I use the product mostly for Red Hat OpenShift. We use the solution mainly for stability and to have a fallback within the Red Hat community.
Cloud engineer at Ilionx
A stable solution that provides a complete ecosystem to organizations and has a helpful support team
Pros and Cons
- "The technical support is very helpful."
- "The product lags a bit behind in the market."
What is our primary use case?
How has it helped my organization?
There was a worldwide security breach, and everybody needed to patch their servers. Since we were running on Red Hat Enterprise Linux, the product patched a lot of it. It took a lot of effort out of our hands.
What is most valuable?
It is a complete ecosystem. That is its main feature. If you take all the latest products, it just works together.
What needs improvement?
The tool is very, very close. It makes some things difficult. On the other hand, that is what makes the product so stable. The product lags a bit behind in the market. The things we are running are pretty old. Yet again, that is why it is stable. The solution doesn’t switch with every new thing there is. The solution does not need to change that because that's what makes it good.
The product could run more recent tools and packages in the repositories. However, it might bring instability because they are new and less tested. I looked at CentOS, which was close to Red Hat. It had a system working, but a few months later, it didn't work again because the packages and contracts had changed. We couldn’t communicate anymore. It’s not desirable with Red Hat Enterprise Linux. We want stability. The price we pay for it is that we run on some older features.
Buyer's Guide
Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)
February 2025
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Learn what your peers think about Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL). Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: February 2025.
839,277 professionals have used our research since 2012.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using the solution on and off for the last 15 years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I have no complaints regarding the tool’s stability.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The product is scalable. We use the solution all the time. We use it in multiple locations. We have two physical data centers where we run it. We run it on a few 100 machines.
How are customer service and support?
The technical support is very helpful.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I have used CentOS and Debian.
How was the initial setup?
The deployment is straightforward. However, there’s a learning curve to understand it. The deployment would be difficult for a newcomer, but it’s normal. We use automation tools. The deployment takes us a few minutes because we use scripts.
The solution is deployed on the cloud. However, it’s an on-premise solution from the Dutch government. We do not have control over the physical servers. We just work on virtual machines. The license fees are paid by another government agency. We take machines, and then they bill us for it.
What about the implementation team?
We used some integration for the deployment. That's why it was so fast. We use a base image as the setup, and then, on top of that, we install some extra things. It’s just about cloning an image and starting it.
The solution does require maintenance, but nothing more than the usual. We need a team of four people with Linux knowledge to maintain the solution.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The product is on the expensive side.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
Very early in my career, we had evaluated SUSE Linux as an alternative to Red Hat Enterprise Linux. SUSE has its own niche market now.
What other advice do I have?
We are not working in a hybrid environment. I work with the Dutch government, and the regular cloud solutions are not sufficient because of data safety.
Moving workloads between the cloud and our data center using Red Hat Enterprise Linux is not really an issue. The network connectivity is good. The data storage is fast enough. Cloud vendor lock-in is always a debatable discussion. Whatever we do, we always get vendor lock-in. We just choose what works for us at the moment.
The cost savings are mainly in time. We don't have to figure out everything if there's a priority-one issue. We can raise a ticket with the vendor and ask them to help us. It saves us costs. The savings are mostly in time because the product is not cheap. If you compare it to a free Linux OS, the total cost savings will be about the same. Our level of stress and effort is far lower. It's the real saving.
When my Red Hat Knowledgebase account works, it works fine. However, there are some issues at my company. I cannot log in sometimes. It's not Red Hat’s fault.
Look at what your priorities are. Do you want to switch fast, run the latest stuff, and be agile? Then, use open-source tools and contribute to that community. If you work for a big enterprise and mainly want stability, choose Red Hat Enterprise Linux.
I’m very happy with the solution. If someone is a technical person, they must get some training and an in-depth technical course on Red Hat Enterprise Linux. It will help them a lot. Although it is Linux, it is very different from other open-source Linux packages.
Overall, I rate the solution an eight out of ten.
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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Principal Infrastructure Engineer at a logistics company with 10,001+ employees
Has good security, management, stability, and hardening features
Pros and Cons
- "For us, its security, management, stability, and hardening are most valuable."
What is our primary use case?
My organization has different departments. In my department, we mostly work with containerization. I am using Red Hat Enterprise Linux as a part of OpenShift. I use the basic package and base image of Red Hat Enterprise Linux.
