We are a telco company hosting internal applications on the OpenShift platform. It's for general IT workloads, such as backend systems for billing. We are also using it for containerization projects.
External reviews
External reviews are not included in the AWS star rating for the product.
The built-in security features are excellent
What is our primary use case?
How has it helped my organization?
With an open-source solution, there is no vendor lock-in at the OS layer, so it's more flexible. I am happy with the value Red Hat delivers, so we don't see a reason to change that.
What is most valuable?
I like open source and prefer it over some closed proprietary software. In my early days, I was involved in the open-source community of the Red Hat Directory Server, communicating with developers to ensure password policies were implemented and asking questions. It showed me the power of open source.
While the built-in security features are excellent, we don't use all of them. It has many available capabilities, but it's not always up to the infrastructure people to decide what to use for security.
What needs improvement?
I'm happy with the value Red Hat Enterprise Linux delivers, but there's always room to improve.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Red Hat Enterprise Linux for almost twenty years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I've never heard of any issues with Red Hat Enterprise Linux's performance on business-critical workloads. If there is a problem, it's mostly on the application layer, not the operating system.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Red Hat Enterprise Linux has native containerization, so it can scale. It uses open-source technology and has Kubernetes underneath, which gives you the scaling you need. .
How are customer service and support?
I rate Red Hat support seven out of 10.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Neutral
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We have been a Red Hat customer for over a year, and we are happy with the value it delivers.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I don't know the exact pricing. Red Hat's subscription model is cost-effective because you pay as you go, which is better than paying upfront high license costs.
What other advice do I have?
I rate Red Hat Enterprise Linux eight out of 10. If you plan to implement Red Hat Enterprise Linux, make sure you get a vendor who can deliver and support it correctly.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Enhances productivity with robust community support and seamless integration
What is our primary use case?
We use the solution internally for developing our software, including running databases and banking applications. These are the kinds of services we provide to customers, as well as our own internal software products.
How has it helped my organization?
The solution has helped enormously in terms of development and infrastructure. It enables us to centralize development and improve productivity significantly by providing a stable platform with documentation and best practices for deploying robust solutions.
What is most valuable?
One of the most valuable features is the ease of consumption and the extensive community-driven resources. The documentation is extensive, allowing users to get started without difficulty.
Additionally, the support and stability provided by Red Hat Enterprise Linux contribute significantly to its value.
What needs improvement?
The solution requires a lot of prerequisites and understanding of the Red Hat ecosystem before one can get started. This complexity could be improved.
More comprehensive support for OpenShift integrations and a less customized, Red Hat-specific setup process would be beneficial.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been using the solution for more than ten years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution has been stable. We partner closely with Red Hat, and the operating system has been reliable for a long time.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I am not directly involved with scaling aspects, so I can't provide specific insights on this.
How are customer service and support?
We have been very happy with customer service and support. Red Hat offers prompt support with a good turnaround time, effectively addressing any issues.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The pricing is competitive. It is not cheap. That said, it provides value considering what it offers.
What other advice do I have?
I would suggest that anyone starting to develop should consider starting with a community-based version, however, for production workloads, it is important to have the support model from Red Hat as it provides stability and quick issue resolution.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Extensible integration enhances open-source projects while addressing hypervisor compatibility
What is our primary use case?
We use the solution primarily for simulation and CAD solutions. It serves as the main use for our operating systems.
How has it helped my organization?
The openness of the operating system makes auditing a lot easier, plus the tools for auditing make that a lot easier to maintain.
Automation makes compliance a lot easier.
The knowledge gained from using the system completely makes troubleshooting easier and increases the knowledge pool in the company.
What is most valuable?
The extendibility of the solution and its openness, along with its integration with all of our other open-source projects, are highly valuable.
We appreciate that it is one of the few enterprise-enabled Linux operating systems we can use.
It is very extensible, which aids as our needs change.
What needs improvement?
We have encountered compatibility issues with certain hypervisors, mainly with Red Hat Enterprise Linux six hosts on the newer versions of FoxMox.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Red Hat Enterprise Linux for over ten years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution has performed really well for our business-critical applications and is very stable. I have no issues.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution is very extensible, adapting perfectly as our needs change.
