SUSE Updates Cloud Application Platform, SUSE OpenStack Cloud

SUSECON — SUSE, the open-source vendor, unveiled the latest versions of some of its key enterprise applications here at its annual SUSEcon user conference, including updated releases of its Cloud Application Platform and its SUSE OpenStack platform — as well as its first enterprise Linux image for SAP HANA large instances on Microsoft Azure.

Also announced was support for 2nd generation Intel Xeon Scalable “Cascade Lake”  processors and the company’s new designation as a Kubernetes certified service provider. The SUSEcon conference is being held in Nashville.

The latest SUSE Cloud Application Platform 1.4, which will be available later this month, has introduced a 100 percent Kubernetes-native Cloud Foundry architecture using Project Eirini, which allows users to take greater advantage of the popular Kubernetes container scheduler and deepens integration of Kubernetes and Cloud Foundry. The addition of Project Eirini also allows customers to use either Kubernetes or Cloud Foundry Diego as their container scheduler.

Also new in Version 1.4 is first-time support for Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE), which is Google’s managed Kubernetes service. By adding GKE support for multicloud environments, users get expanded options for using the platform in public clouds such as Amazon EKS, Azure AKS or GKE, on-premises with SUSE CaaS Platform or as a multicloud combination, SUSE said.

SUSE OpenStack Cloud 9

SUSE’s latest OpenStack Cloud platform, now called SUSE OpenStack Cloud 9, now integrates the best of SUSE OpenStack Cloud and HPE OpenStack technology into a one release that provides simplified post-deployment cloud operations using a new Cloud Lifecycle Manager day-two user interface and enhanced support for OpenStack Ironic, giving users the ability to customize bare metal servers for specific workload performance needs.

Based on OpenStack Rocky, SUSE OpenStack Cloud 9 also provides users of HPE Helion OpenStack with a seamless transition to SUSE OpenStack Cloud for the creation of production-ready private clouds.

SAP HANA Capabilities

Also unveiled was the company’s first SUSE Linux Enterprise Server image for SAP HANA Large Instances on Microsoft Azure, which SUSE said will provide an improved customer experience by offering consistent build and management capabilities on Azure. The image was created in collaboration with Microsoft to support mission-critical workloads for SAP HANA environments up to 60TB with the stability and reliability of SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications.

SAP HANA Large Instances on Azure, which are available immediately, are purpose-built hardware configurations for SAP HANA workloads that require memory sizes larger than 0.5 TB, according to SUSE.

“Our joint customers are using SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for SAP applications as the underlying operating system to ensure a reliable platform that is validated on Azure Large Instances,” said K.Y. Srinivasan, the general manager of open-source software at Microsoft. “It represents the innovation that marks our long relationship as we continue to work together to provide solutions that meet demanding enterprise customer requirements.”

Intel Xeon Scalable Processor Support

Second generation Intel Xeon Scalable processors have now gained support in SUSE Linux Enterprise 15 and SUSE Linux Enterprise 12 Service Pack 4, giving users …

… more options for their workloads and deployments. The additional processor support follows new support earlier this year for Intel Optane persistent memory with SAP HANA workloads for businesses running SUSE Enterprise Linux Server for SAP Applications.

Kubernetes Certification

SUSE also announced its designation as a Kubernetes Certified Service Provider (KCSP) by the Kubernetes project, joining more than 80 other companies which have been certified. The KCSP program is a prequalified tier of vetted service providers who have deep experience helping enterprises successfully adopt Kubernetes. Under the program, SUSE and the other partners offer Kubernetes support, consulting, professional services and training to organizations that are working on Kubernetes deployments.

Certification in the program means that SUSE has at least three or more engineers who pass the Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA) exam, as well as a business model that supports enterprise end users, including putting engineers at a customer site as needed.

“SUSE has very successfully delivered enterprise-grade Linux for more than 25 years, and it’s only natural that we have expanded to cover the entire range of customer needs for both software-defined infrastructure and application delivery,” said Thomas Di Giacomo, SUSE’s president of engineering, product and innovation. “We are driven to enable businesses to innovate and execute their own digital transformation when, where and how they need, as they support the requirements of their own customers.”