And, as with most releases, Zenoss Core 4 comes with the usual assorted of bug fixes and updates. Because Zenoss relies on a number of other open-source software programs, this release updates many of the versions of the software it relies upon. This version, for instance, runs Python version 2.7 and MySQL 5.5.

Network engineer Erik Dahl created Zenoss system management software after he found commercial systems unsatisfactory. The Zenoss company was formed in 2005. Zenoss estimates that more than 100,000 users deploy the Zenoss software, either the open source or commercial version. The software has been downloaded over a million times. Corporate customers have included Customers include Rackspace, VMware, Hosting.com, LinkedIn, Motorola and SunGard.

While, technically speaking, this is the Zenoss Core 4.2 release, the company is labeling this Zenoss Core 4, given that this is the first public release in the 4.0 line -- previous versions were for internal development only. The Zenoss commercial distribution of the software should be upgraded to this version within the next month or so, Strimling said.

The IDG News Service