We use Red Hat Enterprise Linux for VMs and physical servers.
RHEL 9.6 with support by ProComputers
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Comes with an OpenShift feature
What is our primary use case?
How has it helped my organization?
The containerized platform will help us use ROSA.
What is most valuable?
The tool's most valuable feature is OpenShift. We plan to move all our applications to microservices. The container platform is integrated into one.
How are customer service and support?
I opened a few cases, and the tool's support responded quickly.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
How was the initial setup?
Deployment is simple if you have been using the solution for a long time. However, it can be complex if you are new to it.
What other advice do I have?
We use RHEL 7 and RHEL 8 on on-premises. RHEL 8 is on the AWS. There is a security policy like CIS when deploying the solution. You can embed it on the image. I am not sure if there is HIPAA compliance yet.
Migration from RHEL 8 to RHEL 9 is easy. Upgrade depends on the application that is running on each instance. You need to check if it is compatible with the kernel. We need to plan things before migrating to the latest version. We need to stay current to ensure compliance. We plan to move from RHEL 7 to RHEL 9 and use RHEL 8 and RHEL 9.
We use Red Hat insights but do not utilize them. It helps with the remediation. I use Image Builder to build AWS and GCP images. I haven't deployed them.
I rate the product a nine out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Fair price, good support, and regular security updates
What is our primary use case?
We have over a thousand VMs or physical machines running on Red Hat Enterprise Linux. We have various applications, and we also run the OpenShift Container Platform on-prem, so we have a lot of containers. They are migrating a lot of apps from the mainframe over to Spring Boot type of app. It fits well in the container.
How has it helped my organization?
Red Hat Enterprise Linux gave us stability. There is somebody to call when we have issues.
Red Hat Enterprise Linux has affected our system's uptime or security.
Red Hat Enterprise Linux has not yet enabled us to achieve security standards certification because we do not go after any of those. There are some products that we will have to do once we get there, but so far, we have not had to certify anything.
Red Hat Insights gives a lot of insights into known issues that we do not think about unless we call support. It tells us to proactively fix something.
I have used Image Builder and System Roles mainly for Red Hat Enterprise Linux for Edge. It builds out the OS tree build for us, which is very helpful. I do not like to do that myself.
I use the Red Hat console every now and then, but I do not use it heavily. I am old school.
What is most valuable?
The security updates and the support that comes along with it for applications are valuable.
Red Hat Insights was a nice feature to discover. I did not know about Ansible until probably eight years ago. I learned that language, and that was a void or something that was missing for over 25 years.
I like the SCAP Workbench interface that I can use to build some security around. I use Ansible to go out and do configuration management checks as well. Overall, I feel it is very easy to get the data I need.
What needs improvement?
We finally started doing Red Hat Enterprise Linux for Edge. That one definitely is an improvement. One piece that is missing is that we are required to use moby-engine, but currently, Red Hat Enterprise Linux for Edge forces Podman, so we have to work around it.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Red Hat Enterprise Linux for a decade in my current organization, but overall, I have been using Red Hat for over 25 years.
How are customer service and support?
Early on, support was closer to a six, but now, it is a nine out of ten.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I have used them all back from the early nineties. I have used CentOS and others. The reasons for companies switching from those to Red Hat Enterprise Linux are that most of it is open source, and they get more product features. There is a market. If other companies are doing it, they tend to switch over. Containerization is a major reason as well.
How was the initial setup?
I was involved in the OpenShift deployments. We are also directly involved in every version of Red Hat Enterprise Linux. We are involved in the proof of concept. Its deployment is straightforward.
What about the implementation team?
We used Red Hat with the OpenShift deployments to make sure we were doing it right, and then a lot of other things, such as Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 or Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9, we just did ourselves.
In terms of our upgrade and/or migration plans to stay current, we are upgrading everything to Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8, and we are going to Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 already. We are making that a product feature. We are using Red Hat Enterprise Linux for Edge for our remote deployments.
In terms of provisioning and patching, we deploy the base image, and then we use Ansible for the configuration behind it. For Red Hat Enterprise Linux for Edge, we use the OS builders to build out that same image. I use Kickstart to build the base image before the configuration.
What was our ROI?
I do not track that in the company, but I am sure we have seen an ROI.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
It seems to be fair. It is not overpriced. I went to the simple model, and that makes it easier for us to deploy.
What other advice do I have?
Overall, I would rate Red Hat Enterprise Linux a nine out of ten.
