Oracle has purchased Ksplice, maker of technology that allows Linux administrators to apply important security updates without having to reboot the system, Oracle announced Thursday. Terms were not disclosed.
The “zero downtime” capabilities provided by Ksplice will bolster Oracle’s Unbreakable Enterprise Linux kernel and become a standard feature in its Linux Premier Support offering. Customers will be able to avoid the “costly and disruptive” system reboots that occur with monthly Linux kernel security updates, Oracle said.
Oracle is clearly looking to use Ksplice’s capabilities as a competitive differentiator in Linux support contracts compared to rivals like Red Hat.
“The Oracle Linux Premier Support subscription applies to Unbreakable Enterprise Kernel,” Oracle said in a statement. “Oracle does not plan to support Red Hat Enterprise Linux or SUSE Enterprise Linux.”
Ksplice, which was founded in 2008 and is based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, has 700 customers in many industries, according to a statement.
Chris Kanaracus covers enterprise software and general technology breaking news for The IDG News Service. Chris’s e-mail address is Chris_Kanaracus@idg.com