IBM 10 SP1 EAL4 manual Product history, Suse Linux Enterprise Server, EServer systems

The TOE system provides user Identification and Authentication (I&A) mechanism by requiring each user to log in with proper password at the local workstation, and also at any remote computer where the user can enter commands to a shell program (for example, remote ssh sessions). Each computer enforces a coherent Discretionary Access Control (DAC) policy, based on UNIX®-style mode bits and an optional Access Control List (ACL) for the named objects under its control.

This chapter documents the SUSE Linux Enterprise Server and IBM eServer product histories, provides an overview of the TOE system, and identifies the portion of the system that constitutes the TOE Security Functions (TSF).

2.1Product history

This section gives a brief history of the SLES and the IBM eServer series systems.

2.1.1SUSE Linux Enterprise Server

SUSE Linux Enterprise Server is based on version 2.6 of the Linux kernel. Linux is a UNIX-like open-source operating system originally created in 1991 by Linus Torvalds of Helsinki, Finland. SUSE was founded in 1992 by four German software engineers, and is the oldest major Linux solutions provider.

2.1.2eServer systems

IBM eServer systems were introduced in 2000. The IBM eServer product line brings technological innovation, application flexibility, and autonomic capabilities for managing the heterogeneous mix of servers required to support dynamic on-demand business. It enables customers to meet their business needs by providing unlimited scalability, support for open standards, and mission-critical qualities of service.

Following are systems in the IBM eServer product line that are included in the TOE:

•System z: Mainframe-class servers running mission-critical applications.

•System p: UNIX servers, technologically advanced POWER5 and POWER5+ processor-based servers for commercial and technical computing applications.

•System x: Intel-based servers with high performance and outstanding availability.

•eServer 326: AMD Opteron-based servers with outstanding value in high performance computing in both 32-bit and 64-bit environments.

•BladeCenter®: Intel Xeon, AMD Opteron, PowerPC, POWER5, and POWER5+ processor based servers.

Since introducing eServers in 2000, new models with more powerful processors have been added to the System x, System p, and System z lines. The AMD Opteron processor-based eServer 325 was added to the eServer series in 2003; the eServer 326 is the next iteration of that model with updated components. The AMD Opteron eServer 326 is designed for powerful scientific and technical computing. The Opteron processor supports both 32-bit and 64-bit architectures, thus allowing easy migration to 64-bit computing.

2.2High-level product overview

The TOE consists of SLES running on an eServer computer. The TOE system can be connected to other systems by a protected LAN. SLES provides a multi-user, multi-processing environment, where users interact with the operating system by issuing commands to a command interpreter, by running system utilities, or by the users developing their own software to run in their own protected environments.

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