A simple and easy-to-use solution for off-the-shelf applications and Oracle databases
What is our primary use case?
We use Red Hat Enterprise Linux for off-the-shelf applications and Oracle databases.
What is most valuable?
The tool is simple and easy to use. It has good support and doesn't have many outages due to the OS.
What needs improvement?
The cockpit server doesn't work and is useless. I don't like the images shown in GCP. I prefer the ones in AWS. It seems like the solution is in tune with what we deploy on the private cloud.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using the solution for ten years.
How are customer service and support?
We open a case whenever we need support. Whenever I need support, I contact the technical guy assigned to us and provide him with the documentation.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I have used different OS like Motorola, Unix Flavors, Solaris, HP-UX, AIX, DG/UX, and Sonos OS. Unix is dying, and everything is moving to Linux. Linux is open-source and easier to use.
How was the initial setup?
We build our own deployment method.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Red Hat Enterprise Linux is expensive. We have changed the cloud provider's subscription to a pay-as-you-go model.
What other advice do I have?
We use the on-premise, cloud, and hybrid versions. We have deployed it on AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud. Most of our infrastructure is in the Azure cloud. I work in the server infrastructure team, and other data collectors work on AWS and GCP. We haven't used the tool's features like the image builder.
The product supports our hybrid cloud strategy. We have been migrating using tools from Microsoft Azure. Its knowledge base is good. Sometimes, finding an article is difficult. However, once I reach them, it contains good information.
We used Azure's tools for migration to the cloud. It is straightforward. We have no problems deploying the servers. Our main strategy focused on data centers.
We use the Leapp tool to manage the upgrades. It works smoothly on our Oracle databases. Leapp is straightforward to use.
We use Red Hat Insights quite a bit. I have not explored all the features yet. We use it to look for events our monitoring hasn't picked up. It also helps us with tips and hints for fine-tuning applications like SAP and Oracle. We go by these recommendations and follow them to put the applications in place. I have downloaded the Playbooks for remediation.
I use system rules for SAP tuning in Oracle. I do not use the image builder since we already have a process to do the server builds. I use the web console once in a while.
I rate Red Hat Enterprise Linux a nine out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Has comprehensive support,and seamless containerization capabilities
What is our primary use case?
For the past couple of years, our contractor team has been engaged with the Department of Veterans Affairs, focusing on developing and deploying software and containers and we use Red Hat Enterprise Linux for that.
What is most valuable?
One of the most valuable aspects is the ease of installing packages on the server. When we need to run specific software, adding and installing packages on Red Hat Enterprise Linux is quite straightforward.
What needs improvement?
When we initially began working with containers, we encountered some challenges with compatibility. Red Hat provided an older and somewhat outdated version of Docker, which made the early stages of our container journey more challenging than I would have preferred.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Red Hat Enterprise Linux for three years.
How are customer service and support?
The customer support they provide is highly commendable. I would rate it nine out of ten.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I've mainly used Windows on my computer or laptop. However, it was a different scenario when we were developing in the cloud and were given Red Hat Enterprise Linux servers to work with.
What about the implementation team?
We regularly perform upgrades on our OpenShift clusters, typically on a monthly basis. When it comes to the Red Hat Enterprise Linux servers, we frequently update the images on our virtual machines to ensure that we stay current with the latest versions. We're actively working on implementing automation using Ansible to streamline and facilitate these tasks.
What other advice do I have?
Overall, I would rate it nine out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Hardware-independent, cost-efficient, and saves maintenance time
What is our primary use case?
We host our applications and database servers on Red Hat Enterprise Linux.
We mostly have an on-premises setup. We also have Red Hat Enterprise Linux running on a virtual machine.
How has it helped my organization?
Compared to our previous Unix distro, it is pretty easy and less time-consuming to do patching and maintenance. It saves a lot of time during maintenance.
What is most valuable?
I started with Solaris 10, and then we migrated to Red Hat Enterprise Linux. Apart from local zones and a few other things, its features are similar to Solaris 10. It is getting our job done. It is hardware-independent. We can use Dell, HPE, or any other hardware. It is also more reasonable than the other operating systems.
It integrates closely with other products of Red Hat, such as Ansible, which makes it more efficient.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Red Hat Enterprise Linux since 2010.
How are customer service and support?
We are getting all the support that we need on a timely basis. In the case of any issue, we are getting all the support needed to bring the production back online. I would rate them a nine out of ten.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We were using Solaris 10. We moved to Red Hat Enterprise Linux because it is cost-efficient and hardware-independent.