For scale-up in our platform, we use CoreOS as the master, and for the workers, we use the Red Hat Enterprise Linux service. From OpenShift version 4.10 onwards, we cannot use Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 worker nodes. We were using Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 worker nodes, so we upgraded to Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.
For OpenShift, there are some recommendations from Red Hat in terms of what needs to be used for the control plane and what needs to be used for the worker nodes. When you are using CoreOS and Red Hat Enterprise Linux worker nodes, there are some difficulties in managing them. For example, when you upgrade OpenShift, you need to upgrade two times. The control plane is upgraded separately because it uses CoreOS. The control plane has a lot of certificate updates that will in turn be updated on the worker nodes, so you have one restart of all worker nodes, and then when you need to upgrade your worker nodes, there will be one more restart.
Overall, you have two reboots in your production environment, which is an issue, but it is related to your choice of product in your environment. We have this issue because we opted to use Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 or Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 worker machines, whereas Red Hat recommends using CoreOS because it is pretty fast in terms of rebooting and functionality. When you upgrade the control plane, that itself will update the worker nodes, so you are done in one shot. When you need to upgrade your Red Hat Enterprise Linux machines, you need to use the Ansible Playbook. You can then upgrade to Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7, 8, or any other version. Regardless of the versions, you can upgrade the operating system and the OpenShift version. For this purpose and for some ad-hoc activities, we are using Ansible Playbooks.
What is most valuable?
For us, its security, management, stability, and hardening are most valuable. All of these features are better in Red Hat Enterprise Linux as compared to Microsoft Windows.
Red Hat Enterprise Linux is very good in terms of risk assessment. It is also good for maintaining compliance. It is better than Microsoft Windows.
What needs improvement?
From the administration perspective, I do not have any issues with Red Hat Enterprise Linux. For me, it is more convenient than Microsoft Windows.
For how long have I used the solution?
My organization has been using Red Hat Enterprise Linux for a long time. They have been using it before I joined the organization.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It is pretty good in terms of stability. It is a stable product. I would rate it a nine out of ten in terms of stability because sometimes the packages can have bugs.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Its scalability is good. I would rate it a nine out of ten in terms of scalability.
How are customer service and support?
We never encountered any issues while using OpenShift.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I have mostly been working with Red Hat Enterprise Linux.
How was the initial setup?
I have been involved in the deployment of OpenShift. It is pretty straightforward. We just need to get the licensing, and we just need to create a pool for our containers session in Red Hat Satellite. We can do the configuration from there. It does not take long because we are adding the nodes to OpenShift. During the scale-up process, we only need to subscribe to the nodes with the Red Hat subscription. It does not take much time. If we have a good spec, the scale-up would not take much time. It would take less than twenty minutes. It is pretty fast.
In terms of maintenance, when we have the bug report, we need to do the security assessments. Over time, there might be some bugs related to some packages. At that time, if it is critical, we will be scheduling a maintenance activity on our platform.
Red Hat provides high availability from the application perspective. You get high availability when you are using OpenShift, so when you are doing a maintenance activity on the OpenShift side, there would not be any downtime. The high availability is very good. For the end-users, there would not be any application outages if you configure your application with proper replicas. They would not even realize that there is a maintenance activity happening to the underlying workers.
What about the implementation team?
It was implemented in-house.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
We did not evaluate other solutions. Red Hat Enterprise Linux is the choice of most of the companies.
What other advice do I have?
If you want to integrate with OpenShift or build an OpenShift cluster with the master Red Hat Enterprise Linux and worker Red Hat Enterprise Linux, you can do that, but you need to plan your upgrade or maintenance activities. It would be better if you choose CoreOS for both. CoreOS would be a better choice in terms of maintenance activities or upgrade activities in the future. If you cannot afford that, you can go with the Red Hat Enterprise Linux operating system, but you need to do two upgrades. You first need to upgrade the control plane and then you need to separately update your worker nodes. That is the only thing you need to keep in mind.
I would rate Red Hat Enterprise Linux a ten out of ten.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Buyer's Guide
Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)
February 2025
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Learn what your peers think about Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL). Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: February 2025.
839,277 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Senior System Engineer at a university with 5,001-10,000 employees
A rock-solid, secure, and scalable operating system
Pros and Cons
- "It's a rock-solid operating system. We don't need anything fancy from the operating system itself. What we need is something that doesn't crash, stays up to date, and provides the security features that we need to keep external players out."
