Wayne Wilson [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > For some time now, one has been able to get a basic linux > distribution supported on typical enterprise class server > hardware. However, to support applications, one must usually > go beyond what is supported directly by the vendor > distribution. A new example of a support model that builds > support (which is defined as integration, testing and > technical support) for two kinds of application server > stacks: LAMP and LAMJ, of which the major components are: > > # Apache > # JBoss > # MySQL > # Tomcat > # Axis > # Hibernate > # PHP > > This company is called SpikeSource and is located at: > > ~ http://www.spikesource.com/solutions.html > > ~From my perspective supporting a application developer > environment, this would accomodate all my major components > except for Oracle. However, because our application > developers also provide application support, I don't have to > worry about that. > > ~From an end user perspective, one wants support of the > application. What I am suggesting here is that something like > SpikeSource is attempting to be the 'platform' technical > support, allowing us to focus on application development and support. > > What is interesting is if there really is a need for such > support in the long term. What if the basic LAMP or LAMJ > platform becomes a commodity like appliance that we buy from > Dell or IBM? I see RedHat moving in that direction with the > latest beta's of their enterprise server, which are including > a complete LAMP and LAMJ platform.
The governement of the state of New South Wales (Australia) recently called a tender for panel contract supply of Linux support services. Interestingly, it didn't stop at just the operating system, but included a whle range of other software typically found in a Linux distribution, including many elements of application development platforms. Full details can be found at page 75 (of the PDF) at https://tenders.nsw.gov.au/commerce/export/rft/0401403/R4Z_0401403.pdf if you are really interested. I gather the tender will be awarded, to up to 10 different companies (since it is a panel contract, not a single job), in Dec 2004. I see no reason why, for the next round (in two years time) an even more extensive set of application development tools and platforms could not be included, like the list you provide above, and also some Python-related support. It certainly makes life easier for small application developers, who have the best ideas and are much cheaper than big development firms, but have trouble offering large-scale support for what they produce. Open source applications tend to have more dependencies on third-party (but also open source) packages than do closed-source applications, and suport for this application run-time fabric is very important - that way, the application developer can hand off installationa and support for their applications prerequisites to another, larger support provider, and concentrate on supporting just their application - which is what you said, Wayne. Tim C
