SUSE Linux Enterprise Reviews

I also use SUSE Linux Enterprise to deliver training on SUSE Linux administration and Linux administration in general, teaching how to create users, partition the system, browse the file system, create symbolic links or hard links, and create VMs on AWS with the SUSE flavor.

For my team, there are more than 10 contracts signed for SUSE products; however, I don't have much insight about the global contracts signed or a summary since I do not occupy a management position.

The need to register a system for updates and support can complicate deployment in an isolated environment. SUSE Linux Enterprise is recognized for its stability and reliability in production environments, with YaST providing a centralized interface for managing system settings, updates, and services, making routine administration straightforward.

Performance is strong out of the box, and the system is optimized for enterprise workloads; nevertheless, the official repositories prioritize stability, so some newer or less common packages may not be immediately available. Advanced configuration may still require command line expertise, and while SUSE Linux Enterprise is designed for scalability with built-in support for high availability, clustering, and seamless integration with major cloud platforms, leveraging advanced features requires careful planning and expertise, and some management tools can introduce resource overhead, particularly on smaller systems.

SUSE has made progress with multi-Linux support, allowing organizations to manage and support not just SUSE systems but also other distributions such as Red Hat and CentOS; continuing to expand these capabilities, especially for hybrid and multi-cloud environments, will help organizations manage diverse infrastructure more effectively.

Security is a top concern, and further strengthening default security policies, simplifying compliance management, and integrating advanced vulnerability management tools would be a valuable improvement.

Initial support interaction may follow a scripted process before more complex issues are escalated to specialized engineers. The quality of support can vary depending on the region.

SUSE Linux Enterprise provides a stable, secure, and well-supported platform for enterprise workloads, with powerful management tools and robust support for clustering, cloud, and containers. The main challenges include the initial learning curve for SUSE-specific tools, the need for system registration, and limited availability of the latest packages in the official repositories. Customer support is really super.

Positive

Before choosing SUSE Linux Enterprise, we evaluated other options; however, in our environment, particularly production and customer production environments, we prefer enterprise versions, and for Linux, it is either SUSE or Red Hat, leaving us with limited choices for deploying Linux in an enterprise setting.

I advise others looking into using SUSE Linux Enterprise to clearly define their requirements, such as workload types, scalability needs, compliance standards, and integration with existing infrastructure before committing, as SUSE Linux Enterprise excels in regulated, mission-critical, and hybrid environments. They should also invest in learning SUSE tools and take advantage of vendor support.

My main use case for SUSE Linux Enterprise is SAP clusters.

A quick, specific example of how I use SUSE Linux Enterprise with my SAP clusters is that we are using high availability clusters to make available the SAP infrastructure in the day-to-day activities.

SUSE Linux Enterprise has positively impacted my organization by supporting multi-Linux distributions.

The benefit of supporting multiple distributions with SUSE Linux Enterprise in my organization is that previously we were using open-source CentOS, and now that Red Hat has disconnected security support for CentOS, SUSE always stands up for helping in the CentOS area.

In my experience, the best features SUSE Linux Enterprise offers include high availability and node architectures, specifically cluster node architecture.

What I appreciate about the high availability and cluster node architecture in SUSE Linux Enterprise is that SUSE has a high availability cluster with syncing, and in production environments where zero downtime is expected, the high availability SAP cluster helps us to keep production up 24/7.

SUSE is always providing high availability support with security, synchronizations, and the best performance line in SUSE Linux Enterprise.

Whatever SUSE has is a better solution, and I'm not that much of an expert to suggest improvements or say how SUSE can improve, because SUSE is always improving themselves, and I know that soon they are launching SUSE Linux Enterprise 16 as well.

If SUSE Linux Enterprise could have more documentation related to the operating system or open-source code, then I believe it would definitely be beneficial.

I have been using SUSE Linux Enterprise for the past eight years.

As of now, I don't have any challenges to add about my use case with SUSE Linux Enterprise and SAP clusters because everything is up to date as we are keeping it as it is.