How was the initial setup?
I am a part of the team that does the OS deployment. Its initial deployment is straightforward. We use automation for deployment. We have a kickstart to deploy the OS. Once we create that kickstart configuration file, the deployment is straightforward.
In terms of our upgrade and migration plans to stay current, we upgrade it before the OS is end of life. It is pretty straightforward. We are pretty satisfied with Red Hat Enterprise Linux systems when it comes to provisioning and patching.
What about the implementation team?
We deployed it on our own.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
It is cost-effective.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
There were not many options available.
What other advice do I have?
Overall, I would rate Red Hat Enterprise Linux a nine out of ten.
Provides in-depth understanding of infrastructure and has strong community support
What is our primary use case?
We predominantly use Red Hat CoreOS we use it to connect to different types of OpenShift clusters. Whenever I work with RHEL, it's always been with the CLI.
What is most valuable?
Previously, when we were using other distributions, we weren't getting a lot of support for the operating system itself. However, Red Hat has mainly focused on the operating system, so we get more support.
AWS has its own version of Linux for its instances. All these cloud providers provide more support for the infrastructure and services, but they don't focus on the operating system itself. But Red Hat, with its customer portal, provides better support if something goes down. That's what differentiates RHEL from other products.
One great thing about RHEL is that it has a big community of users. There's a huge community that uses CentOS. If you need some help or have a question online, you get more resources for RHEL compared to other products.
It's a really good operating system by itself. It's more versatile, integrating with tools like Ansible for automation.
There are amazing resources online, and because we are an enterprise, we have enterprise support. We can always create a support case, and we have some resources to help. The knowledge offered by Red Hat is great.
Another feature I tried was RedHat Insights because they offer it for other RedHat products as well. I've used it for OpenShift. It was helpful. It provides a good, in-depth understanding of what's going on in the actual infrastructure. It gave us good insights into the level at which we can run the containers and if you can scale the infrastructure vertically or horizontally and how to manage it better.
What needs improvement?
There is room for improvement in integration with different cloud platforms. There should be better integration because right now, a lot of cloud platforms have their own versions of Linux, which runs better on them, and they have better integration with the services. RHEL is great, but RHEL is more of a generic form of what Red Hat provides.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using RHEL for about four years now.
How are customer service and support?
There were certain times when I encountered issues. There are certain problems with integrations.
For example, we had an issue once where the operating system had issues accessing the data server on our VMware infrastructure. So we did have a couple of engineers help us out with that, but that's one area where it can improve. But that's nitpicking.
It's been great so far, but that's one thing I would like to see that would make RHEL a little better product.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We prominently use RHEL, but we've also used Ubuntu. We also have used PCF. I use Ubuntu Xenial and have worked with Amazon Linux for a while.
One pro is that at the operating system layer, RHEL has better support from Red Hat, and if something goes down, I found many resources for troubleshooting online.
For example, we predominantly use Amazon Linux if I'm using AWS. There aren't a lot of resources if I run into an issue. RHEL has way more documentation on Linux. It has a bigger community, from an operating system perspective.
What about the implementation team?
One of our deployment models is on-premise, and the other is on the cloud. It's a hybrid. We have a big footprint on the cloud.
We use Azure because a lot of resources are already deployed on it. We can use all the features I build on RHEL, but you can scale up the infrastructure, depending on the demand. That's the reason why we use Azure.
For the upgrade process, we mainly use Ansible automation. Whenever we want an upgrade, we just go into the Ansible Tower, change the version, and make sure we are applying that to the right environments so that there's no outage.
What other advice do I have?
Overall, I would rate the solution an eight out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Good security, helpful support, and helps with compliance
What is most valuable?
The solution offers stable distribution and is very focused on security. It's very committed to delivering security fixes. That way, we don't have to keep moving forward with new versions.
They are very focused on security and their products are well-designed in that regard. Their delivery of fixes for all products is great. It helps us maintain compliance and helps with risk reduction.
They provide satellites as an account management solution to deliver fixes. It helps us figure out where there are security gaps in our system. They offer good compliance out of the box.
We are starting to roll out container approaches for delivering new solutions. It's still early. We are using a very simple setup and we're beginning to test OpenShift.
The product enables us to achieve security standards certification.
We can build with confidence and ensure availability across physical infrastructures. From the OS perspective, they do have a lot of reliability features. The virtualization is being phased out (their previous solution) and now they are moving to OpenShift. We're just starting to adopt it.
