SUSE LINUX Releases Latest Linux Technology for SUSE LINUX Enterprise Server 8

SUSE LINUX Releases Latest Linux Technology for SUSE LINUX Enterprise Server 8

Service Pack enhancements include improved hardware support, enhanced storage
access

Nuremberg, Germany - November 25, 2003 -- SUSE LINUX today announced the
release of Service Pack 3 for SUSE LINUX Enterprise Server 8 -- providing
enterprise customers with the latest advancements in hardware support as well
as enhanced storage access and other features from the SUSE-optimized 2.4.21
kernel. SUSE LINUX Enterprise Server 8 customers who participate in the SUSE
LINUX Maintenance Program can now download Service Pack 3 free of charge from
the SUSE LINUX Maintenance Web.

Service Pack 3 delivers state-of-the-art, quality-assured Linux technology
for all hardware platforms supported by SUSE LINUX Enterprise Server 8 - x86,
Itanium2 processor family, AMD64 with support for 32-bit and 64-bit systems
of various manufacturers, IBM iSeries, IBM pSeries, IBM S/390 (31 bit), and
IBM zSeries (31 bit and 64 bit).

The SUSE-optimized kernel 2.4.21 provides customers with a stable operating
system basis intensively tested for optimum compatibility with existing
software certifications. Features of kernel 2.4.19 such as the 0(1)
scheduler, asynchronous I/O, and multipathing storage access were integrated
and improved in kernel 2.4.21. In contrast to the previous kernel, which
managed up to 600 physical hard disks, the new kernel is capable of managing
up to 2,000 physical hard disks.

Innovation: Support for IBM eServer BladeCenter JS20

The first manufacturer to deliver a server operating system for the 64-bit
platform AMD Opteron - SUSE now offers the first operating system to support
IBM eServer BladeCenter JS20 -- the latest member of the IBM eServer family.
Customers who opt for the new BladeCenter JS20 will benefit from the proven
stability of SUSE LINUX Enterprise Server 8 and its uniform code base for all
relevant hardware architectures - a characteristic unique in the Linux market.

Optimization Across Hardware Boundaries

Service Pack 3 includes improvements from which users of all supported
hardware architectures will benefit. Large, powerful hard disk drives can be
bundled with redundant, reliable access paths (multipathing). Using Service
Pack 3, up to 27 hard disks can be bundled in a multiple device.

For Storage Area Network (SAN) solutions, more configurations are available
thanks to a more dynamic and improved detection of SCSI-3-based devices.
Network Attached Storage (NAS) solutions combined with NFS-based file systems
now support mounting of up to 1,024 file systems -- enabling flexible access
to large amounts of data. Thanks to the support of variable block sizes,
which can be written to the disk asynchronously and without intermediate
buffering, data base access has been accelerated by up to 25%.

Through the implementation of the Linux Audit System (LAuS) in SUSE LINUX
Enterprise Server, administrators can increase the security of the
administered systems.

Improved Support of x86 Hardware, Itanium Systems, and Mainframes

The latest x86 hardware, which had not already been introduced to the market
when SUSE LINUX Enterprise Server 8 was released in November 2002, is now
supported with improved hyperthreading and ACPI, numerous updated device
drivers, and new PCI device detection lists.

In the Itanium growth market, SUSE LINUX Enterprise Server already supports a
variety of systems of leading vendors like IBM, HP, and SGI. For customers
for whom the computing power of 32 CPUs in one system was not enough, Service
Pack 3 enables vertical scaling of up to 64 CPUs per machine.

With Service Pack 3, SUSE also supports the latest IBM zSeries hardware. The
crypto hardware of z990 can be utilized with SUSE LINUX Enterprise Server.
Storage Area Networks based on the Fibre Channel Protocol enable the
utilization of inexpensive disk storage in connection with IBM S/390 and IBM
zSeries mainframes.

Service Pack 3 for SUSE LINUX Enterprise Server 8 is prepared for compliance
with the DII COE (Defense Information Infrastructure Common Operating
Environment) directive that is used for rating the suitability of IT products
for deployment in federal departments in the US.

About SUSE LINUX 

Established in 1992, SUSE LINUX is one of the world's leading providers of
Linux software and services. With the largest dedicated Linux research and
development team, SUSE delivers enterprise-ready software and services that
harness the innovation, speed-to-market and independence of the open source
community. A privately-held company based in Nuremberg, Germany, SUSE --
together with global business partners -- supports customers throughout the
world. Further information on SUSE can be found at www.suse.de/en/.

SUSE is a registered trademark of SUSE LINUX. Linux is a registered trademark
of Linus Torvalds. All other trademarks mentioned herein are the property of
their respective owners. 

Press Contact:
SUSE LINUX AG 
Martina Krahmer
Deutschherrnstr. 15-19
90429 Nuremberg, Germany
Phone: +49-911-74053-507
Fax: +49-911-741 77 55
E-Mail:  martina.krahmer@suse.de