Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 ARM (RHEL 9) | Support by ProComputers

I am a RHCE certified and RHCSA certified professional. I use Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)  to deploy the OS for node provisioning across any make of clusters. I work with the HPC cluster team and receive clusters on RHEL-based systems. Over the last seven years, I have been working with RHEL  7, RHEL 8, RHEL 9, and currently RHEL 10. I primarily work with HPC clusters.

Since creating HPC clusters is not part of my responsibilities, I focus mainly on installation, node provisioning, password management, SSH proxies, and NGINX  and web server configuration.

There are several valuable features I appreciate. I can obtain any versions, software, or RPM packages easily through the subscription manager or without it. Red Hat Enterprise Linux  (RHEL) is very hands-on for me and runs smoothly. It even runs on just 1 GB of RAM, which is excellent for my needs. The installation process is very easy compared to other distributions. Since I work with clusters, this simplicity is invaluable.

When comparing the installation process of Red Hat Enterprise Linux  (RHEL) to other distributions, I find that a non-technical person can easily follow the prompts. The installation guides are clear and documented step-by-step. For example, the first prompt asks for language, keyboard, and installation preferences, and each step is straightforward. In contrast, Ubuntu  and other distributions require creating disks and involve more complex UI elements that are not as user-friendly. Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) has a clean interface that allows even non-technical people to install the OS easily.

I have only studied from the direct books provided by Red Hat for RHCSA and RHCE certification, and every detail is available in their documentation and website. I appreciate the clean and detailed information provided in their resources.

I encounter pain points when trying to add patches for certain versions I need for RHEL purposes. While creating HPC clusters on RHEL 9, I sometimes need EPEL repositories for RHEL 7 or 8. Adding patches from these repositories is very painful because Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) 9 does not easily support these older package versions. This is a recurring problem I always face.

I have been using Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) since I started my career, which is 6.7 years.

I have not experienced stability issues. I have used multiple OEMs including HP, Dell, Exatron, and NVIDIA servers. I always prefer recommending Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) to my customers because it is very stable. I have only experienced one server crash in all my years, and that was due to an OEM issue, not Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) itself. I have never encountered data problems or server crashes from Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL).

Scalability is not an issue. I can easily add more nodes to clusters. The installation is very fast, which allows me to scale quickly. I use Ansible  and PXE servers to facilitate this process, and I can scale to many servers very quickly with Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL).

When I was working for a customer and faced an issue while installing a package, I requested Red Hat support and they helped me resolve it.

I have raised requests in the morning around 11:00 AM and received responses within one to two hours. They ask for logs and version information, and then provide a response within approximately 30 minutes. I give Red Hat support a nine out of 10 rating. I would give a full 10 if they could push their support to be slightly faster. When someone is on-site conducting installations and encounters an issue, that person needs to wait at least one or two hours for a response. Red Hat could improve by responding a bit more quickly.

Regarding the pricing of Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) subscription, I believe the pricing is fair. The support that Red Hat provides is very good. Whenever I encounter issues, Red Hat always provides fast resolution. The pricing is justified given the quality of support offered.

I have used Ubuntu  as an alternative distribution. However, I always choose Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) over every other distribution. I started my career learning from Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), which is the main reason I prefer it. Additionally, Ubuntu and other distributions have many dependencies that require adding different packages and configurations. When troubleshooting on Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), I find solutions easily. With Ubuntu, troubleshooting requires digging much deeper.

I have been working with Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) for approximately seven years.

Regarding updates and maintenance, I only need maintenance time when upgrading the OS. When upgrading the kernel version or transitioning from RHEL 8 to RHEL 9, I only need to install the RPMs and reboot the server once. Maintenance primarily involves patching and the subsequent reboot requirement.

Every time a cluster issue occurs, Red Hat never requests high downtime or suggests data loss scenarios. They maintain very low risk and require very low downtime.

I work with both the cloud version and the on-premises version of Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) . I have worked with Red Hat Cloud and Red Hat Enterprise on-premises.

For the cloud-based products, the main use cases for Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)  include deploying websites and complex software for customers, such as SaaS software on the cloud, specifically Red Hat Cloud.