- "The only issue that we have is that Red Hat specifically promotes OpenStack, and we don't use OpenStack. It's good if you're using OpenStack, but if you're not using OpenStack, and you're using Docker or something else, it isn't that good. Having more support for non-OpenStack would be very helpful, but, of course, as part of their business, we don't expect it."
What is our primary use case?
We run various application servers. We have application servers for Java and Python. We also run Postgres and different applications. We have Kubernetes, Docker, Docker Swarm, etc. We have a wide variety.
We weren't trying to solve a particular problem by implementing Red Hat Enterprise Linux. We've used Red Hat Enterprise Linux for so long. We used to modify the Kernel in the early versions of Red Hat, but that's not needed anymore. We are currently using versions 7, 8, and 9.
How has it helped my organization?
Red Hat Enterprise Linux has enabled us to centralize development in our hybrid cloud environment because the containers can be migrated from Red Hat Enterprise Linux to AWS. It's not an issue. There is also a Red Hat-supported programming tool called Skupper, which is a layer seven service. It's an open source product. It's supported by Red Hat, so we could use that to migrate our containers back and forth on the cloud and on-prem, which is very much needed.
Red Hat is pretty good at containing risks. We have a firewall, but we also use iptables and SELinux. SELinux has proved to be very valuable. We have certain tools where when somebody tries to break SELinux, we immediately get alerts.
We don't have a problem with compliance. We also use Red Hat Satellite. Our Red Hat Satellite server is helpful in terms of meeting compliance requirements.
We're able to modify and migrate containers and redeploy containers very easily. We do that on the Red Hat platform. We do it with other tools such as VMware. Red Hat API works very well with other vendors, so that's definitely a plus. In terms of changes, for instance, if we want to connect to ServiceNow to create a ticket in Ansible, we're able to do that without any problems whatsoever. We can create a ticket in ServiceNow. We can remediate it, and we can close the ticket on ServiceNow from Ansible. Ansible is a big part of Red Hat.
What is most valuable?
It's a rock-solid operating system. We don't need anything fancy from the operating system itself. What we need is something that doesn't crash, stays up to date, and provides the security features that we need to keep external players out.
The CVEs that come out for the vulnerabilities are very fast. We try to do patching in different tiers. Our regular patching happens once every ninety days, and then we have special iterations that need to be done, and those are on demand, or if there's a high-security risk and it's absolutely immediate.
The other thing that we like about Red Hat is the support for open source. That for us is a slam dunk.
What needs improvement?
They should work more on container documentation. The only issue that we have is that Red Hat specifically promotes OpenStack, and we don't use OpenStack. It's good if you're using OpenStack, but if you're not using OpenStack, and you're using Docker or something else, it isn't that good. Having more support for non-OpenStack would be very helpful, but, of course, as part of their business, we don't expect it.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been working with Red Hat Enterprise Linux for many years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It's very stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It scales very well. We have about a thousand servers, but we could scale to five thousand servers without a problem.
How are customer service and support?
Their support is good overall. It's better than some of the other vendors. The staff is very friendly. The people I've met hear and discuss issues. We're very much interested in open source, so we use a lot of open source. The engineers have been extremely helpful.
I'd rate them an eight out of ten. I'm not giving them a ten. Some of it has to do with the time cycle, and some of it has to do with different levels of quality with the support. You could get a junior support person, and obviously, that's going to be a very different experience.
The knowledge base offered by Red Hat is very good.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Our environment is hybrid. Most of our Red Hat Enterprise Linux is on-prem. For the cloud, AWS is the cloud provider, but we are using a different distro for AWS. We use AWS Linux for that. For on-prem servers, we're strictly using Red Hat Enterprise Linux. For desktops, we use Fedora.
The reason for using AWS Linux is that we only have AWS. If we use multi-cloud, for instance, if we use Azure and AWS clouds together, we would definitely need something other than AWS Linux. AWS Linux is very solid too, and our team likes it. We can download the AWS Linux version for on-premises too. I've done that. I tested it, but we're sticking with Red Hat Enterprise Linux.
In the server space, nothing comes close to Red Hat Enterprise Linux. I know that Ubuntu is making a big push, and some people have gone ahead and migrated to Ubuntu, but I think those are going to migrate back. There's just no comparability. They're different. They're like cousins. They're very similar in some ways, but they're very different things. You can install SELinux on Ubuntu, but why bother and why go through the whole configuration? Red Hat Enterprise Linux is more suitable for servers.
How was the initial setup?
