Start-up beats IBM for Linux software
Source: CNet News
A revamped version of key disk drive management software in Linux will be based on a project from a start-up, spurring a retreat by IBM programmers who had been working on competing software.
Sistina Software's LVM 2.0 will be included in the coming 2.6 version of the Linux kernel, while IBM's programmers working on competing software have refocused their work on volume management administration tools.
IBM has pumped billions of dollars into its Linux development efforts and has had success in areas such as getting Linux to work better on high-end machines with numerous processors. But Big Blue's clout and the 200 or so programmers in its Linux Technology Center don't guarantee the company victory over smaller rivals.
The software in question is Linux's "logical volume manager," which governs how multiple hard drives are joined so they appear as one. It's a crucial feature for using Linux on higher-end servers.
For example, volume management software makes it easier for hard drives to be added to accommodate growing storage needs or for a failing hard drive to be replaced. Linux programmers, however, have been looking for a replacement for the current LVM 1.0, initially developed by Minneapolis-based Sistina.
