Group Work 3

Answers for Section B: Case Studies of Group Work 3

Question 1: What benefits has DreamWorks enjoyed since migrating to open-source systems?

There are many benefits to DreamWorks since migrating from the SGI running the UNIX operating systems to open-source system. The benefits are as follow:-

•    DreamWorks produced movie on a system that cost half as much and was four times as powerful as the SGI/UNIX system

• DreamWorks has steadily transformed itself into a complete user of open-source software.
• After DreamWorks ported its production software to Linux, A service-oriented architecture, commonly known as SOA, defines the use of software services to support the requirements of software users. In an SOA environment, nodes on a network make resources available to network users as independent services that the participants access in a standardized way.
• Linux provides the API and tools to make service-oriented architecture (SOA) easy to develop.
• It also built a new services-based copyright application that provides authorization and authentication for incoming feature film scripts.
• Having a Linux operating environment and HP Linux servers in racks saves critical data center space.  Data center space is extremely valuable. Not only has the move to open source freed space, but it’s provided a more transparent and modular system architecture that is easy to build on and maintain.

By conclusion of the new system, it does not only give benefits to the DreamWorks itself, but also for the customers and also their workers. The open-source system are capable to provide the world with the standardized way of life.

Question 2: What price did DreamWorks have to pay for adopting systems that were not standard to the motion picture animation industry?

Although using the new system seems to work even better and more sufficient for DreamWorks, they did however face certain drawbacks from it. Some of them are in terms of cost, finding the right software and converting the old software to the new one.

The cost of the new system cost half as much as the previous system. Despite that, DreamWorks were able to produce the animation Shrek, in 2001. The new system was worth the money though; because it was four times more powerful and gave DreamWorks a lot more advantage.

Although the company faced a big challenge which is trying to find the special software required for motion picture animation and production to run the Linux platform. While working with third-party software partners and HP, DreamWorks has been translating, or converting, its software from its old SGI/UNIX system to Linux. This is no small task considering that its in-house animation software includes millions of lines of code.

Question 3: Why do you think the SGI special-purpose systems that DreamWorks formerly used were so much expensive than the Intel/Linux systems it uses now?

The reason is SGI special-purpose systems have high-end graphics software and other specialized systems where as the Intel/Linux systems has the open-source operating system and cost half as much and was four times as powerful as the SGI system.

Question 4: How has open-source SOA system provided DreamWorks with a unique edge over its competition?

Open-source means that you can get the source code of the software for free (source code is the code of the program written in a certain programming language). Operating system is the software that you use to operate your PC (like Windows or Linux). Operating system can be any Linux or UNIX flavor, but important thing is File system. ZFS is best suited for storage, so snapshot, writable clone and replication is free. Most of the storage company used to charge too much money as snapshop/clone and replication license.

ZFS is very simple and convenient. You can use any operating system under VMware or Virtual box that support ZFS so you can manage your logical devices on top of physical devices. You don't need to purchase any hardware or software to manage your storage.

After DreamWorks ported its production software to Linux, it focused on its business applications. Recently, DreamWorks replaced a dozen of its core legacy application with custom designed software using service oriented architecture. Service oriented architecture, commonly known as SOA, defines the use of software services to support the requirements of software user. In an SOA environment, nodes on a network make resources available to network users as independent services that the participants access in standardized way.

The system that DreamWorks updated using SOA include tasks such as tracking copyright, accessing human resources data and pulling information from back-end ERP systems. Linux provides the API and tools to make SOA easy to develop. Developers also used the JBoss Enterprise Middleware software Suite for software development. JBoss is a global leader in open-source middleware software and provides the industry’s leading services and tools to transform business to SOA. DreamWorks used these tools to develop a new service that authenticates employee roles and responsibilities against company directories to provide access to applications. It also built new services based copyright application that provides authorization and authentication for incoming feature film scripts.

References

Answers Corporation (2012) What is an open-source operating system?

Available from: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_an_open-source_operating_system#ixzz1hJXhuoSJ, [Accessed on 5th June 2012]