Hello,

We're looking into the IBM WebSphere as a strategic software platform
for migrating our business development to it.

What we've learned of the platform is satisfactory, what we want to
know is how supportive is it of Linux and how much commitment IBM is
putting in providing the suite of tools and application servers under
the Linux OS.

IBM is moving out of being proprietary, that all sounds great.  We're
interested in knowing where they are and how much is planned for the
near/far future as far as WebSphere is concerned.

A list of the applications and possible release dates of when they'll
be available on linux would be appreciated.  Schedules and key
alliances showing long-term Linux support would be great.

Simply put, we don't want to dive into WebSphere under the impression
that we'll remain on Linux and later find out that to do what we
thought we can achieve with the product, we'll need to move to other
OS's and platforms and Linux was used as bait. :-)

/Lizardnation

Thank you for your question regarding IBM’s commitment to Linux.

After 17 years of developing applications for IBM midrange products,
such as the System/36 and AS/400, I certainly can appreciate your
ambivalence about IBM’s sincerity with respect to Linux. “Big Blue”
really has been redesigning itself over the last 4 years.
I truly believe that IBM will stand behind, and push the Linux
platform. For example; if you are building an application that will be
commercially available, IBM will help you market
Port and test it through their IBM Solution Partnership Centers.
Somebody at IBM woke up a few years ago , and realized that they were
losing market share to Windows and Linux based application servers.
Whereas the original AS/400  servers were proprietary, operating under
their OS/400 software, it really has changed. I have an AS/400 that I
have partitioned a part of the disk to be a web server, running IBM’s
HTTP server. This same box can run a Linux server and a Windows 2000
server, concurrently.  As an aside, it is still running old  “green
screen”  applications.
WebSphere Application Server provides a Java-based application server
on Linux. Open standards like J2EE and Web services such as SOAP and
UDDI are fully supported.
IBM makes it easy for you to “test drive” their Websphere ands Linux
support, if you register at their website (free), you may download, or
they will mail you a 2 CD software suite, also free.
I quote their CD listing from their site:
“Free 2 cd software includes
The Q2 2002 Linux Software Evaluation Kit (a 2-CD set) includes: 
	DB2 
IBM DB2 Universal Database Enterprise Edition, V7.2 for Linux (Fixpak
5 refresh)
	Java technologies 
Robocode 
	Lotus 
Lotus Domino Server Release 5.0.9a for Linux, Global English Edition 
	Web Services 
Web Services Toolkit V3.01 
	WebSphere 
WebSphere Application Server Advanced Single Server Edition V4.0.1 for
Linux (development use only)
WebSphere Studio Application Developer for Linux Preview 
	Articles and Redbooks 
Eclipse Platform Technical Overview 
Caldera OpenLinux Integration Guide for IBM eServer xSeries and
Netfinity
Implementing Linux with IBM Disk Storage 
Linux for IBM eServer zSeries and S/390: Distributions 
Linux for WebSphere and DB2 Servers 
Linux on IBM eServer zSeries and S/390: ISP/ASP Solutions 
Linux on IBM Netfinity Servers: A Collection of Papers 
Linux System Administration and Backup Tools for IBM eServer xSeries
and Netfinity
Linux Web Hosting with WebSphere, DB2, and Domino 
Lotus Domino R5 Clustering with IBM eServer xSeries and Netfinity
Servers
Lotus Domino R5 for Linux on IBM Netfinity Servers 
Red Hat Linux Integration Guide for IBM eServer xSeries and Netfinity
SuSE Linux Integration Guide for IBM eServer xSeries and Netfinity 
Tivoli Storage Manager Version 4.2 Technical Guide 
Tivoli Web Solutions: Managing Web Services and Beyond 
TurboLinux Integration Guide for IBM eServer xSeries and Netfinity “

You can register here:
http://www-3.ibm.com/cgi-bin/software/track3.cgi?file=/software/is/mp/linux/software/app.shtml&S_TACT=__S_TACT__&S_CMP=__S_CMP__

(Sorry for the long link)


IBM  *really* wants you to port over to Linux, so much so, that they
are offering free 2 day seminars in various cities here:


http://www-106.ibm.com/developerworks/offers/spc/spc_lappws.html


Here are a few existing Linux applications for Websphere:


Existing software for Linux/Websphere

Accounting:			ACCPAC Advantage Series

Internet Commerce:		Selectica Interactive Selling System
				eOneGroup: eOneCommerce
Axiom Software Laboratories:Data and Risk Management

Web Development:		Aptrix WebSphere Edition

Retail:				MarCole Gift RegistryWorks

Business intelligence:		SAS Business Intelligence

CRM:				Relavis

Administration/messaging:	Lotus Notes/Domino

For a comprehensive list of existing and upcoming Linux applications,
go to:
http://www.linuxapps.com/


I hope this will at least point you in the right direction, please
feel free to follow up with any clarification you might need.
Thanks for using Google answers.

