Oracle's Validated Configurations lists Linux system recommendations

12 June 2006

The Validated Configurations program covers software, hardware, storage and networking stacks for running Linux. Customers can download a short document containing a list of the system configurations Oracle has pre-tested along with documented best practices from the Oracle Technology Network.

Oracle says that the idea is to help customers speed up the deployment of Linux systems. If the program is successful, it should also drive down support costs for Oracle. The company says that very often customers call them with problems caused by wrong configurations.

Oracle has clarified that the Validated Configurations program should only be seen as providing recommendations to Oracle customers and not as laying down the law on what systems they should deploy.

Oracle said that it worked on the configurations with partners including the two leading Linux distribution players, Novell and Red Hat, chip makers Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD) and Intel as well as computer and storage vendors Dell, EMC, HP, IBM, Network Appliance and Sun. Oracle made its validation test kit available to the companies so they could test and publish the vendor's validated configurations. Oracle may also look to share some of its system tests with its customers, it said.

Oracle and its partners plan to issue new configurations and update existing configurations as new releases of specific components appear.

Linux is set to overtake Sun's Solaris operating system next year as the leading platform for Oracle database users, according to a recent survey of members of the Independent Oracle Users Group (IOUG).