I rate the customer service 10 out of 10 because SUSE has 24/7 availability support, extended support, security, multi-Linux distribution support, upgradation, and everything is user-friendly.

Positive

The advice I would give to others looking into using SUSE Linux Enterprise is that they should know that SUSE has high availability support, extended support, security, and everything they need, and I will share my use cases with them and recommend they also go with SUSE. I rate SUSE Linux Enterprise 10 out of 10.

My main use case for SUSE Linux Enterprise is for installing SAP clusters, HANA, on HANA systems, and creating LVMs and daily system admin tasks.

A specific example of how I use SUSE Linux Enterprise for SAP clusters or HANA systems is that we have installed the cluster on newly built SAP HANA servers, tested those clusters by stopping one server, and checked if HANA is operational on the other system. After this successful testing, we handed over the system to the SAP team.

SUSE Linux Enterprise has positively impacted my organization because it is a very robust flavor of Linux we are currently using for SAP systems. Since I'm more into Azure cloud, SAP has collaborated with Azure to configure SAP systems mainly on SUSE Linux, resulting in better performance compared to other flavors.

In my experience, the best features SUSE Linux Enterprise offers are that while all Linux systems are similar, SUSE is more robust with a different kind of commands, and the LVM is very easy to configure, along with simple disk scanning compared to other systems.

The YaST facility on SUSE Linux, which is the GUI provided, helps in my daily work by allowing us to check logs whenever we face logging issues, and for LVM, it enables us to scan the disk and add data to the file systems easily.

SUSE Linux Enterprise can be improved by having more documentation or logging systems available on the internet, as we face difficulties troubleshooting issues without sufficient resources.

I have been using SUSE Linux Enterprise for the last two and a half years.

SUSE Linux Enterprise is stable. When HANA is utilized by many applications, I notice that while utilization does increase, we have never faced lagging or server unresponsiveness. The servers work properly, provide alerts for high CPU and memory usage, but do not encounter CPU or memory issues.

Its scalability is quite good since we are using Azure, which allows us to easily scale up or down our resources as needed.

Support for SUSE Linux Enterprise is good; we have logged several cases, and they have provided troubleshooting steps through email and calls, but real-time support when opening a case could be better.

The customer support is good; whenever we have opened a case, they have provided detailed explanations of the issues and resolutions.

Positive

We have started our SAP HANA systems on SUSE Linux only, and based on experiences from other organizations, we decided it works very effectively, so we haven't considered other flavors.

We deploy SUSE Linux Enterprise using public cloud, Azure, primarily, and all our SAP HANA systems are installed on SUSE Linux running on the public cloud, utilizing images provided by the Azure Marketplace.

For these deployments, we use Azure as our cloud provider.

I have seen a return on investment by switching our clusters from on-prem to Azure public cloud, using our same Bring Your Own Licenses, which saved costs on licensing.

My experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing for SUSE Linux Enterprise is that while the licensing cost is a bit high, I believe it is justified due to the quality of service provided for SAP and heavy systems.

Before choosing SUSE Linux Enterprise, we did not evaluate other options.

I would rate SUSE Linux Enterprise an eight out of ten because SUSE works really effectively for SAP systems, and since I am mainly working on these SAP servers to provide continuous support and availability, our clients are satisfied, with no extra downtime or performance issues.

My advice for others looking into using SUSE Linux Enterprise is to not have any doubts and start working on it, as installing your applications on SUSE will stabilize them compared to other Linux flavors, where issues such as kernel, memory, or CPU hung problems can arise which you won't see on SUSE Linux servers.

I think there are too many questions; it would be helpful to receive information ahead of time about the number of questions expected, as I hadn't anticipated the interview would take 13-14 minutes during my working day.

I understand your point regarding my current use case for SUSE Linux Enterprise. I want to know if the purchase process is mostly directly from SUSE or through the AWS Marketplace, and what ways I am working with the vendor.