Colin-ga

---

Request for Answer Clarification by lizardnation-ga on 31 May 2002 05:45 PDT

Hello Colin,

Thanks for the answer.  A list of WebSphere Server Products which are
on Linux now and ones which are intended for release with some sort of
a probable date for each would be appreciated.  When I said WebSphere
applications, I means IBM WebSphere Server Applications such as the
Voice Server, Content Server and Portal Server and so on.  I hope I
didn't messup their naming convention.

The CDs mentioned would be a wonderful asset to test out the prducts,
thank you for including them.

I was positively surprised to know that you can run Windows and Linux
on the AS/400 in native mode.  The AS/400 is a solid machine with a
solid operating system.

My focus is WebSphere in totality and its suite of products and
plug-in, on the host machine as well as on the client workstation for
the developers.  If my operation is a purely Linux server based setup,
what would I NOT get and when, if at all, are they planning on making
it available on Linux.

Are solution providers whom are Linux biased seem to be a catagory
which IBM intends to support, it sure sounds like it and a
clarification of the above would prove it either way.

You've done a very good job, lets see it through to a fiver. :-)

/Lizardnation

---

Clarification of Answer by colin-ga on 31 May 2002 08:29 PDT

I will gladly clarify.  I apologize for taking a while to respond,
lots of pots to stir this morning.

Most, if not all of Websphere’s applications are available now for
Linux (Redhat or SuSE). All will be implemented, exact dates are
difficult to extract from IBM .

IBM’s commitment extends to small and medium size companies as well
see this article from infoworld:

http://ww1.infoworld.com/cgi-bin/fixup.pl?story=http://www.infoworld.com/articles/hn/xml/02/05/09/020509hnibmsmb.xml&dctag=e-business

Here is more coverage of IBM’s announced Linux commitment:

http://www.internetnews.com/infra/article.php/10693_1107281

One more, this glossy pdf brochure really brings home IBM’s point
about its future with Linux:

http://www-3.ibm.com/software/is/mp/linux/usa.pdf

IBM WebSphere Portal Version 4.1 is available now, and can be
installed on Linux. Below is a link that will take you to a very good
in depth look at the portal server, you need to register, but once
again it is free. I am afraid I am unable to attach files to my
answer, but the Portal info kit is all in PDF format, and can be
downloaded in one big zip file.

https://www6.software.ibm.com/reg/swws07/swws-portals-i?S_TACT=101CMM04&S_CMP=campaign

According to this IBM white paper the Translation server is available
now for Linux:

http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/voice/pdfs/white_papers/wts_white_paper.PDF

I quote:

“IBM WebSphere Translation Server runs on NT, AIX, Solaris and Linux.
Connectivity plug-ins are available for the WebSphere Application
Server, Lotus
Domino and Lotus Sametime through the Lotus Translation Objects
(LTOs).”

To see the translation server in action go here:

http://www-3.ibm.com/software/speech/translation/demo/


The Voice Server ver 2.0 should work fine on Linux, follow the link
below and select platform independent software from the dropdown box,
and you will be ditrected to a download page full of SDK goodies.

http://www14.software.ibm.com/webapp/download/product.jsp?type=b&id=MSAA-4PMJJP&s=z&cat=&S_TACT=&S_CMP=




Here is  a Review of the Voice Server


http://voicexmlplanet.com/reviews/webspherevoicetoolkit1-1.html


According to Ed Scannell , of Infoworld there are some more new
plugins for Websphere available this month.

“Among those plug-in products is WebSphere's first EveryPlace Toolkit,
which enables Web developers to create wireless e-business
applications and portlets using HTML, WML (Wireless
Markup Language), and Compact HTML.”


I hope this helps some more, as always please ask for a follow up if
anything is unclear.

Regards,


Colin

Darn good job Colin! :-)

/Lizardnation.

Howdy.

I just wanted to add that this software suite is able to run on all of
the newly renamed "eServer" lines.

The S/390 became the "eServer zSeries".
The AS/400 became the "eServer iSeries".
The RS/6000 became the "eServer pSeries".
The Netfinity servers became the "eServer xSeries".

The AS/400 now runs OS/400, AIX and LINUX all at once on the native
processors. The Windows OS's run on the "Integrated xSeries Server"
which is basically an expansion card that goes in to the AS/400. Think
of it as a "server on a card".

I hope this clarification isn't too out of date for your purposes.

CJ     ==_-+-

Hello Cjc01,

Thanks for clearing their naming convention up, it's more complicated
for me this way as I got used to their previous naming convention. :-)

/Lizardnation