. The first thing to put together is your questions.
Here is a short list of thought-starter questions to get you thinking about your Linux operating system and what you’d like to ask:
- How would you design my Linux technology that supported my business goals?
- How do you manage my technology to guarantee it operates smoothly?
- With my Linux infrastructure, what is the process to increase productivity and proficiency?
- Can you explain what the steps are to reduce and mitigate my risks?
- How do you find and pinpoint any inefficiencies in my Linux operating system?
If you have additional questions for the Linux Consultant, go ahead and jot them down while it is fresh on your mind.
What Does a Linux Consulting Engineer Do?
Having an outside Linux engineer step in and assume an administrative role over your operating system, might feel odd at first. But to get you familiar with the process, we’ve listed five ordinary examination duties they will perform initially. Do note: this list is not exhaustive.
- Examine and audit the Linux server(s): Your Linux engineer needs to know the current health status of your server. If they find any anomalies, a stabilization plan comes next.
- Examine Entire System Security: Checking the Linux’s multiple layers of security, firewalls, encryption, and management of passwords.
- Examine Disaster and Recovery Protocols: Besides the daily backups, a course of action for loss and bringing the system back online needs to be reviewed and updated.
- Examine Maintenance Activity: A review of all software security updates, routine system health checks, and automated monitoring.
- Examine Scalability Process: Review if a server’s capacity has been changed in size, scale, and if it is sufficient for increased traffic or should cloud servers be used to handle the volume.
With this partial duty list, you have a good idea what your Linux Consultant is examining. Of course, there are more examinations to follow, but with each passing month your engineer becomes more familiar with your system, and you spend more time working on your business and less time worrying about your operating system.
Veltec Networks provides complete support for your Linux-based Solutions. To speak with a Genuine Linux Consultant Call us at (408) 849-4441 or email us at info@veltecnetworks.com
