To protect its flagship Web site from viruses and denial-of-service attacks, Microsoft has asked for help from an unusual place: a network of Linux-based servers. According to Internet security and services firm Netcraft, the software giant has changed the DNS of Microsoft.com so that requests are directed not to its own network but to the Akamai cache servers. Akamai is a network of 15,000 Linux-based servers in locations around the world.
Using Linux in any aspect of its operations is highly unusual for Microsoft, because the open-source OS is a chief competitor for market share.
"There's a nice bit of irony there," Yankee Group analyst Matthew Kovar told NewsFactor. However, he noted, the benefits of the changed hosting for Microsoft do not actually reflect the relative worth of the Windows vs. Linux operating systems, so the move should not be interpreted that way.
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