This session explains how to quantify and minimize the risks in Linux adoption. Beginning with a summary of the many TCO reduction opportunities, it then addresses the technical issues and costs of migrating to Linux. Following feasibility and technical practicality issues, a metrics based method for scoping the effort and cost of application migration is presented. The session leads attendees through a complete assessment of the feasibility, effort and cost of a migration to Linux. The goal is production of factual data to eliminate of any remaining obstacles to Linux.
Paul Winbauer, Director, HP Server and Storage Solution Sales, Avnet Enterprise Solutions

Storage Area Networks (SANs) are defined as a high-speed special-purpose network (or subnetwork) that interconnects different kinds of data storage devices with associated data servers on behalf of a larger network of users. Typically, a storage area network is part of the overall network of computing resources for an enterprise. Planning for SANs in the Linux space not only takes a knowledge of the different aspects of implementing a SAN such as which servers it is attached to but what products, services and facilities are available to create and manage them. A variety of storage products can be part of a well-designed, Linux-based IT infrastructure, preparing it to support mission-critical workloads as Linux moves to the core of enterprises. This overview will demonstrate the different products and software behind these technologies available on Linux and what types of storage implementations can be set up to fortify your investment in Linux.
Scott Drummond, Worldwide Program Director, Storage Networking, IBM's Systems Group

Various legal issues arise around Open Source. What is the GPL? Will my code be affected if I use a GPLed product? What are some of the other "Open Source" licenses and how do these compare with the GPL? What are techniques of merging Open Source code with my own code? In addition, what are some of the hot spots in Digital Rights that are affecting the Open Source community today? Issues like the DMCA and intellectual property rights will be covered.
Donald K. Rosenberg, President, Stromian Technologies

Security is an important topic in government, business and even education. Linux has many tools for providing the level of security that you need today and in the future. Linux was picked by the NSA to create a secure general-purpose operating system that is freely distributable and in source code form. This talk will discuss the various elements of Linux security in an easy-to-understand way. Discussed will be areas such as the shadowed password system, Linux encryption techniques, availability of secure remote login and the NSA's SELinux.

A bibliography of good Linux and Unix security books will be included
Daniel J. Walsh, Operating System Engineer, Red Hat Software, Inc.

A quick overview of embedded systems followed by an discussion of the advantages of Linux and other Free software for embedded system designs. Includes examples of Linux techniques and technologies utilized by embedded systems and case studies of their usage. A brief overview of the commercial and non-commercial distributions available to embedded developers will conclude the talk.
Brad Dixon, Field Applications Engineer, US Southeast, MontaVista

Enterprise Linux Commodity Clustering - A to Z: What it is, How it works, How it pays off, and Who's doing it today

Many Enterprises are now deploying clusters of commodity servers to replace expensive mainframe and SMP systems, consolidate growing server farms and automate provisioning in the data center. This session provides an in-depth look at Enterprise Linux commodity clustering. It covers the major benefits - scalability, availability, manageability and TCO savings - and how the technology delivers on them. Topics include the on-demand computing model, utilization, load-balancing, hardware virtualization, and fail-over/fault-tolerance for non-stop computing applications. Comparative technology perspectives will be addressed regarding NUMA machines and Beowulf systems. The session ends with a detailed customer case study from the financial services industry.
Dr. Moshe Bar, Ph.D., Co-founder and CTO, Qlusters, Inc.

What is Grid computing, and why is Linux being used for Grid Computing? What types of problems could Grid computing solve for the business person? Enterprise IT planning for the use of the Grid and its programming models will be discussed.
Ahmar Abbas, Managing Director, Grid Technology Partners
Chris Smith, Integration Architect, Platform Computing