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US Postal Service Moves To GNU/Linux

Posted by kdawson on from the cobol-package-management dept.

twitter writes "The US Postal Service has moved its Cobol package tracking software to HP machines running GNU/Linux. 1,300 servers handle 40 million transactions a day and cost less than the last system, which was based on a Sun Solaris environment." The migration took a year. The USPS isn't spelling how big the savings are, except that they are "significant."

25 of 477 comments (clear)

  1. For once ... by ScrewMaster · · Score: 4, Funny

    we don't have to ask if it runs Linux.

    --
    The higher the technology, the sharper that two-edged sword.
    1. Re:For once ... by More_Cowbell · · Score: 4, Funny

      Has that *ever* stopped anyone before?

      --
      Experience teaches only the teachable. -AH
    2. Re:For once ... by ScrewMaster · · Score: 2, Funny

      Has that *ever* stopped anyone before?

      No, and I'm sure there will be some people wanting to know if their mail is going to be delivered by Beowulf Cluster.

      --
      The higher the technology, the sharper that two-edged sword.
    3. Re:For once ... by snl2587 · · Score: 5, Funny

      No, and I'm sure there will be some people wanting to know if their mail is going to be delivered by Beowulf Cluster.

      I, for one, welcome our mail-delivering, Beowulf Cluster overlords.

    4. Re:For once ... by schon · · Score: 4, Funny

      Ruby/Apache/X.org/KDE/GNU/Linux

      Actually, I think that would be Ruby/Apache/KDE/QT/X.org/GNU/Linux or PHP/Apache/KDE/QT/X.org/GNU/Linux - but depending on whether they're using it for backend or desktop service (sorry, too lazy to RTFA) I'd think that either [Ruby|PHP]/Apache/GNU/Linux, or OO.org/[KDE|GNOME|XFCE]/[QT]/X.org/GNU/Linux would be more appropriate... but if they're using it for both desktop and server, that would make it

      [[OO.org/[KDE|GNOME|XFCE]/[QT]/X.org]|[Ruby/PHP]/Apache]/GNU]/Linux.

      And as soon as RSF starts calling it that, I'll start calling it GNU/Linux :)

    5. Re:For once ... by bill_mcgonigle · · Score: 2, Funny

      [[OO.org/[KDE|GNOME|XFCE]/[QT]/X.org]|[Ruby/PHP]/Apache]/GNU]/Linux.

      And as soon as RSF starts calling it that, I'll start calling it GNU/Linux :)

      I think you lost a GTK to go with your QT, but I really replied just to say this is the most fantastic expansion I've seen to date.

      --
      My God, it's Full of Source!
      OUTSIDE_IP=$(dig +short my.ip @outsideip.net)
    6. Re:For once ... by InsertWittyNameHere · · Score: 2, Funny

      Judges, can we accept that?
      I'm sorry, the correct phrasing is:

      "What is, does it run Linux?"

    7. Re:For once ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      Working for USPS I know for a fact the article has a lot of half truths.

      We are running SLES 10 SP2
      We are running on HP "midrange" servers (DL785 G5) and IBM z10 mainframes
      We have NOT migrated even 10% of our applications from our Sun environment to HP and/or IBM. So majority of our stuff is still on Sun Solaris (which we probably do have about around 1,300 servers)
      We do not own 1,300 servers of HP and/or IBM hardware. I'm not even sure we have enough horsepower to run that many VMs of decent size.

    8. Re:For once ... by ScrewMaster · · Score: 4, Funny

      As long as my mail doesn't come covered in hot grits...

      Would you object if it came wrapped in Natalie Portman's panties?

      --
      The higher the technology, the sharper that two-edged sword.
    9. Re:For once ... by u-235-sentinel · · Score: 2, Funny

      Has that *ever* stopped anyone before?

      No, and I'm sure there will be some people wanting to know if their mail is going to be delivered by Beowulf Cluster.

      So now we'll start asking if it runs on RedHat Linux, Ubuntu Linux, OpenSuse Linux...

      You can never win ;-)

      --
      Has Comcast disconnected your Internet account? Same here. You can read about it at http://comcastissue.blogspot.com
  2. Now? by arizwebfoot · · Score: 2, Funny

    With all those "savings" are we going to see a decrease in the cost of postage?

    Oh wait...

    --
    Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.
    1. Re:Now? by Lunzo · · Score: 3, Funny
      You're right. How dare the GP end his sentence with a preposition. What he meant to say was:

      This is the kind of technological marvel that future societies will be looking back in awe of, dickhead.

  3. Looks like by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    Someone needs to get the facts!

    If they switched to Windows instead, they'd probably see twice the savings.

    Just ask the London Stock Exchange.

  4. Find It Yourself by Kenshin · · Score: 5, Funny

    They moved their package tracking system to Linux? I wonder if, when you ask it where your shipment is, it will tell you to find it yourself in a condescending manner.

    --

    Does it make you happy you're so strange?

    1. Re:Find It Yourself by geekoid · · Score: 5, Funny

      When you request the location of your package, it just sneers at you and says "Google is your friend."

      --
      The Kruger Dunning explains most post on /. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect
  5. Score 0: Trite by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Submitted with the headline "Linux Penguin goes postal."

  6. Hope it wasn't Ubuntu by blakedev · · Score: 3, Funny

    Tracking's going to waste a lot of time playing around with Compiz instead of working.

    --
    QamuIs Heg qaq law' lorvIs yInqaq puS
  7. Postfix! by Penguinshit · · Score: 5, Funny

    Now they can run a couple of Postfix servers and put themselves out of business!

    --

    I have something in common with Stephen Hawking...

  8. Get off my lawn by jmcbain · · Score: 5, Funny
    Only old people use physical mail these days.

    If you're 30-something, you rely on email.

    If you're in your 20s, you use IM

    If you're 13 like me, it's all Twitter, all the time. Bonus: I have no need to receive packages because I shoplift everything.

  9. Re:Boy, what efficiency... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    yes, but do they run linux?

  10. COBOL package tracking? by SEWilco · · Score: 2, Funny

    This will be helpful the next time I have a COBOL package which I want tracked.

  11. Mail server by Abreu · · Score: 5, Funny

    Well, look on the bright side...

    Now we can say, with all confidence, that the world's largest mail server runs Linux

    --
    No sig for the moment.
  12. Re:Boy, what efficiency... by DoofusOfDeath · · Score: 5, Funny

    o we have about 400 times the performance with 5% of the hardware. By that margin, I could do their processing with about 25 boxes total. That would mean another 98% savings on hardware alone.

    Maybe their servers are in the union?

  13. Re:Boy, what efficiency... by DoofusOfDeath · · Score: 2, Funny

    they've got little server kids to feed at home.

    Servlets?

  14. Re:Typical by fuzzyfuzzyfungus · · Score: 3, Funny

    The Sun salesman was probably in the shop, having Oracle decals and body kit applied...