We can automate security configurations. We're using the Red Hat security ecosystem to manage logical access and security. It delivers a lot of information with regard to security and hardening and how to use its products properly with regard to security, and we try to follow those guidelines.
What needs improvement?
Overall, they are doing a good job. We're hoping that they continue to onboard open-source products into their operating system.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using the solution for about seven years.
How are customer service and support?
Technical support is pretty good. It's one of the main reasons we chose Red Hat over competitors.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We've been working with CentOS. It was used in a very limited scope. We've also used Oracle Enterprise Linux for a limited scope. Red Hat has a more solid community and certifies its products more effectively.
How was the initial setup?
We're quite experienced with the initial setup at this point. For us, the process is a standard procedure.
The product does require some maintenance. There are about four people dedicated to the technology at this time.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
They are becoming very competitive. There has been more pressure based on competition, which is healthy. They could continue to work on their pricing model. The subscription model for some products needs improvement. The automation shouldn't be combined with managed hosts. Pricing should be based on socket and not endpoints.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
We evaluated Oracle Enterprise Linux.
What other advice do I have?
I'm a customer and end-user.
We do not use Red Hat Insights just yet due to some restrictions around sending sensitive information off-premises. We're quite limited in terms of using that feature at the moment.
I'd rate the solution nine out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Good patching and automation capabilities with excellent support
What is our primary use case?
We primarily use it for OS purposes.
How has it helped my organization?
It's very good for support compared to other operating systems. For decades, it's been providing good support and service. Even during implementation, there's a dedicated team to answer any queries. We are a very big company running critical applications and having that support is very important.
What is most valuable?
The patching tool is good. We're also introducing the possibility of automation.
The built-in security features are okay when it comes to simplifying risk reduction. It makes life easier, especially in regards to the lifecycle and what we need to install, et cetera. The features and tools help us to maintain security overall.
It is easy to maintain compliance.
The portability of applications and containers is good. Now we are just starting with the containers and anything related to Kubernetes.
Red Hat is always providing security on time. Any vulnerabilities are immediately dealt with to fill the gap and deal with the issue.
It's a good tool. I'm very confident with this product.
The system role features for automation security configurations, et cetera, for Ansible, we started using it. We are new in terms of automation. We'll start to use it heavily in the near future. Ansible is another great tool from Red Hat.
It enables us to maintain consistency across systems over time. My role is to maintain stability, even during upgrades and patches. So far, it's been a positive experience. We use the entire ecosystem around Red Hat.
We use Red Hat Insights. From a security perspective, we may stop using it. With Insight, if you have Red Hat Satellite, it gives you an in-depth view of everything. The only thing missing is the insights related to performance. We may not continue with it. We'll see if we'll push it and have everything on the cloud.
What needs improvement?
In the area we are using it, we are satisfied.
Maybe in OpenShift, which is our next step, there can be more improvements with integration with Kubernetes. We're not experts there yet.
Maybe it could have a better user experience and less coding. Reducing the effort for the end user or administrator would be ideal to make daily operation and maintenance easier.
If they can make the integration with Ansible easier, that would be ideal.
They should offer more in terms of learning materials to make learning easier.
They need to make things more affordable or accessible.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is stable. We barely have any issues with a server setup. So far, it's manageable. The biggest challenge is the criticality of releasing patches. When we have any critical alerts we action them. We tend to try to wait for the release of a stable version.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
How many people use the solution depends on the application. We likely have thousands of users. We do have some products that maybe only have a few or a few hundred.
We've had no challenges with scaling. It can support any type of load within the data center.
How are customer service and support?
Support is excellent.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We did use a different OS. I have used Unix in the past. I started with Unix 30 years ago. I've also used SUSE. Red Hat offered more service and support.
How was the initial setup?
I was involved in the deployment. Our team managed the process. It's pretty straightforward. We handle implementation, tuning, and patching.
How long it takes to implement the product depends. We're trying to mitigate the time by automating with Ansible. We want to handle one VM or server in five or fewer minutes, however, it can take days. At this point, we can provision servers in a few minutes. It's becoming faster.
We have a team of ten to run the infrastructure on the OS level.
What was our ROI?
I'm not an expert on ROI. We are paying to use the solution, however, the utilization we get and the support both offer good value.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The pricing model isn't something I deal with directly. The pricing is fair, especially compared to virtualization like VMware. We do use VMware and are thinking about moving sandboxes and testing over to Red Hat. This may end up being a big cost savings with our CAPEX and OPEX.
