The Microsoft Embrace of Open Source

Many prominent system experts are puzzled by Microsoft’s recent embrace for Linux and open source. Microsoft seems to have changed their tune and experts are slowly coming around to the realization that this isn’t an evil plot to destroy open source. It is evident that Microsoft has made a significant shift in the way it operates. From the moment Server 2016 is deployed, it looks back at you with a command prompt, asking you to “Press CTRL-Alt Del to Unlock.”
Does this mean that Windows admins need to give up the mouse? Are Linux admins required to learn Windows batch scripting? There is more cross-over now than ever, so it may not be enough for a pure Windows administrator to have Linux expertise. This change within Microsoft has the immediate benefit of cost savings. You may soon hear the cries “Get on it!” The upper management may also shout “Get on it!”
One thing is certain: You’ll need to improve your Azure skills as much of Microsoft’s open-source goodness works well with the cloud. Administrators will be looking to hire in Azure. This is because of the importance of Azure certification and training. For current Windows admins, a Linux on Azure certification is the best value.
Is this a benefit to IT admins or a burden? The integration of Microsoft products into open source communities offers new opportunities to improve efficiency and allow IT professionals to use their existing knowledge in new ways. The learning curve may not be as steep or as long as we initially thought (or feared).
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Start training This problem was finally solved with the Windows Ubuntu Bash shell. It also makes it easier for Linux administrators to transition to Windows environments. This is a win-win situation for everyone.
Server 2016’s implementation of Linux-style containers holds promise as a way to achieve more with less physical resources. While the learning curve for Windows administrators can be steep, the long-term benefits may be substantial. Applications that require the same hardware but don’t work well together can now be run in their own operating system environment. Administrators can save time and resources by not having to install and manage virtual machines.
Although many of us didn’t think we’d see SQL Server on Linux, this is now a reality with many benefits. There are many benefits to running SQL Server in a Linux enterprise environment. The abstraction of the database engine is the most important. SQL Server’s tools enable the creation of complex databases even by non-technical users within an organization.
Microsoft’s new strategy is based on Docker containers, which abstract the operating system and software. This is one of its primary strengths. The availability of SQL Server for Docker may be as important as the Linux version. Software built for Docker containers can run on any OS as long as the container framework exists. This means that backup data centers don’t need to match their counterparts in terms server configuration. Software can be deployed on any server, regardless of its operating system. Remember the seismic shift? Microsoft’s embrace for Docker is a huge deal. It could change many of our back-office processes.
PowerShell is not just for Windows anymore. It can also be used on other platforms.