The high availability features in SUSE Linux Enterprise are helping in my projects. I am satisfied with SUSE Linux Enterprise security and compliance features. The documentation part needs to be better to highlight these features.

SUSE can make improvements to SUSE Linux Enterprise. I have suggestions about what they can add to the product to simplify users' lives. They need to intensely work on their marketing strategy.

I have 10 years of experience with SUSE Linux Enterprise, which has been brilliant.

I would rate stability for SUSE Linux Enterprise an eight out of ten.

I would rate technical support from SUSE Linux Enterprise vendor support an eight out of ten.

Positive

The initial setup for SUSE Linux Enterprise could be simpler.

I would rate pricing for SUSE Linux Enterprise considering one is a high price and ten is a low price.

I use built-in container support in SUSE Linux Enterprise.

I am working with a hybrid deployment model for SUSE Linux Enterprise.

SUSE Linux Enterprise is deployed on AWS cloud.

I rate SUSE Linux Enterprise eight out of ten overall.

I used SUSE Linux personally, not on an admin level or for advanced purposes, but for regular use. I would play around and experiment with different Linux distros, including SUSE Linux, Debian, and Fedora. I also attempted to use it for work purposes in a hospital setting, primarily to see if it could support applications like Teams and Outlook.

SUSE Linux had a clean user interface, which was a valuable feature for me. It allowed me to use the software manager differently compared to Ubuntu. Eventually, I was able to get essential applications like Teams and Outlook running on it. I primarily used it for personal desktop use, and it was solid for that.

The software management side was a bit difficult, especially compared to Ubuntu. The software manager was different, making it challenging to install certain applications. 

Additionally, I encountered issues when setting it up on newer model laptops, possibly due to hardware incompatibility, such as the solid-state drive.

I used SUSE Linux over a number of years as part of my exploration of various Linux distributions.

SUSE Linux was stable for me. I did not experience any problems with its stability.

SUSE Linux was scalable to my needs. I did not encounter any issues with scalability.

I did not reach out to customer service or tech support. I found the needed information easily on community forums and through online research.

Positive

I have used a variety of Linux distributions, including Debian, Fedora, and Ubuntu, but I did not use them specifically as a replacement for SUSE Linux.

The initial setup was straightforward. However, I encountered trouble when reclaiming space on the hard drive later on, which might have been an issue with the computer I used.

I used the open-source version, so there were no setup costs.

I evaluated other Linux distributions like Fedora and Ubuntu. Fedora's ISO is small, but I found the system itself to be annoying after a while.

I would not recommend SUSE Linux in environments where users are not tech-savvy, yet it is solid for workstations. SUSE Linux worked well on older model computers but not as effectively on newer models. 

Overall, I would rate SUSE Linux a solid nine out of ten for my purposes.

We are working with SUSE Enterprise Edition.

It is good for IT teams and business efficiency. For maintainability and all, it is good.

The most important feature is the automatic kernel lifecycle subscription, which is critical for us because the server cannot go down once we start offering any services on the cluster.

Sometimes it is a bit of work for developers to change the configurations. Some kernels will not fit with some packages, and this aspect could be improved. Furthermore, the system's rigidity when updating packages and services needs improvement. Additionally, there should be more loosely bound functionalities to improve developer experience.

We have been using SUSE Linux Enterprise for more than five years.

SUSE Linux Enterprise is good for IT and maintainability. However, it can be rigid, especially with kernel and package compatibility.

Some kernel versions do not fit well with certain packages, creating compatibility issues that affect scalability.

The technical support for IT and kernel-level OS issues is very good. However, it is less effective for development-level issues. The IT department handles technical support, and I cannot comment directly on its effectiveness.

Positive

We are considering alternatives for our new machine learning infrastructure and have worked with Ubuntu in the past.

The pricing is slightly higher than expected, but it is manageable for our current project. For the upcoming projects, we are looking for cost-effective solutions.

We are considering Linux instead of SUSE and want to check some cost-effective measures, like Rocky Linux.