From the price level, the cost is almost the same for us, if we look at Red Hat versus SUSE, however, we get a higher level of support with Red Hat.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
Red Hat was always our first choice.
What other advice do I have?
We're a Red Hat customer.
I'd rate the solution nine out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Reduces risk, enhances security, and is easy to use
What is our primary use case?
I use the solution for research purposes.
How has it helped my organization?
The solution provides more detailed control.
What is most valuable?
The product's built-in security features when it comes to simplifying risk reduction and maintaining compliance can be a tedious topic. It varies from user to user, however, it offers a lot of rapid releases. It helps us to simplify risk reduction and maintain compliance.
The portability of applications and containers built on the product when it comes to keeping your organization agile is good. It's easy to use.
It enhances our security. It helps us comply with company regulations.
When it comes to ensuring availability across physical virtual and cloud infrastructure, it's been okay so far.
It helped us to avoid emergencies due to security issues.
What needs improvement?
I consider the solution to be sufficient. I do not use it too much and therefore do not see any underlying problems with the solution.
It's sufficient and it doesn't need new features. However, as new technologies enter the market, I hope they will keep up with the changing market.
From a product point of view, it's very efficient for servers. However, the solution is complex in terms of its architecture. It could be simplified. I'd like to see them introduce PDFs or documents to better explain technicalities to new users.
Memorizing commands can be a bit tedious.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using the solution for two years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The product has been stable so far.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution is deployed to the data center, which is managed only by a few teams.
About 150 people are using the solution. We also have 45 to 50 administrators as they are managing different areas.
The solution is scalable. However, I'm not sure if we plan to scale further in the future.
How are customer service and support?
I have not interacted with support very much.
How was the initial setup?
I was involved in the deployment. The initial setup was very straightforward.
The deployment is fast and the process is efficient.
What about the implementation team?
I did a lot of the implementation myself.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
I did not evaluate other options.
What other advice do I have?
I'd rate the solution an eight out of ten.
I'd advise new users to learn from someone who has done everything before. It's much easier than trying to learn by yourself from scratch. They should also have their own environment for testing.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
We get great support, and stability, and it helps us save costs
What is our primary use case?
We use Red Hat Enterprise Linux to run our GS and PSP applications.
How has it helped my organization?
Red Hat Enterprise Linux helps us avoid cloud vendor lock-in.
Red Hat Enterprise Linux helped us save on costs.
What is most valuable?
The support and the stability are Red Hat Enterprise Linux's most valuable areas.
What needs improvement?
Upgrading between versions needs to be easier. For example, if we have Red Hat Seven running now and a Java exploit is found on Red Hat Seven, we need to be able to upgrade to Red Hat Nine online without any downtime in the environment. This is because it is not possible to reinstall the environment from Red Hat Seven to Red Hat Nine in production without causing downtime to the applications. Red Hat needs to have tools that ensure that we can upgrade from Red Hat Seven to Nine online without any issues.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Red Hat Enterprise Linux for almost seven years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Red Hat Enterprise Linux is extremely stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Red Hat Enterprise Linux is scalable. We have around 1,790 end users.
How are customer service and support?
The technical support is quick to respond.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We previously used Proxmox and switched to Red Hat Enterprise Linux because of the price.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is straightforward because it is well-documented. The deployment time depends on the application. A small application can take around 20 minutes.
What about the implementation team?
The implementation was completed in-house.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The cost is based on each organization's budget and infrastructure.
What other advice do I have?
I would rate Red Hat Enterprise Linux nine out of ten.
The ease of moving workloads between the cloud and our data center depends on the application architecture. If the application has a monolithic infrastructure, it may be easier to move to the cloud. However, if the application is already running mostly in the data center, it may be more difficult because we would need to recreate all of the infrastructure and topology from scratch. This is because there are so many parts to consider when migrating a microservices-based application to the cloud.
For someone who wants to use an open source Linux operating system, I would recommend Rocky Linux. However, they should be aware that open source solutions do not come with the same level of support as Red Hat Enterprise Linux.
Four network team members are required to maintain Red Hat Enterprise Linux.
The Red Hat knowledge base is good and well-documented.
Red Hat Enterprise Linux is the only Linux solution that is supported for enterprise-level organizations. I recommend this solution for large organizations that want professional support for their Linux systems.