Well, it depends on what Linux applications you have running. Obviously, if you have a Linux based email server running, it may not get infected, but it becomes a "carrier" of virus infected email. If the email is then sent to a Windows box....who does the protection? A central site virus scan product? Or one on each of the desktops? Or both?
I say both, as you need one on Windows if the users have access to the Web. And sometimes, the users don't allow the anti-virus package to be updated in a timely manor. Where as, on the server, you are in control. However, if you are talking about having an anti-virus product on each of the Linux images on the mainframe.... well....if you are not paying per image, the product would just sit there...idle. I start thinking about DB2/UDB or Oracle. I've not seen anyone concerned about viruses there. But then I start thinking about Samba or NFS. You could have a virus infected file, or trojan there. Perhaps files there need to be scanned. Anyway, good topic. Tom Duerbusch THD Consulting >>> David Boyes <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> 6/13/2007 8:29 AM >>> To anyone running Linux under z/VM is it normal for companies to want to run a virus scan product when its on the mainframe? I'm more familiar with the z/OS world and I know we don't run any on that side of the shop. Thanks Many do. It's a complete waste of cycles, but many sites answer with "if it's Linux, it needs to be consistent with the Intel deployment" - even though it's a completely different processor architecture and compiled binaries for viruses don't work. Pick your arguments, and this is one where you can profitably let it pass. There are good open-source ones (such as clam-av), and just say "yep, we've already got that covered, it's in the package *at no extra charge*, including automatic updates". One less thing for the objectors to wheeze about.
