Linux is a stable and robust server platform used by EY that provides reliable and high-performance services. EY provisions Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) in both physical and virtual environments configured to EY's standards with support from Red Hat. Going forward, EY will evaluate alternative OS versions like CentOS and work to transition processes from traditional data centers to more agile cloud solutions on platforms like Microsoft Azure and OneCloud. Project managers are encouraged to consider Linux for workloads due to its lightweight requirements and potential cost savings over other proprietary systems.

1. Global Infrastructure Services
Global Hosting Services (GHS)
Spotlight Feature
Linux: Providing reliable, robust, high-performance services
Linux is one of the most stable server platforms offered by IT Services as a service
for EY people. To better understand this service, EY’s Linux Service Owner –
Martin Sciarrillo – took some time to talk about Linux and its importance to EY.
Martin, when it comes to server technologies, we tend to believe that Windows is the
most popular. Tell us about the role of Linux in the data center and its benefits.
For years, companies have been choosing Linux, in one of its many flavors, to run
applications such as web sites, their back-end databases, or core infrastructure services
like DHCP, DNS, among many others. The New York Stock Exchange, for example, takes
advantage of Linux speed to deliver a high-performance trading platform. DreamWorks
leverages Linux’s processing power to digitally render the animation blockbusters we all
watch. Even Google developed its own version to power the popular and lightweight Chromebooks.
Would it be fair to say that today Linux is as popular and important as any other Hosting Platform?
With increasing support and adoption from developers and IT professionals, Linux went from carving out a niche in the
data center, to becoming a mainstream giant on which, not only large companies, but also non-profit or scientific
organizations could rely.
The well-known European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) powers its CPU-intensive calculations on a Linux-
based grid of computers. The International Space Station relies on Linux’s stability to provide astronauts with mission
critical applications. In fact, 97% of the top 500 supercomputers of the world run on Linux – including the leading 10.
The development of software-defined storage and networking were key factors that allowed Linux to leap forward and
become the cornerstone of cloud computing. Tech companies like Amazon, Google and Rackspace use Open Source
infrastructure to create businesses worth millions, which in turn helped many startups to be born using inexpensive, on-
demand platforms. Think about the Netflix streaming platform, online community marketplace AirBnB, or the location-
based social application Foursquare. They all use Linux-based stacks in their own way, to deliver elastic services in the
cloud.
Impressive. How is Linux provisioned at EY?
Here at EY, our service offerings are based on Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), the distribution that dominates
the enterprise space. The service is provided in both physical and virtual environments with a stable and
reliable operating system (OS) distribution configured to suit our own standards – all combined with the
support offered by Red Hat, the leading Open Source vendor. This has allowed sustained growth year after
year, while also allowing us to keep the environment under control. Last month, we expanded our standard
offerings to include non-production environments and also the DMZ (i.e., the “demilitarized zone” – an
environment used for external access that sits outside the EY intranet).

2. What does EY have in the roadmap for the future?
For the future, the Engineering team is evaluating alternative OS versions (such as CentOS, a RHEL clone) to
complement our current offerings, which will help to provide more cost-effective options for development
and test environments. We are also looking forward to the introduction of cloud solutions such as Microsoft
Azure and OneCloud. We are working to ensure our processes are updated from the traditional data center
orientation to an even more agile and flexible solution.
Should project managers and architects feel encouraged to use Linux rather than other similar services?
As you can see, chances are you might be using Linux many times a day already. Because it’s designed to be
lightweight, the hardware requirements are typically very modest, so you can give it a try on an old PC where
modern proprietary systems are not a good fit anymore. Alternatively, most of the distributions will provide a
way to make room on your computer, so that you can host your current OS and Linux side-by-side.
Don’t pass on the chance of stepping out of your comfort zone and learn how it can help you on your typical
(or not) day-to-day activities.
Take a look at the attached infographic for more information.
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Interview by Fabio Almeida.