Microsoft Has Built a Linux Distro

jbernardo writes: Microsoft has built a Linux distro, and is using it for their Azure data centers. From their blog post: "It is a cross-platform modular operating system for data center networking built on Linux." Apparently, the existing SDN (Software Defined Network) implementations didn't fit Microsoft's plans for the ACS (Azure Cloud Switch), so they decided to roll their own infrastructure. No explanation why they settled on Linux, though — could it be that there is no Windows variant that would fit the bill? In other news, Lucifer has been heard complaining of the sudden cold.

Comments

MS uses what works

[danbuter]

It's in-house and they aren't trying to sell it. No reason not to use Linux.

Re:MS uses what works

[neilo_1701D]

Exactly.

I'm sure that given time and money, there could be a Windows variant that did the job. But that isn't MS's focus. Here in the Microsoft Dynamics consulting world, Azure is what is being pushed hard for all the latest enterprise systems (CRM, ERP). Microsoft makes it's money from Azure and everything that runs on top of that. This stuff is nothing to them.

Re:MS uses what works

[bug1]

No reason not to use Linux.

Except that its un-American, and causes cancer...

Re:MS uses what works

[Penguinisto]

Speaking of which, I wonder how long it will take for Linux to 'metastasize' within the organization?

First, it fulfills a couple of roles here and there in MSFT. Next, they have to make their own in-house distro. Next, they discover that it's kind of useful for a few internal roles within a few internal departments (esp. budget-starved ones). Next...?

Slowly, surely... ?

Re:MS uses what works

[mwvdlee]

The big difference is that the TCP/IP stack used a BSD license but Linux has a GPL license.
You can use BSD code, add a license notice (on original BSD license) and be done.
If MS is offering the Linux distro to it's users, then it must make available it's Linux distro's code too.

Wrong choice

[BitZtream]

This was just a bad choice. If they wanted a proper software defined network, they'd have selected FreeBSD since it has the fastest, most compact networking stack in the world and its well known/accepted fact by anyone who does high-end networking, hence why Microsoft ALREADY has a fuck ton of FreeBSD installs on their core network labeled ... Juniper Networks ... or F5 ... or any of the other ones.

Someone deserves to get fired for this. Not because they picked Linux, but because Linux simply wasn't the right choice in any way shape or form as every other major company doing networking has illustrated.

Re:Wrong choice

[coolmoe2]

Sooo tired of FBSD blowhards claiming that it is the right choice for everything. Linux has a very large developer base and is mature enough to give all of the BSD's a run for their money. Linux is everywhere now days from the data center to your smartphone. Your claims that somebody should be fired for using it is just plain childish.

This proves Linux sucks

[Anonymous Coward]

The Total Cost of Ownership is so high, that only a company as rich as Microsoft can use it for their own business.

Re:Satan

[YrWrstNtmr]

No, Satan runs BeOSelbub.

If it doesn't use systemd, I'd like to use it.

[Anonymous Coward]

I'm not joking around here. If Microsoft put out a Linux distro that didn't use systemd, with some guarantee that it never would, I'd very much consider using it. It sounds absolutely crazy, but things have gotten so fucked up in the Linux ecosystem lately that the thought of Microsoft putting out the best Linux distro has actually become plausible.

Re:If it doesn't use systemd, I'd like to use it.

[Anonymous Coward]

We will never use use systemd. We have replaced it by svhost.exe (Microsoft insider).

Do you blame them?

[Trailer Trash]

I mean, Linux is just full of their patented inventions - hell, they practically wrote the whole thing! They should use it, and proudly!

Blue Screen of Death

[jfdavis668]

The major change is adding the Blue Screen of Death, just to make everyone comfortable with using Linux.

Re:Satan

[Tx]

Linux? Pah! There's a reason why Microsoft owns WindowsPowersHell.org.

Systemd

[snookiex]

Cool. Now they will bundle Clippy into Systemd.

So not publically not eating your own dog food

[Viol8]

..is fine, right? When you're trying to sell Windows to the public as a one size fits all OS yet its apparently not good enough to run the network of their own Premier cloud service thats not a problem?

Give me a break, this has embarrassing U-turn written all over it.

Re:So not publically not eating your own dog food

[neilo_1701D]

Your comment would be correct 5 years ago.

Now, cloud services are the thing.

As an example, the premier ERP solution that Microsoft has, Dynamics AX, is currently totally tied to Windows. The next version, AX 7, changes the game completely. The rich client - the bit the user interacts with - is gone, replaced with a browser-agnostic UI (sporting a Windows 8 Start screen look-and-feel, but that's another story). The server and database components are now running on Azure. Windows has effectively vanished from the equation. And this the flagship ERP application.

For another example, look at Microsoft Office.

Microsoft is no longer the company that makes Windows and defends the Windows franchise; it's now services, services, services, and Windows with stand-alone Office etc.