How are customer service and support?
Customer support is very helpful and insightful. I would rate it very well, approximately an eight on a scale of one to ten.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
What was our ROI?
The biggest return on investment is the knowledge gained by using the system. The access we have to the operating system increases user involvement and facilitates troubleshooting, thus expanding the company's knowledge pool.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The pricing and licensing are reasonable.
What other advice do I have?
For non-business critical applications, a third-party Linux OS may suffice, however, for something running 24/7, it is advisable to go for stability and enterprise support.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Enables us to configure a cluster for high availability and protect our data
What is our primary use case?
We use Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) to run applications and databases related to the European Parliament's business. For example, we use SAP for financial operations. It's not my domain, but I know the leadership plans to implement AI workloads. We translate every document into 27 languages manually, but we plan to use AI and machine language translation.
How has it helped my organization?
Using a Red Hat Enterprise Linux Cluster in the SAP environments gives us high availability and disaster recovery, so our data is safe. I think it's a geo-cluster for the whole SAP environment. Whenever something happens, it almost automatically shifts to the other.
What is most valuable?
The support for OpenShift and CoreOS is valuable, as we frequently use support services and rely heavily on Red Hat support for assistance.
What needs improvement?
When we started using Red Hat Enterprise Linux, it was a struggle to install CoreOS because we were used to using a Satellite server with Red Hat. The people in charge of setting up OpenShift and installing Red Hat Enterprise Linux on the nodes had a hard time. I don't know why, but I think it was because the OpenShift cluster included VMs and bare metal machines.
For how long have I used the solution?
I joined the European Parliament in 2012, and we have been using Red Hat Enterprise Linux for 12 years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
We do not have any issues with its performance. The system functions well.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Scaling the operating system is transparent. We work with VMware, so whenever there is a need for more RAM and memory, the process is seamless to the customer.
How are customer service and support?
I rate Red Hat support eight out of 10. Customer service and support are excellent. Support is available depending on the priority and the support package. I am happy with the service. However, navigating through documentation can be challenging.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We started with Mini Solaris and gradually migrated to Red Hat Enterprise Linux.
How was the initial setup?
Initially, setting up OpenShift and the installation was somewhat complicated, especially when dealing with bare metal machines.
What was our ROI?
As a nonprofit business, we do not focus on return on investment in monetary terms. However, a big community makes it easy to gather opinions and help from outside sources, which is a return on investment.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
We compared Red Hat Enterprise Linux and SUSE. While SUSE is generally the preferred Linux distro for SAP, we chose Red Hat Enterprise Linux because we had more in-house knowledge of the platform and better support.
What other advice do I have?
I rate Red Hat Enterprise Linux eight out of 10. I used to be an AIX system admin, and I still prefer that operating system. I would recommend considering Red Hat's benefits, such as support. I used to work in IBM support, and Red Hat has a significant advantage in this realm. Also, many corporations merge firms and combine workforces, and RHEL can adapt to these changes.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Has a centralized development with a secure, standardized environment
What is our primary use case?
We run IT and telco workloads and applications on Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL).
How has it helped my organization?
Red Hat Enterprise Linux helped us centralize development. We use a complete ecosystem of Red Hat for end-to-end development, deployment, and operations.
Centralizing development is achieved as we have clearly defined platforms to host applications, like OpenShift.
Additionally, the ACS on top of containers scans to ensure they are compliant, reducing vulnerabilities within our software.
What is most valuable?
Red Hat Enterprise Linux provides a standardized environment with Kubernetes and good support behind it. The end-to-end delivery for developing, testing, and deploying containers in the same ecosystem is a very valuable feature.
The built-in security features are fine, we don't receive complaints about them.
What needs improvement?
One area for improvement is dealing with specifics developed by Red Hat Enterprise Linux that are now end of life. We have to remediate these changes, which is a disadvantage.