When choosing Red Hat Enterprise Linux  (RHEL) in the cloud, security requirements were not a consideration for me because Red Hat provides us with the SLA regarding security compliance. I am more than satisfied to use Red Hat Cloud for security purposes, while I manage some other forms of security, such as my own keys and access in Red Hat Linux systems.

I really appreciate the zero trust networking that Red Hat Enterprise Linux  (RHEL) has, and it also provides the WAF , along with certified images from Red Hat. For my current work on containers, Red Hat provides certified images that minimize vulnerabilities of CVEs, improving security significantly.

Although I do not have much knowledge about virtualization technology, I can say that for the hybrid cloud on OpenShift with the operators provided by Red Hat, the ready-to-use operators take care of underlying security, patching, and updates, so I do not have to handle monitoring or security myself.

Security is highlighted as an advantage across various aspects, such as the zero trust networking feature and the availability of certified images, which are instrumental in minimizing vulnerabilities and enhancing security.

While there are good aspects, I would appreciate improvements in the command-line interface (CLI). Red Hat could do more on the CLI side instead of focusing so much on UI development.

I have been working with Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) for around five years.

Regarding stability, I have not experienced performance issues, crashes, or downtimes with Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL); any problems usually arise from my applications, not from the Linux system.

Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) is definitely scalable.

Whether I have expanded the usage of Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) depends on the business requirements, as RHEL comes with a cost that my company can afford because IBM owns Red Hat, so everything scales on RHEL.

Regarding my experience with Red Hat's technical support team, I find that they come very quickly with answers. However, sometimes the first person who responds might be a technical support agent without in-depth knowledge, so for more complex issues, a specialized engineer comes to the rescue, depending on the criticality of the subject, especially if it is production or a staging environment. They answer according to the SLA and support terms.

Determining whether Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) is cost-effective depends entirely on the business. If your business faces compromises leading to significant losses, then investing in Red Hat Enterprise is truly necessary. However, if your business is small or medium-sized, you can manage with the free versions.

Regarding the deployment aspect, my experience has been straightforward because it is all automated with Ansible ; all I need to do is provide an IP address, and it takes care of all the variables and boots up automatically.

Regarding the pricing, setup costs, and licensing costs of Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), I have heard that the licensing cost is significant compared to free alternatives such as CentOS  or AlmaLinux , which are managed by Red Hat. I previously used CentOS , which is free, but I had to manage everything, including security, patching, reboots, and storage.

The key differences between Red Hat and other Linux technologies I have used include the advantages of excellent technical support, good documentation, and a large community for problem-solving. A disadvantage is that it is not open source, meaning limited flexibility, and the high cost associated with Red Hat compared to others.

I would advise other organizations considering Red Hat to start using it as their applications grow larger, rather than waiting for their business to become huge, as delays can lead to complications.

Currently, I am working on bare-metal services where I install Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL). Using AWS  for Red Hat is indeed a good option, as you can get the image directly from AWS  with a subscription cost per hour for Red Hat licensing.

Red Hat helps keep applications operational because it provides built-in monitoring tools that offer a good overview of all running services, including built-in agents that come with the Red Hat subscription to identify potential breakouts. Regarding reducing risks, Red Hat also provides secure images that indicate the latest security patches available worldwide.

The knowledge base offered by Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) is excellent; the documentation is fantastic and is supported by a large community that answers questions effectively.

When comparing the business value of Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) to other Linux distributions, I find that RHEL is more stringent with its security, requiring users to be careful not to trespass, whereas other Linux systems do not enforce such strict security measures, and users must manage security themselves.

On a scale of one to ten, I would rate Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) overall as a product and solution at eight, possibly eight and a half.

Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)  is user-friendly and easy to use. The affordability and free open source nature are main points. Multiple tools can be installed easily, and the interface is very user-friendly.

I am using Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)  on Docker . I work on Docker  with both Red Hat Enterprise Linux  (RHEL) and Docker. Installation of so many tools is easy and simple for my Red Hat machine.

The features of Red Hat Enterprise Linux  (RHEL) that I find to be the most valuable and useful are that it is user-friendly. The command is very user-friendly and easy to use, and easy to remember. That is a main point. I install it everywhere on my cloud server because I am using a virtual machine also on my PC.

