Nexenta Keeps OpenSolaris Shining

Enterprise storage technology provider Nexenta is helping keep OpenSolaris storage up and running even as OpenSolaris' developer makes apparent moves to close development of the Solaris platform.

According to what is apparently a leaked internal Oracle memo, Oracle sees the key purpose of Solaris as driving its overall server business and providing business advantages resulting from integration of multiple components in the Oracle portfolio. To fully capitalize on Solaris' profit potential, Oracle will close future development of the platform.

However, in good news for OpenSolaris customers, Oracle appears intent on continuing to use the CDDL license statement in nearly all Solaris source code files. Nexenta says it will not remove the CDDL from any files in Solaris to which it already applies, and new source code files that are created will follow the current policy regarding applying the CDDL.

This means that Nexenta, among other IT providers, can continue to support existing OpenSolaris solutions and even pick up the appropriate pieces of Solaris when they are made available with Solaris 11.

Nexenta is a sponsor of a development group called The Illumos Project, which calls itself a "community maintained derivative of the OpenSolaris ON source, including open source replacements for closed bits, and additional changes." Illumos says it will base development on the Solaris/OpenSolaris kernel and foundation, track Solaris OS/Net closely, and be 100 percent ABI compatible with Solaris OS/Net.