PRODUCT UPDATES: SUSE Linux Enterprise Server running on IBM Power Systems

In November we’ve had two exciting product updates for SUSE Linux Enterprise Server solutions running on IBM Power Systems.

The first update in early November at SUSECON we announced SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for POWER 12 Service Pack 2. This enterprise-grade Linux distribution is optimized for POWER8 processor-based systems, enabling you to maintain business continuity and bring new services to market quickly. The key new features of this release enable you to:

• Reduce downtime for Little Endian workloads – with full support for SUSE Linux Enterprise High Availability Extension
• Implement cost-effective, high performance data analytics  – with full support for IBM Power Systems LC and OpenPOWER Abstraction Layer (OPAL) systems
• Boot large-memory systems faster – with reduced memory initialization times for server restarts after planned and unplanned downtime.
• Configure server filesystems faster and consistently – with System Role installation pattern templates for database servers, virtualization host/guest or installation options
• Deploy innovative solutions with confidence – PackageHub enables access to SUSE Linux Enterprise packages for IBM Power Systems and 3^rd-party OpenPOWER systems, built by the open source community and approved by SUSE

Learn more about SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for POWER optimization and features at suse.com/products/power.

The second update is for SAP landscapes running on IBM Power Systems. SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 12 Service Pack 1 is available as of November 30 for SAP HANA 2 running on Power Systems. This is a significant enhancement with new capabilities that enable you to:

• Deploy SAP landscapes with Power Systems servers configured in Little Endian mode to expand data sources
• Reduce downtime with Full System Rollback and roll back on Service Pack upgrades
• Install SAP landscapes faster with automation features in the installation wizard
• More easily configure and test HA with support for the latest High Availability Extension and its HAWK interface, and the Cluster Sanity Check Framework

The SUSE Connect program is also now open to 3^rd-party solutions for SAP environments that run on Power Systems.

SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications is still the exclusive Linux for SAP HANA and S/4HANA on IBM Power Systems. Get more information at suse.com/products/power/features/s4-hana .