Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) has always been the enterprise Linux OS distribution of choice. This is partly due to Red Hat’s support infrastructure which has been exceptional and provides great value to its customers.
Culturally and historically, Red Hat policies have always been building blocks of Open-Source ideals. However, since IBM’s acquisition of Red Hat in 2019 there have been subtle shifts in policy and culture.
Take for example, Red Hat’s announcement that “CentOS Stream will now be the sole repository for public RHEL-related source code releases” or read by some industry experts as Red Hat has decided to remove public access to the Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) source code. There have been some passionate reactions to this announcement so much so that CIQ, Oracle and SUSE have decided to set up the Open Enterprise Linux Association.
Eagle eyed Software Asset Managers are acutely aware of impacts, changes in ownership or distribution policy changes, have on licensing environment for the software. SAM industry has seen many a Red Hat’s review requests received by its customers over the last 3-4 years and we expect this trend to continue and grow.
RHEL licensing is deceptively complex, even though on the surface it seems docile. Complexity is generated due to various reasons such as:
This white paper endeavours to guide any Software Asset Management (SAM) professional trying to understand RHEL licensing terms and enabling compliance for their organisations or customers. For more SAM professionals, this white paper also aims to discuss possible optimisation opportunities that may slip under the radar.
Lastly, in clear and simplified wording, this white paper also enables stakeholders who have struggled with RHEL licensing and are looking for a programmable solution to aid their RHEL licensing pain, to review capabilities of Licenseware’s Red Hat Deployment Manager (RDM).
It’s difficult to stay abreast with all the regular changes to licensing terms and policies associated to Red Hat. In contrast to gaining expertise, experience is always built through years of effort and sharing of information among peers. Through this white paper, we bring expertise and experience to your doorstep. This white paper is updated and reviewed yearly and provides the latest licensing information related to Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) and shares the experience of various contributors from across the industry spectrum on all topics RHEL.
<aside> 💡 Red Hat releases a RHEL Subscription Guide at the following link.
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This white paper does not attempt to replace the RHEL Subscription Guide but to add much needed context derived from experience running successful SAM programs and RHEL subscription audits. This white paper should be useful for Software Asset Managers, Software Licensing Specialists, IT Procurement, IT Sourcing Experts, IT Managers and CIOs.