What is our primary use case?
My main use case for Oracle Linux is to provision a VM and run applications or services.
A specific example of an application I run on Oracle Linux is revenue assurance and fraud management systems. Oracle Linux serves as the OS, while the application sits on the OS. We make use of some of the Linux packages that are residing on Oracle Linux to work with the application or the service. Oracle Linux also provides us with NFS and CIFS because we needed to have a central storage.
What is most valuable?
The best features Oracle Linux offers include being a Linux system designed for enterprise environments, and it is based off of Red Hat Linux, which makes it much more stable and also improves security.
The features of Oracle Linux have helped my organization because we have noticed fewer security incidents since it is a downstream of Red Hat Enterprise Linux. We get updates regularly, and we run our updates regularly, which leads to much fewer security incidents. Because it is a Linux system, we are able to get better uptime with our security patches.
Oracle Linux has positively impacted my organization by making it easier to manage and also being much cheaper than Red Hat because you do not have to pay for subscription licenses, leading to improvements and cost savings.
What needs improvement?
I wish Oracle Linux could improve its OVM because I want it to run HCI solutions where I can aggregate my local disks using technology such as vSAN, especially since Red Hat has discontinued RHEV for OpenShift.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Oracle Linux for eight years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Oracle Linux is stable in my experience, as it is a downstream for Red Hat, making it much more stable and secure.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Oracle Linux's scalability is good because it can handle growth, as we use it in our services, and one of the services has grown from 20 to 30 servers.
How are customer service and support?
My experience with customer support for Oracle Linux has been acceptable; I have had one or two opportunities to reach out to them, and the experience has not been bad.
I rate the customer support for Oracle Linux a six out of ten.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
In addition to Oracle Linux, I also use Red Hat, Ubuntu, and Debian, so I have not stopped using other solutions.
What was our ROI?
I do not have any numbers or examples regarding a return on investment to share because I do not conduct any tests to be able to decide this, but I know for a fact that I do not have to pay for subscription or licensing, and because it is Red Hat-based, most people know how to use it.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
My experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing for Oracle Linux has been very positive because when it comes to licensing and the likes, as I said, it is a downstream of Red Hat, so you do not have to pay much for licensing or subscription. The only thing you have to pay for is support.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
I did not evaluate any other option before choosing Oracle Linux; I just went for it.
What other advice do I have?
I do not manage the system, but I manage the OS, so that is what I can provide.
The cost savings from using Oracle Linux come from the fact that since it is a downstream of Red Hat, you do not have to pay for subscription, while you enjoy most of the benefits of Red Hat, so we use it.
I would advise others looking into using Oracle Linux to try it, and if they are comfortable with it, then they can go ahead.
I gave this review an overall rating of seven out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Other
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.