A specific feature of Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) is that I can install multiple tools without any interruption. I can configure everything easily, such as network ports. I can configure networking using vim commands and multiple commands. Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) provides more alternate commands for my convenience.

Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) is very good. Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) provides the updated latest version yearly. However, they could provide more flexibility in areas such as adding more networking features. For security reasons, since security is a main key point for privacy in upcoming years, they could provide more DPDK for fast signaling and add more new protocols.

I have more than four years of experience with Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL).

Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) needs some improvement for stability. I am currently working on the latest version only. The latest version is not familiar to me, and I need to upskill on my side also. Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) should provide more free courses for the upcoming or latest version that explain what changed between the latest and previous versions. Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) is not providing courses on sites or readable materials that explain what commands should be used.

I have communicated with the technical support of Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL). Previously, I did receive technical support in my previous company, and they provided an update for my servers. I rate the technical support services of Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) as good, giving it a 9 out of 10.

I used SUSE Linux and CentOS  before Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL). Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) is much better than CentOS  and SUSE. Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) provides its own cloud, OpenStack .

The knowledge base offered by Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) provides free courses for everyday work. I am currently using shell scripting, which is very useful for automation and easy to deploy on Docker and CI/CD pipelines for Jenkins . Shell scripting is the main knowledgeable area right now.

The most important security feature in Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) is that it provides multiple ports in the Linux machine that are connected via the kernel. The kernel is the main core of the network of Linux. No one can bypass this kernel line. The networking security feature is a main point.

I am not familiar with Image Builder for Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) and have not built any images using Red Hat.

Regarding the pricing of Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), I am not purchasing any membership right now. I purchased it previously, but I am not currently.

I chose Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) because it is so user-friendly. In every server, I need to use it for security reasons, and it is user-friendly for everyone. The source code is very simple. I can create my own tools and automation scripting.

My overall rating for Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) is 10 out of 10.

I work with the on-premises deployment of Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) .

In our organization, we are using Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)  for deployment, scheduling tasks, and automation tasks as part of our day-to-day activities. We find Red Hat Enterprise Linux  (RHEL) to be a very flexible operating system, meaning we can utilize this machine for years without concerns about it hanging or any issues.

Currently, we have started using Red Hat Enterprise Linux  (RHEL) in a hybrid environment, specifically with AWS  cloud along with on-premises deployments. We are in the phase of deployment and are just beginning to utilize it on the cloud.

One specific pain point that Red Hat helped us solve is automation, particularly through Ansible . It is a powerful tool that enables us to effectively automate tasks, which is incredibly helpful in our operations.

Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) does help me save time, especially with automation tools like Ansible . We can execute tasks and then focus on other activities, which significantly enhances our productivity.

Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) has helped mitigate downtime and lower risks in the banking sector. We previously were not using cloud but have begun transitioning to a hybrid environment to enhance security and productivity, especially given our experiences with on-premises products.

I have previously used Ubuntu  and CentOS  as different solutions. However, since Ubuntu  is not much familiar in our organization, we moved to Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL). CentOS  has already been decommissioned and merged into Red Hat, so for the past seven years, we have been using Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL). Before that, we were using Ubuntu, both in college and school days, and I have worked with different flavors and also on Oracle.

The key difference I see between Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) and Ubuntu is mainly in the support offered. Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) provides 24x7 support for any critical issues we face. As we are working in the banking sector, having that support is crucial. In contrast, with Ubuntu or CentOS, we do not have timely support; we need to raise tickets and face delays in deployment and production, which is a significant drawback.

I assess the knowledge base offered by Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) as very good. The training sessions are beneficial and it is totally open source, allowing us to access official sites for learning and documentation. I continuously learn with Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) and find plenty of free documents available for study. Compared to other operating systems like Ubuntu, there is not as much documentation, making it easier to learn using Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) official resources.

The most important security features in Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) stem from its open-source nature, which allows us to easily understand what happens within the system and identify potential loopholes. Additionally, SELinux is a powerful security module we use to block external threats. It also features a firewall, encryption, and uses advanced algorithms like SALT and SH5, making it difficult for malicious entities to crack the system. In essence, Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) has robust security features.