We use certain tools from HashiCorp, such as Packer, so deploying it is very simple. We have a script that runs every night, and it creates via the CI, goes up to GitLab, gets whatever it needs, such as parameters, and sends it to Packer. Packer grabs the ISO, and it creates a very specific, customized deployment. It's done with a couple of right clicks. That's it.
What was our ROI?
We've absolutely seen an ROI. It's in terms of reliability, stability, security, and usability. You name it. The use cases are out there.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The licensing structure is very convoluted. It's very confusing. We have a Satellite server, and we license it through the Satellite server, but if we didn't, we'd have to buy individual Red Hat licenses. That would be a nightmare to maintain in terms of renewing it every year and things like that.
What other advice do I have?
Overall, I'd rate Red Hat Enterprise Linux a nine out of ten.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Principal IT Infrastructure Engineer | Specialist II at a financial services firm with 1,001-5,000 employees
A highly resilient operating system that has a good file system type and good kernels
Pros and Cons
- "Red Hat Enterprise Linux has a good file system type and good kernels."
- "There was a reduction in the amount of detail provided in backlog messages between Red Hat Enterprise Linux versions six and seven, compared to versions eight and nine."
What is our primary use case?
I work in the financial industry in Brazil and my first job was to use Linux.
We deploy Red Hat Enterprise Linux on-prem and in the cloud. Our cloud provider is AWS.
We use Red Hat Enterprise Linux for web applications, including the JBoss data bridge. We also have some applications for prevention and risk. Red Hat Enterprise Linux is used for most of our applications in Brazil, so it is used for almost everything.
We run our workloads and applications on AWS.
How has it helped my organization?
There are many Linux-based operating systems. We wanted an operating system that was mature and reliable, and Red Hat Enterprise Linux was the best choice for us.
Red Hat Enterprise Linux is a highly resilient operating system. It has a strong XFS file system, kernel, and package build.
Migrating workloads between the cloud and our data center is easy. There are no problems.
The knowledge base offered by Red Hat Enterprise Linux helps a lot. It is very useful and has helped me to resolve the issue by looking at the documentation.
What is most valuable?
The integrity of our operational systems is very stable. Red Hat Enterprise Linux has a good file system type and good kernels. It does not crash for any reason. This makes it a very stable platform for me. It is the best solution for our needs.
What needs improvement?
There was a reduction in the amount of detail provided in backlog messages between Red Hat Enterprise Linux versions six and seven, compared to versions eight and nine. This makes it more difficult to troubleshoot errors in versions eight and nine, as users must dig deeper into the operating system to find the source of the problem. Versions six and seven provided more detailed error messages, which made it easier to identify and fix problems. Deploying applications using Red Hat Enterprise Linux versions six and seven was seamless. However, there is a chance that something could be broken when deploying with versions eight and nine, and we may not know it.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Red Hat Enterprise Linux since versions four and five.
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?
One of the reasons we adopted the Red Hat Enterprise Linux ecosystem is because of its ability to scale.
How are customer service and support?
I have not had a good experience with Red Hat engineers. When we have an issue, it is very difficult to have it resolved in the first call. They always have to escalate the issue and involve multiple people. At a minimum, we have to escalate an issue three or four times before it is resolved. The support team in Brazil has helped me a lot because they work with me to resolve the problem, but if I have to open a ticket and follow the steps I never get proper service.
I give the technical support of Red Hat a zero out of ten.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Negative
How was the initial setup?
The initial deployment is easy. I can deploy Red Hat Enterprise Linux myself using a base image within a few minutes both on-prem and in the cloud.
What about the implementation team?
The implementation is completed in-house.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
We purchased our license from Red Hat.
What other advice do I have?
I give Red Hat Enterprise Linux an eight out of ten.
Cloud vendor lock-in is inevitable when we adopt the cloud. This is because once we adopt a cloud service, such as DynamoDB or AWS, we become dependent on that provider for support and maintenance. It is very difficult to work with multiple clouds 100 percent of the time, as this can lead to problems with failover and other issues in multiple cloud environments because the risk is high.
The Red Hat Enterprise Linux ecosystem is more attractive because we are not just buying an operating system. We are buying an ecosystem that helps, supports, and secures our platform. I believe this is the better option.
Applying patches in the new versions of Red Hat Enterprise Linux is more time-consuming than in Oracle Linux because Oracle Linux does not require legacy environments to be patched or changed through applications.
