From this, we realize our requirement for standardization. Building a suitable SOE is all about the following:

• Realizing economies of scale
• Being efficient in day-to-day operations
• Making it easy for all involved to get up to speed quickly and easily
• Being aligned with the growing needs of the business

After all, if an environment is concise in its definition, then it is easier for everyone involved in it to understand and work with. This, in turn, means tasks are completed quicker and with greater ease. In short, standardization can bring cost savings and improved reliability.

It must be stressed that this is a concept and not an absolute. There is no right or wrong way to build such an environment, though there are best practices. Throughout this chapter, we will explore the concept further and help you to identify core best practices associated with SOEs so that you can make informed decisions when defining your own.

Let's proceed to explore this in more detail. Every enterprise has certain demands of their IT environments, whether they are based on Linux, Windows, FreeBSD, or any other technology. Sometimes, these are well understood and documented, and sometimes, they are simply implicit—that is to say, everyone assumes the environment meets these standards, but there is no official definition. These requirements often include the following:

• Security
• Reliability
• Scalability
• Longevity
• Supportability
• Ease of use

These, of course, are all high-level requirements, and very often, they intersect with each other. Let's explore these in more detail.