For developers, some flexibility and reducing dependency on specific kernel versions would be better.

I'd rate the solution seven out of ten.

I use it for the corporate SAP landscape.

It provides a stable and reliable OS. I recommended it based on its stability and functionality.

It has a stable and reliable OS. I recommended it based on its stability and functionality.

The functionality is good, but the licensing subscription model needs improvement. The license we subscribed to should carry over within the same instance family. Why are we required to re-subscribe when upgrading within the same family? Why are we effectively paying double fees during an upgrade?

I have been using the solution for three years.

We chose this solution because it was recommended by our managed service provider and it is known to be a good OS for SAP.

We are facing an issue with licensing usage. The subscription does not carry over within the same instance family, so upgrading an instance results in overlapping or double subscription fees.

We did not consider alternate solutions because it was highly recommended by the managed service vendor.

We are facing an issue with licensing usage. The subscription does not carry over within the same instance family, so upgrading an instance results in overlapping or double subscription fees.

I've been using SUSE Linux Enterprise for a petroleum company client. They run it as their primary server hosting environment, connected to NAS and various external applications and hardware. We integrate it with Spacewalk for management, which is known by different names on other distributions. 

I like how the tool handles kernel modules and upgrades - we rarely have issues after upgrades, unlike with other Linux distributions like Oracle Linux or Ubuntu. The kernel module management is excellent. Changes made in one version typically work the same in other versions too, which isn't always the case with other distributions. There's also lots of information and community support available if you run into any problems, both on the official website and in forums and user groups. I know many people who use it specifically, so it's easy to get independent support if needed. I've been working with the tool for a long time, since 2003, before they became SUSE Linux Enterprise. It's always been one of the most admin-friendly Linux versions. 

Depending on the underlying hardware, setting up and running services can sometimes be problematic. It's not always uniform—you can't necessarily move a service from one system to another and have it work seamlessly.

Additionally, error handling needs improvement. The system should be more transparent when there's an error, rather than just declaring a generic error. It would be helpful if it could provide more specific information about the problem on that particular system. As it stands, you can waste a lot of time trying to troubleshoot these vague errors. 

I have been using the product for six years. 

I rate the tool's stability a ten out of ten since we do the regular upgrade cycles. 

The solution is scalable, and I rate its scalability an eight out of ten. Our usage will triple in the coming 18 months. We're pushing our on-premises clients to adopt cloud modules. When they move to the cloud, they can centralize many international and local business systems into one point, which will increase users. We have diverse geographical setups, and moving to the cloud will bring all users onto one or two systems.

Right now, we might have 15 users in one place using one system, not always SUSE Linux Enterprise. We want to consolidate everything because it makes system administration easier. Currently, our technical resources need to know many different products, which is challenging since some of us are experts in certain areas but not others. It's difficult. We're trying to make things easier from an administrator's perspective. 

I've never had problems with SUSE Linux Enterprise's customer support. They're very responsive when we log cases with them. I usually get a response within 24 hours. I work with suppliers like Qualys and Acronis, but SUSE Linux Enterprise is generally the fastest to respond. Their support team is always willing to help, and the engineers are happy to share knowledge. This level of support is very impressive compared to other vendors I work with.

Positive

The initial setup of SUSE Linux Enterprise is very easy. Its GUI-based interface is self-explanatory. Someone with basic IT knowledge who pays attention could set up a system. For higher-end integration, more technical expertise is needed. An entry-level Linux administrator could set it up by receiving a basic document.

On a scale of one to ten, with ten being very easy setup, SUSE Linux Enterprise rates an eight.

Regarding deployment time, it's less than an hour, never more than an hour. However, this can depend on the hardware - if the hardware is slower, the installation and everything will go slower.

There is currently a mix of deployment options. It is deployed both on the cloud and on-premises.