For someone looking for an open source cloud-based Linux OS instead of Red Hat Enterprise Linux, I recommend AWS Linux. It is a very stable version of Linux and does not require a subscription.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Is easier to manage because it can scale to a large amount and be managed across many platforms
Pros and Cons
- "OpenShift is the most valuable feature because it can be used to create applications on the fly."
- "The UI is not user-friendly and has room for improvement."
What is our primary use case?
I use Red Hat Enterprise Linux for web application support, mainly OpenShift.
Azure is the cloud provider.
How has it helped my organization?
Red Hat Enterprise Linux is easier to manage because it can scale to a large amount and be managed across many platforms. This can lead to cost savings for our organization.
Red Hat Enterprise Linux has reduced the amount of management required on the Windows side.
Red Hat Enterprise Linux is extremely resilient because it is much more secure.
Red Hat Enterprise Linux's day-to-day functionality is very easy.
Red Hat Enterprise Linux has helped our organization save money by not requiring large-scale virtual machines, resources, or images.
What is most valuable?
OpenShift is the most valuable feature because it can be used to create applications on the fly.
What needs improvement?
The UI is not user-friendly and has room for improvement.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Red Hat Enterprise Linux for six years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I am impressed with how extremely stable Red Hat Enterprise Linux is.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Red Hat Enterprise Linux's scalability is excellent.
How are customer service and support?
Technical support is quick to respond, but sometimes tickets can get stuck in tier one for a while before they are escalated.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We previously used Windows but switched to Red Hat Enterprise Linux for cost savings.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is straightforward. We can copy and paste any templates we need into the environment.
What was our ROI?
We have seen a return on our investment simply from receiving timely support when needed.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
We purchased the Red Hat Enterprise Linux license via Azure and the vendor.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
We evaluated CentOS but ultimately chose Red Hat Enterprise Linux because of the support.
What other advice do I have?
I give Red Hat Enterprise Linux a nine out of ten.
When evaluating operating system options, keep in mind that Red Hat offers the best support.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Sr. Designer Data at a comms service provider with 11-50 employees
Playbooks help automate and speed up deployment, including post-deployment configuration
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable feature is the Identity Management. You pay almost the same subscription cost for normal RHEL and you get the central Identity Management. You would need to pay much more if you were using other applications or products like Active Directory from Microsoft."
- "An area for improvement in RHEL has to do with security policies. I know they are doing something about this in RHEL 9, but I haven't worked with that version yet. When it comes to security policies in RHEL 8, it is a bit behind. It would be better if we could just enforce a certain security policy such as CIS Level 1. That was not available, out-of-the-box, in RHEL 8."
What is our primary use case?
It's the operating system for different applications we have that are related to telecommunications such as VoIP, DNS, and many others including identity management.
We are using it based on virtualization, including VMware, Red Hat Virtualization, and we have some OpenShift Virtualization.
How has it helped my organization?
RHEL has improved things a lot when it comes to automation. Creating a virtual machine was not an issue, but when it comes to the post-configuration of the workload, the solution has made life way easier. For instance, we created an automation chain that creates a virtual machine from scratch right through until the post-configuration is done. We managed to group different applications in this one chain.
In terms of speeding deployment, we have playbooks that are supported by Red Hat, where we can automate deployment and configuration. That helps a lot, making things much faster. It has accelerated our deployment of cloud-based workloads because of the availability of the modules that help us to create playbooks for post-configuration. It's not only creating a VM but, after that, we still have to do the post-configuration manually; rather that's all automated now. Where post-configuration used to take one or two days, it now takes a couple of hours.
In addition, so far the applications are consistent, regardless of the infrastructure. That's especially true when you automate it. Even if you have an issue, the consistency of deployment helps a lot.
In addition to Red Hat Virtualization and Red Hat OpenShift, we use Red Hat Satellite. We decided to base our entire stack on Red Hat because most of the vendors we use want us to have our applications on the Red Hat operating system. With our whole stack on Red Hat, it makes communication easier because we aren't ping-ponged between different vendors. In addition, there is a good knowledge base for different Red Hat products. The integrated approach among Red Hat products has helped us in that when it comes to identity management, for instance, because we don't need to wonder if Microsoft will support this or not. It has also helped to automate patching as well.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable feature is the Identity Management. You pay almost the same subscription cost for normal RHEL and you get the central Identity Management. You would need to pay much more if you were using other applications or products like Active Directory from Microsoft.
