There are several key factors contributing to the selection of a Linux version and vendor in the enterprise market: virtualization, systems management, availability and reliability, interoperability, security, networking support, subscription management, applications, system requirements, platform support, subscription, and pricing.

1. Virtualization

Allows servers to consolidate and remotely control end-user's applications, OS, and computer systems. Data from end-user computers is stored primarily in the server, not on the actual PCs, allowing it to be managed more easily, consolidated, and sorted into categories. This lowers hardware, maintenance, and electrical costs.

2. Systems Management

Adopt the open common information management (CIM) standard as a vendor independent framework for system management, allowing other CIM-enabled system management products to run on Linux Enterprise Server systems.

3. Availability and Reliability

Swap over NFS, enabling the use of diskless servers for less intensive server administration. In Addition availability of several kernel-level features and power management capabilities to add system performance. Feature to Reduce latency while boosting the reliability of mission critical applications.

4. Interoperability

Works with Windows and POSIX compliant operating system such as Solaris, AIX, and HP-UX.

5. Security

Use a stateful firewall, allowing questionable packets to be blocked and allow Administrators to control the rules sets and can create packet filters. In addition, provide tools to automate application profiling and policy creation. Ability to update Policies without the need for a reboot of the system.

6. Networking Support

Support the networking protocols such as: IPv6, IPv4, OFED, FCoE, DCB, SNMP, and Strongswan.

7. Subscription Management

Ability to integrate with Customer Center, allowing users to manage their subscriptions and support entitlements to provide uninterrupted access to software updates and security patches. Ability to establish proxy system to receive appropriate updates without the need to open the firewall, and without any redundant bandwidth requirements.

8. Application

Development kit for both server and desktop to customize and develop applications. Software Development Kit with open source compilers, libraries, debuggers, simulation tools, and editors necessary for developers to create applications, or port them to Linux Server. Toolkit containing several integrated development environments, as well as support for popular modern programming languages, such as C, C++, Java, Perl, Python, PHP and Ruby. And popular application servers for serving Web applets.

9. Minimum Linux system requirements for installation

10. Minimum Linux system requirements for operation

11. Recommended system requirements

12. Supported processor platforms

13. Subscription

Upgrades, patches, fixes, tech support access, and other options.

14. Pricing

Subscription Period per Server, Basic Support, Standard Support, Priority Support. Etc. for Open Systems and zSeries.

Reference: Karen Spring. (2009).