Linux® on the Mainframe

12.1. Controlling the cost of systems administration

Systems management, like all other aspects of a business, is subject to economic constraints. A significant contribution to the TCO of an IT infrastructure is the number of people required to manage it. The number of FTE (Full Time Equivalent) employees required not only depends on the size of the installation, but also on the diversity of the hardware and software and on the desired characteristics, such as security and availability.

For example, ISPCompany runs hundreds of Linux images and expects more images as its business grows. It is inconceivable to manage all of them without the use of tools. Generally, the more numerous and uniform the systems to be managed, the more beneficial it ...