There is a yearly maintenance charge for the distribution. This covers code updates and security fixes that are downloadable from a web site that SuSE maintains.
If you are comfortable with the care, feeding and troubleshooting of Linux within your own organization then you are probably all set and do not need anything further. But, it is strongly suggested that you buy the yearly maintenance from SuSE. This keeps is part of what they use to gauge interest in this platform. If no one buys the maintenence, they think people have lost interest and there goes Linux for zSeries. Additional support is available from DSG, SuSE, IBM and others. In the case of DSG this provides how to support and a first line of defence if any problems come up with Linux. Think of it as level 1 and level 2 support (like you would get for z/OS). On Tue, 2004-02-03 at 06:59, Eric Sammons wrote: > I wonder if someone could help me understand the support contract and > availability of for Linux on the Z platform. I have recently taken charge > of the Development and Production deployment initiatives for our > organization and the first thing on my plate is to address the expiration > of our current support contract with IBM. > > The previous project manager, of the POC, explained to me that support > Z/Linux was organized as follows: > 1. Defect support, problem support was acquired from IBM at a cost. This > is specifically Linux defect / problem support. (there is of course > separate support for VM itself). > 2. Update, patch, maintenance support was purchased from SuSE or Red Hat > separately. > > If this is the case it sounds like I am paying too much. For Intel I pay > a vendor for hardware support and I pay a Linux vendor for Linux support > that includes Updates and maintenance. Why do I pay, say SuSE, for a > license to run Linux/390, pay them again for Maintenance, and then pay IBM > for Linux defect support. > > I wonder what others are doing for support and if our POC project manager > understood the support contracts and arrangements. I will be calling > vendors as well regarding this issue. > > Thank you! > > Eric Sammons -- Rich Smrcina Sr. Systems Engineer DSG Linux Services Milwaukee, WI rsmrcina at wi.rr.com rsmrcina at dsgroup.com Catch the WAVV! Stay for requirements and the free-for-all. Update your zSeries skills in 4 days for a very reasonable price. WAVV 2004 in Chattanooga, TN April 30-May 4, 2004 For details see http://www.wavv.org
