Have you been using CentOS? If so, now might be the time to migrate to Red Hat Enterprise Linux.

If you’re a developer using CentOS, Red Hat’s announcement that they are removing support this year, may leave you wondering which way to go. CentOS Streams offers a replacement, but it’s a very different—and less stable—animal. A better option would be to go with Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL). Here’s why.

1.   Technology is changing

Since its inception the free Linux model has been serving companies well for two decades. However, technology is moving forward, and it is struggling to keep up. Digital transformation was already well underway before the pandemic, but the recent crisis has pushed it into overdrive. Companies which were considering taking the plunge have pushed ahead with projects to put themselves in the best possible position.

In this environment, companies need more of an online presence. Services are going into the cloud and data is becoming more mobile. This, in turn, has heightened the exposure to regulatory risk, cyber security and technical support.

During the pandemic Cybercrime is thriving. Criminals have used threats such as ransomware to extort millions of dollars from businesses and organizations. In turn, regulators have been introducing stricter rules governing how businesses go about keeping customer data secure.

President Biden’s Executive Order on Cybercrime serves as a sign post for what is to come: a world in which companies are coming under increased pressure to safeguard their systems against attacks. Those which fail to take adequate precautions could suffer—both in terms of penalties and also reputational damage.

The situation demands more from businesses prompting many to opt for the highly stable and secure distribution, coupled with enterprise grade level support on offer from Red Hat.

2.   Red Hat is more stable

Since CentOS became part of Red Hat, it has always been a downstream project compared to RHEL. It was effectively a ‘clone’ of Red Hat Enterprise Linux and was as close to RHEL as you could get without forking out for a full-on license. Furthermore, its status as RHEL clone with an almost glacial schedule of updates meant it offered superior stability to other, faster and supposedly more advanced options. For businesses looking for a mix of reliability, affordability and performance, it was a good, solid and dependable option.  

However, the end of CentOS paves the way for CentOS Stream, a far more experimental alternative. From a downstream—more stable—version of RHEL, it has become something which is upstream and inherently less stable.

If you were one of those people who prized CentOS for its stability and reliability, this will not be the case with Streams. Streams has moved from the stability of CentOS to a rolling release schedule which brings innovation but can also leave it vulnerable to technical glitches.

By moving to RHEL, customers will get a stable platform which comes with superior performance to match the growing requirements of digital transformation.

3.   Tools integration

Last but not least, RHEL offers smart management which leads to a faster and easier integration of tools. The feature consists of Red Hat Satellite 6 and Insights. When coupled with Ansible Tower, you’ll be able to create a full system provisioning lifecycle including provisioning, upgrading, patching and predictive self-healing.

All of this comes out of the box and is fully integrated as standard. To see these integrated tools in action, check out our two part webinar (part 1 here and part 2 here). Attempting the same thing with CentOS is much more difficult. It takes significant custom development and a patchwork of disparate tools. It’s slower, requires more input from developers and is more open to glitches than RHEL.

In summary

The arrival of CentOS Streams leaves something of a gap where CentOS once was. Many customers have been left wondering what to do. However, while talk of a rolling upgrade solution sounds like a minimal change, this new version is very different. The stability is gone and technology is moving beyond it.

They are looking elsewhere, and the obvious solution is RHEL—the source which offers all the security you’ve come to expect together with the high-performance businesses need in a world of digital transformation. Stone Door Group helps companies make the transition from CentOS to RHEL. To learn more, check out our CentOS to Red Hat Enterprise Linux Accelerator℠  solution, which provides all of the software and services required to make the transition.  

About the Author

Eric Archer is a Senior Red Hat Consultant for Stone Door Group, a Hybrid Cloud and DevOps consulting company that helps enterprises successfully complete digital transformation projects. Stone Door Group offers rapid adoption of Red Hat Hybrid Cloud technologies with their OpenShift Container Platform Accelerator. To speak to Eric, drop us a line at letsdothis@stonedoorgroup.com

ABOUT STONE DOOR GROUP

Stone Door Group is a Hybrid Cloud and DevOps consulting company that delivers successful digital transformation projects in the private and public sectors. Stone Door Group is a team of leading experts in Hybrid Cloud and DevOps technologies. To speak with Eric and our team, send us an email at letsdothis@stonedoorgroup.com