I have used the Image Builder of Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) but not the system roles. Image Builder has proven useful for creating images.

The Image Builder is very easy and simplifies tasks, significantly reducing our workload. It saves us a lot of time compared to what we used to do previously, thereby boosting our productivity.

I have not identified any specific improvements needed in Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), but I would recommend reducing the cost of certification training. This would allow more people, including students, to access global certifications and deepen their interaction with the systems. Overall, I am satisfied with Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) and find it smooth, even as I start using newer versions like Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) 10, which features AI functions.

I have been using Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) for the last seven years.

I find the stability of Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) to be very good. Over the years, we have not encountered any significant issues, which is a key reason we have transitioned to using Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL).

I find Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) to be scalable. Since much of it is open-source, we do not incur costs for various functionalities, reducing expenses while still being scalable.

The customer service and technical support provided by Red Hat are very good. They respond promptly, even in off-hours, such as at 3:00 AM. We have no regrets about our decision to shift to Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL).

I would rate the technical support of Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) as eight out of ten.

The initial setup of Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) is very straightforward due to my prior experience. I did not face any issues, and the support from the Red Hat subscription plan has been helpful throughout the process.

I understand the pricing aspect. We are using Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) as a free-of-cost OS, but we do require a subscription for support. While I am not involved at the management level, I know there is a cost for the subscription plan that provides 24x7 support, though I do not know the exact amount.

The business value of Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) is significant in comparison to other Linux distributions I have used, particularly because we work with banking clients that operate around the clock. Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) provides instant response for support, allowing us to resolve issues quickly, which is crucial for maintaining productivity and operations without downtime.

I definitely recommend Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) to other organizations considering it for their environment. I also suggest students download Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) to learn Linux instead of opting for Ubuntu or CentOS.

Apart from Ansible, I have previously worked with OpenShift from Red Hat. While we are not currently using it, I have found it to be flexible and beneficial. However, we are mainly focused on AWS  for now.

I would give Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) as a product or solution a rating of 9.5 out of 10.

I still have experience with Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) , but I mainly work with SUSE Linux. The solutions are for on-premises deployments.

From what I have heard, my organization is going to use SUSE Linux as a standard. For Red Hat, the people who deal with servers have a few of them and are probably migrating them through VMware.

The part that my group deals with the most is SAP, and all that we have on them is SUSE Linux.

The main differences between Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)  and SUSE Linux may be in some commands. The heart is very similar with logical volume manager and other components, but there might be commands that change, such as command line interface commands that might change even when they perform the same thing.

I believe that the best features of Red Hat Enterprise Linux  (RHEL) include the interface with logical volume manager and file system management, since I work more with storage administration.

I used to deal more with Unix, and the way Unix performed things was better for me. For example, at the Linux level, all the partitioning is difficult for me in the way it uses certain terms, such as physical disk, when you call it SDB or SDBA.

From this perspective, I found this hard. I used to be more accustomed to Unix. However, they are very similar at this level with the device types and other components.

I believe that Red Hat Enterprise Linux  (RHEL) can be improved in areas such as monitoring, storage, and virtualization.

Everyone today is talking about virtualization and there is a need for it. There are many virtualization implementations, and everyone is moving toward that area.

I have used Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) for several years in total.

I assess the knowledge base for Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) as good. The documentation is nice and good, and it is available. The documents I have seen are self-explanatory, and the explanations are clear.

On a scale of one to ten, I would rate Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) support as good. I know it is good, but since we usually look at the documentation, I have not placed a request for an error or similar issue. I probably have not had the need to do that. I would rate it a nine or ten. In our case, I have not dealt so much with that part, as there has not been a need to request a patch or upgrade.

I personally have not used Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) Image Builder or Red Hat system roles. I know that some of the people who give us support do use them. I know it is helpful, but I do not have details about them because my group is dealing more with the hardware parts, such as HP physical servers and storage.

We are dealing more with that aspect.

I believe that the most important security features in Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) include the standard ones, such as user and password authorization and read and write access, which are standard in Linux.

I believe that you probably want to use additional software. My company has many tools, and another team works with the security part. However, you probably need integration with that. The basic features that every Linux software has are standard and robust.

I would rate this review a nine out of ten overall.