SUSE Linux Enterprise is reasonably priced compared to other operating systems. I find it's a much better option for us than Oracle, for example, because of the pricing structure. The pricing is easier to explain to clients and makes it easier to get clients' commitment. The licensing is also simpler to manage and keep track of. Their responsiveness is great - they give feedback very quickly when we ask questions about licensing or other aspects. This helps ensure we're always at the gold standard regarding licensing and everything related to SUSE Linux Enterprise.

None of our current clients are looking at AI features. We mainly work with traditional clients using custom-built systems developed over the past 20-30 years, so there's limited room for improvement or AI integration. However, we may potentially be involved in an AI-related project in 2025, but that would involve a redesign and isn't confirmed yet. For now, we don't use AI for our client work.

I rate the overall solution a ten out of ten. 

We use the tool for specific application needs where it is developed on the Linux platform. Additionally, we use certain SFTP sites for banking transactions. Although Windows operating systems could also be suitable, we decided to continue with the Linux system for secure communication and file exchanges between the banks and our server. That is the main purpose.

The purpose is to manage interactions with multiple bank accounts for payment transactions. Payment can be made through various modes, such as UPI (Gpay or Paytm), internet banking, and online transactions. 

These transactions are received by the bank and then passed to us through a secured communication channel established between our systems and the banking gateway. The information is exchanged securely, and our accounts team takes the shared information from the bank to perform the necessary postings.

Some of the functionalities I like the most are the security features. This includes security restrictions on specific folders and secure communication for SFTP. These features are more secure and reliable. The tool also makes compliance possible. 

The solution is expensive. 

I have been using the product for 12-15 years. 

I rate SUSE Linux Enterprise's stability as ten out of ten. 

I rate the tool's scalability a nine out of ten. 

In the past, we found the support's response to be good. However, in the last year, we haven't needed to reach out to them much due to a lack of requirements. Overall, our experience with their technical support is good. 

Positive

SUSE Linux Enterprise's installation is easy and can be completed with the help of one engineer. The tool requires monitoring instead of maintenance. 

The tool is expensive compared to Red Hat. I rate its pricing a nine out of ten. 

I am using the solution for my customers. It is used for deployment and automation.

We can use Ansible for automation. Ansible enables us to have playbooks that can deploy the configurations as defined. The tool’s idempotency ensures all configurations are in place at all times. Security is the main concern in an organization. The product takes care of security. Too. The solution is available as an open-source product.

The product must improve its UI. It will lead to more people accepting the product, like Windows. The tool should provide more UI interactions. It must also provide a version of the solution for educational institutes that provide engineering degrees. It will give the students a hands-on experience, evaluate the product, and promote it in the future.

I have been using the solution for more than five years.

The tool is stable, but we don't use the latest versions. In our experience, the latest versions have some hot patches or fixes. We always use the version released before the latest version.

The tool is suitable for small and large companies. It is a scalable solution.

The technical support is good. I have seen L0, L1, L2, and L3 issues solved by pretty good SMEs. The support is costly, though. Depending on the license we have, we must pay per interaction or per issue that we log. I rate the support a seven and a half out of ten.

Neutral

I have worked with other operating systems. When I worked on Oracle, Oracle Linux was the only OS we could use. If there's a requirement to use Ansible Tower that is highly compatible with Red Hat Enterprise Linux, then we use Red Hat Enterprise Linux. The solution we use depends on the customers’ requirements.

I have worked with Red Hat Enterprise Linux, Fedora, and Oracle Linux. People who are not inclined toward CLI will be more receptive and more open to UI-based offerings like Windows. People who are not administrators or developers want better UI and user exchange for an easier experience.

The initial setup is straightforward. The time taken for deployment depends on the configuration and whether it is being deployed on a virtual machine or physical hardware. Whether we need a custom set of packages or a bare metal hypervisor depends on the customer’s requirements.

The price is reasonable. The product must provide a pay-as-you-go model of licensing.

I suggest people use SUSE for a short span of time and do a competitive analysis against other tools. Depending on the performance criteria like scalability and security, they can choose SUSE. Overall, I rate the product an eight out of ten.