It also enables you to deploy current applications and emerging workloads across bare-metal and private cloud, which are the only environments we have. The applications are very reliable, across these environments, with RHEL.
In addition, we use the solution for monitoring using the features like PCP and that is helpful indeed.
What needs improvement?
An area for improvement in RHEL has to do with security policies. I know they are doing something about this in RHEL 9, but I haven't worked with that version yet. When it comes to security policies in RHEL 8, it is a bit behind. It would be better if we could just enforce a certain security policy such as CIS Level 1. That was not available, out-of-the-box, in RHEL 8.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been using Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) since mid-2010.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
If it works the first time, usually it will work forever. It's only when you patch that you need to do some regression testing to make sure that it's working.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We haven't had any issues with scalability at the OS level for years.
How are customer service and support?
I'm very satisfied with the technical support for RHEL. They are helpful and knowledgeable. I don't have any complaints.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I used to have Ubuntu, but I didn't like it. The beauty of RHEL is that you can easily find support, unlike Ubuntu. While Ubuntu has free subscriptions, unlike RHEL, you cannot get support for Ubuntu easily.
With Ubuntu, when I had an issue, I would have to go to Stack Overflow and check the internet. With RHEL, I like that I can go to IRC and post my question and they answer me.
How was the initial setup?
We are using Satellite, which is considered to be a subscription manager, in a way. In the beginning, it was complicated. Now, they have created something called Simple Content Access (SCA). We buy a subscription for audit purposes and for legality to have a legitimate copy. On the other hand, Satellite itself issues subscriptions once you have a new OS system. That has made things way easier.
What about the implementation team?
We used professional services back in 2009 or 2010. But once we found that every vendor was looking for Red Hat Enterprise Linux, we added that skill in our department and now we are doing everything ourselves.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Because it's a very stable solution, if you have the knowledge in-house, go for a regular subscription. Otherwise, buy the Premium Support.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
We had some AppStream versions for different OSs, such as CentOS, but we decided to go for RHEL because it would make life easier in terms of lifecycle management. If we had RHEL and CentOS, it would make patching more complicated.
What other advice do I have?
The biggest lesson I have learned with RHEL is don't complicate your design. You can always find an easier way to do things. Sometimes you'll think, "Oh, we can do this," and you start thinking about very complicated processes. It's better to think and start simple.
With RHEL, we have patching in place, automation in place, and we already know the support. We are very satisfied. We have done a lot of work on it and now it's easy to deploy VMs immediately. We are not looking to implement any other version of Linux.
Disclosure: PeerSpot contacted the reviewer to collect the review and to validate authenticity. The reviewer was referred by the vendor, but the review is not subject to editing or approval by the vendor.
IT Team Leader at a tech services company with 201-500 employees
We get better performance, reliability, and security with this operating system
Pros and Cons
- "The main reasons for using Red Hat Enterprise Linux are security, reliability, and efficiency. The system is very reliable, and it is more efficient than others."
- "It is not very easy to manage because it has a command line interface, and it can be a little bit confusing from one version to another."
What is our primary use case?
We use this operating system for our on-prem servers because it is more secure and reliable. We can install whatever application we want.
How has it helped my organization?
I chose Red Hat Enterprise Linux because it is more secure and reliable than other operating systems. Red Hat has a feature called SELinux. I always use it because it is more secure than the other operating systems. I am using it with most of the applications. It is our baseline OS for any application.
The built-in security features are helpful when it comes to simplifying risk reduction and maintaining compliance.
Red Hat has very useful documentation. I always use it when I face an error or something like that. It is very reliable, and I use it all the time.
Over the last three to four years, I did not work in just one environment. I worked in two environments, but all the time we used Red Hat Enterprise Linux, we got more security and reliability. We have seen performance enhancement and less downtime for our main application. There is more reliability and better performance. It has improved our environment. We now have better performance, more reliability, and more security. There is about 30% to 50% improvement.
I have previously worked in the banking sector for one of the banks. We can now configure Red Hat Enterprise Linux for PCI-DSS Compliance. It has improved in that aspect.
What is most valuable?
SELinux is valuable. The main reasons for using Red Hat Enterprise Linux are security, reliability, and efficiency. The system is very reliable, and it is more efficient than others.
What needs improvement?
It is not very easy to manage because it has a command line interface, and it can be a little bit confusing from one version to another. For example, the administration of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 is a bit different than Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9. It is a little bit hard but not that much.
