SUSE Linux Enterprise Server (SLES) is a Linux-based server operating system created and maintained by the German-based organization, SUSE. SLES is designed for mainframes, servers, workstations and desktop computers.
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server was initialed released in 2000, and has undergone multiple upgrades since. SUSE released its SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 10 in 2006, followed by SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11 in 2009 and SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12 in 2014. SLES 12 is the latest version available for use.
SLES releases are often staggered by three to four years, with service packs released roughly every 18 months. As of December 2017, SLES 12 and Service Pack 3 are the most current versions of the operating system.
What SLES is used for
IT can use SLES for workload management and optimization at the enterprise level. Through open source products and standards, users are able to add increased functionality and support. SUSE Linux Enterprise Server is scalable and allows users to efficiently deploy IT services across a variety of environments. With SLES, users can increase system reliability, maintain security compliance and enable new technologies under one overarching operating system.
Ease of administration and interoperability are key components of the latest SLES release. IT professionals are able to integrate SUSE Linux Enterprise Server into other environments to increase architectural optimization without high amounts of downtime or interference. Containers and geo-clusters are also two areas of increased support and compatibility in the newest SLES release. Users can now incorporate open source Docker container tools into their system on SLES 12. Geo-clusters give IT more flexibility with high availability add-ons, by allowing administrators to set up replication clusters that spand multiple data center locations.