Given present advances in centralized management software, the IT leader tasked with building out a new application server can often choose the operating system (OS) to best support the service. How will the IT leader determine which server OS will better meet each application's needs?
IT must determine whether the prospective OS best fits the application it will serve within the enterprise's unique IT environment. This decision is made by examining three criteria:
- Technical features.
- Licensing features.
- Interoperability.
A second decision, whether the prospective OS meets business needs (primarily TCO considerations) is the subject of a sister note. This note will discuss key criteria involved when determining the technical, licensing, and interoperability suitability of a prospective server OS.