As Linux server environments become more popular, Microsoft is adapting its server management software to include a larger amount of support for the various “flavors” of Linux that exist on the market. Though Microsoft has long championed its own systems over that of others, especially Linux, recent cloud developments have forced a new direction from the company. While Microsoft still argues that many companies such as Linux are violating a number of patents that they hold, the computing giant has also come to realize that it has little choice but to offer support for open-source products as they become more of a force in the cloud market.
The newest addition to Windows Server 2008 support comes for CentOS Linux. In any R2 Hyper-V environment, users can now run CentOS, Red Hat, and Suse Linux servers owing to the fact that all three have become increasingly popular over the last few years. According to Microsoft, the support for CentOS is effective immediately, and is meant to facilitate mixed Linux and Windows infrastructure use.
Recent data shows that the era of the Microsoft-only IT shop is quickly coming to an end as the cloud spreads. Even small organizations are using more than simply Microsoft products or just VMware. Linux and other open-source options are becoming not only popular, but in some cases more effective than those offered by the larger providers. In response, companies like Microsoft have realized that they have to adjust the way they are doing business, and offer a greater range of support for Linux servers in their current and upcoming cloud environments. While this hardly means an open-arm approach to the cloud, this is a step in the right direction for a company that wants to compete in the cloud.
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