Reducing open source risk with license management. Managing the licenses of all of the software you use, whether third-party commercial, open source, or even your own source code, is a critical function. Linux uses a huge code base, and it is a large task to manage and document the licenses plus any and all changes needed for your device. In addition, you often need to maintain up-to-date source repositories for download due to licensing terms. Commercial solutions make it possible to reduce risk, time, and cost. Commercially supported Linux delivers full licensing compliance and reporting. Commercial vendors are experienced with Linux licensing and can aid in the adoption of open source into your code base mix.
High quality development and build tools
Commercial Linux is accompanied by value-add development tools that go well beyond what is available from (mainly command line) open source tools. In addition to the familiar coding, testing, and debugging capabilities, modern commercial integrated development environments provide tools for building the Linux and device image, system performance and behavioral analysis, memory profiling, and hardware-level debugging via JTAG. Having the right set of tools increases developer efficiency. Support and training on these tools to accelerate time-to-productivity are appealing benefits of commercial solutions.
Full system simulation
A significant innovation in software tools has been full system simulation—the simulation of not just the embedded target processor, but also the system-on-chip (SoC) features, board-level hardware, and even interconnected targets in a complete system of subsystems. Developers, with their commercial development tools, can deploy and test on a simulated full system. This innovation greatly improves the support for iterative and agile development processes, but also removes the hardware supply bottleneck that plagues most embedded development projects. Wind River Simics® is an example of a full system simulation product.
The ability to acquire and apply innovative and highly productive development tools provides an advantage that RYO Linux development cannot duplicate. In fact, these tools have proven to provide measureable increases in productivity and quality in embedded projects in general. These benefits are additive to the lower total cost of ownership that other advantages of commercial embedded Linux bring to the table.
Global support, services, and training
A key aspect of commercial Linux is the ability of the vendor to support and provide services for their offering. Although open source community support is available and often helpful, if changes and fixes are needed the community is unlikely to do this work for you. A deep understanding of the Linux kernel, for example, may be needed in order to satisfy a performance requirement. Commercial Linux offers quick resolution with engineering services while avoiding entangling your project with GPL licensing issues. A significant portion of Linux patches and updates are security related, and since your embedded device is now its own unique Linux distribution, you are now responsible for maintaining it.
The Community has short-term memory. Community support for Linux abounds for current releases of the kernel and distribution releases. However, this support quickly wanes as versions become outdated from the most current releases. It’s unrealistic to expect open source community support for an older version of the Linux kernel, for example, that has been built into a product that has been on the market for several years. As the years go by, companies must rely on internal expertise to support their products. As these products mature, this expertise may mobilize to other projects, or the experts may depart the company altogether. Commercial Linux offers support that extends well beyond what an open source community can offer. Also, commercial Linux vendors can offer long-term support that goes well beyond the initial product support period. This assurance is critical in embedded devices due to the long product lifespans involved.
Maintenance and security vulnerability patches
Commercial Linux provides regular product updates and maintenance and security patches. Fixing, installing, and deploying these changes is a considerable effort for the embedded Linux vendor—an additional cost that RYO Linux brings to your project. Commercial vendors can stay on top of Linux kernel and security updates that can quickly impair the productivity of a development team. Also, commercial vendors provide more regular patch schedules and convenient delivery methods than RYO alternatives.
An ecosystem of hardware and software partners
Embedded OS and tools vendors form a cooperative network of partnerships and alliances. No single vendor can supply all of the needed software for a device, so partnerships are essential. Commercial embedded Linux provides the opportunity to leverage open source and proprietary offerings. The goal is to provide high-quality, off-the-shelf solutions to avoid your development from “reinventing the wheel” with each new product. Examples of partner products include specialized tools such as open source license management solutions, static analysis, and test automation. Examples of run-time products include graphics engines, security whitelisting tools, enhanced connectivity solutions, and industrial protocol support. Even services are available such as security testing and evaluations and licensing audits. The leverage provided by these complementary products increases the return on investment for commercial embedded Linux by greatly enhancing the run-time platform, tools, and services while limiting the amount of time your project spends on the platform itself. Allow your team to concentrate on the differentiating features that produce revenue rather than the table-stakes capability of the run-time environment.
Embedded development transformation
The embedded device marketplace is highly competitive, and manufacturers are under more pressure than ever before. Security, the Internet of Things, machine-to-machine networks, new technology introduction, and market regulations and certifications are causing more strain on development teams. Companies are not only surviving, but thriving in this environment. A transformation of the way companies develop embedded software is underway, not only in processes and technology but also at the business level. Successful companies are looking honestly at their build-versus-buy decisions and realizing the risk reduction and total cost of ownership benefits that commercial off-the-shelf solutions offer. See the Wind River whitepaper It’s Transformation Time for Embedded Development for more details [2].
Figure 4: The transformed development cycle when using full system simulation with Wind River Simics Conclusion
Commercial embedded Linux offers a clear return on investment versus RYO, in-house developed and maintained Linux. Not only is the total cost of ownership lower, but also the technical, business, and legal risk of commercial embedded Linux is much lower. The ability of the embedded Linux vendor to supply training, services, maintenance, and support greatly increases productivity and also reduces the overhead of maintaining your own, unique, embedded Linux distribution. Success in a competitive market means concentrating on what you do best, building great products — and avoiding the risk and expense of platform development that adds to neither your feature set nor your bottom line. Choosing a trusted commercial Linux vendor will take care of all these needs [3].
The return on your investment
With all these points in favor of commercial Linux, what is the net benefit for embedded device development teams? The following list illustrates that the benefits go beyond costs:
• Lower total cost of ownership: Commercial embedded Linux has significantly lower costs over time than RYO Linux.
• Risk reduction: Using a commercial embedded Linux is less risky than a RYO solution. Technical, business, and legal risks are greatly reduced with commercial-level support, maintenance, and IP compliance and review.
• Time-to-market: Reduced development and integration time with ready-to-go platforms means shorter development times. When time-to-market is critical, schedules are at risk with RYO solutions.
• Quality and security: Commercial embedded Linux’s quality assurance, monthly maintenance updates, and critical security vulnerability mitigation improves end product quality and security.
• Building value: By concentrating on new, differentiated features rather than building, maintaining, and debugging a RYO Linux platform, users of commercial embedded Linux build value.
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