The GUI experience can be better. They can make it easier to access files and copy them. We should be able to do that without the command line. For example, if you compare it with Windows, Windows is easier to use. They can just simplify the user experience.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Red Hat Enterprise Linux for three to four years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It is stable. I would rate it an eight out of ten for stability.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I did not face any issue with scalability, so I would rate it a nine out of ten.
We implemented it at the HQ and the DR site. We used it at two locations. We had 100 to 200 users using these servers.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I have experience with Windows Server. From a security perspective, Red Hat Enterprise Linux is more secure. From a performance perspective, Red Hat Enterprise Linux has better performance, but from the ease of management perspective, Windows is better.
How was the initial setup?
The installation at the application layer is a little bit complex. The duration depends on the application, but most of the application takes months. Implementing an easy application or service, such as a web service, takes two to three days.
When it comes to the management, I manage it locally. I go through SSH on the command line and manage it. For security patching and updates, most of the time, I use Red Hat Satellite. It is a product from Red Hat for managing updates. Red Hat Satellite is easy to use and very helpful. I have upgraded from Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 to Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.
When it comes to security patches, they require a restart. That can cause some downtime.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I do not have much knowledge of licensing. That is handled by the procurement team, but I know that it is expensive. If they can provide more licensing options, it will be much easier for companies to buy.
What other advice do I have?
I would recommend Red Hat Enterprise Linux because it is more secure, reliable, and scalable.
I used System Roles two years ago. It was simple to use System Roles. I succeeded in implementing them, so it was simple. They can be managed, but I used them only one time, so I do not have this much experience with them.
I also used a service called Cockpit. It was easy to use. It was very helpful and easy.
I would rate Red Hat Enterprise Linux an eight out of ten.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Last updated: Oct 7, 2024
Flag as inappropriateCybersecurity Instructor at Gwinnett Technical College
Offers efficiency, performance, and reliability
Pros and Cons
- "Reliability is the most valuable feature."
- "Any form of technology always has areas for improvement, and Red Hat is no exception."
What is our primary use case?
As a teacher, I have used Red Hat Enterprise Linux for server-side applications and containerization. My experience encompasses various system administration tasks, including managing servers, directories, data storage, files, and other related elements.
While teaching my students about Red Hat, I share my knowledge of system administration tools. This prepares them for Linux work environments that use Red Hat, exposing them to these tools and their applications. This also strengthens my organization's position as a Red Hat Academy, enhancing our sector's expertise. Red Hat is a valuable tool for learning system administration due to its widespread use and versatility.
How has it helped my organization?
In any Linux operating system, the patches come through, whether it's through long-term support solutions or community support. It's rapid overall. So when it's there, it's immediate and there's option to install and pass those updates.
The web console is beneficial as it provides an alternative method of accessing the operating system through a web-based platform, making it a valuable tool.
The hybrid environment, a relatively new infrastructure for us, offers flexibility and options. While there's always room for improvement, I find it exciting to have the choice between on-premises and cloud solutions. Although I'm still learning the nuances of this technology, it's been a positive experience so far.
What is most valuable?
Reliability is the most valuable feature.
What needs improvement?
Any form of technology always has areas for improvement, and Red Hat is no exception. They continually strive to enhance their products, evident in the frequent releases of new versions and updates to their operating system. Given that there is no perfect operating system, further development will always be needed. To facilitate this process, Red Hat provides support and encourages community involvement to identify and implement solutions that enhance its operating system's overall functionality, effectiveness, and user experience.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Red Hat Enterprise Linux for almost five years.
How was the initial setup?
The initial deployment is complicated and requires up to two hours to complete.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
While expensive, Red Hat Enterprise Linux offers efficiency and performance. Its commitment to ongoing improvements makes it a valuable resource for businesses seeking a reliable and cutting-edge operating system.
What other advice do I have?
Red Hat Enterprise Linux is eight out of ten.
Regarding challenges, I've attempted to replicate the Linux environment using Red Hat, combining virtual Red Hat clients with third-party platforms to emulate a real-time atmosphere. One major hurdle has been motivating students to understand and utilize the system for these purposes. However, I've consistently found ways to overcome this challenge by using virtual machines and engaging in group discussions to explore the system's capabilities. I strive to emulate the real-time environment using my own systems, demonstrating the potential benefits and encouraging students to visualize how the system works in practice.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Last updated: Aug 25, 2024
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