Additionally, better comparisons between different stack providers in pricing and functionalities could help, especially since public clouds often appear less expensive during planning but are more costly in practice.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have used Red Hat Enterprise Linux personally since joining my company ten years ago. Within the company, it has been used for more than 20 years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Red Hat Enterprise Linux performs quite well for business-critical applications. Although we have some outages, it's not unusual, and I cannot blame RHEL entirely for it.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Scaling Red Hat Enterprise Linux OS is smooth and without complaints. We are planning to widen its use by moving from OpenStack to bare metal according to Red Hat's roadmap.
How are customer service and support?
The customer service rating varies at around an eight or nine out of ten.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
They conducted tests with Ubuntu. That said, it was less expensive and not as stable or developed as Red Hat Enterprise Linux.
What was our ROI?
There is a return on investment since we can host our applications on top of Red Hat Enterprise Linux.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Red Hat Enterprise Linux is quite expensive, yet the technical support, available roadmaps, and services justify the cost. We receive value for the price we pay, including technical support, which enables business continuity and compliance.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
We evaluated Ubuntu, but it was less stable.
What other advice do I have?
I would advise trying it out to see for yourself. Red Hat provides great technical support. That said, the pricing may need careful evaluation, especially when comparing with public cloud offerings.
I would rate Red Hat Enterprise Linux a nine out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Seamlessly manages all aspects of versioning and security, eliminating the need for intervention
What is our primary use case?
Our containerized workloads utilize Docker and Kubernetes and run on Red Hat Enterprise Linux to support Final Shell operations.
How has it helped my organization?
Red Hat Enterprise Linux helps to partially centralize our development.
The primary advantage of using Red Hat Enterprise Linux for containerized workloads is the robust support it offers in case of any issues.
Red Hat Enterprise Linux has worked well for our business critical applications.
The built-in security features are great.
One of the most significant advantages is having Red Hat behind us. If we encounter problems, we can always call them for assistance, so we are not alone with our problems.
Red Hat Enterprise Linux helps reduce our TCO.
What is most valuable?
The support from Red Hat is valuable. Having Red Hat behind us provides reassurance, and they deny unauthorized applications the ability to perform actions they shouldn't.
What needs improvement?
Red Hat Enterprise Linux's SELinux can be challenging to manage and troubleshoot, often causing frustration. While we've resolved these issues, improvements to SELinux would be greatly appreciated. Though not yet explored, Red Hat Insights could potentially aid in resolving broader Linux problems.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using the Red Hat Enterprise Linux for about ten years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
We have yet to encounter problems related to Red Hat.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We install a new server if needed, and it works seamlessly.
How are customer service and support?
Red Hat provides proactive support, including monthly check-ins and arranging calls to address any issues that may arise.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We do not have any other realistic options besides Red Hat.
How was the initial setup?
What was our ROI?
The greatest return on investment lies in the platform's user-friendliness. Red Hat seamlessly manages all aspects of versioning and security, eliminating the need for my intervention.
What other advice do I have?
I would rate Red Hat Enterprise Linux nine out of ten.
If your budget allows, I recommend testing Red Hat Enterprise Linux. It's quite easy to install, with Red Hat providing a comprehensive setup that eliminates configuration concerns.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Enterprise-level support enhances system operations
What is our primary use case?
We currently use Red Hat Enterprise Linux to support various applications, including web servers and databases. Its functionality spans numerous operational aspects, encompassing a wide range of tasks with the exception of AI applications.
How has it helped my organization?
Red Hat Enterprise Linux has simplified patch management and centralized operations, eliminating the need for multiple distributions across various functions.
It performs well for our business-critical applications. It is a significant improvement over the various unsupported distributions used previously, providing reliable support and standardized update procedures across all deployments.
The built-in security features work well.
Red Hat Enterprise Linux helps reduce risk in our environment by simplifying management, which is critical for maintaining stability and security.
Red Hat Enterprise Linux enhances business continuity and compliance efforts by providing a unified platform for various tasks, simplifying operations and reducing the complexity of managing multiple open-source solutions.
Red Hat Enterprise Linux helps reduce our total cost of ownership through simplified management and comprehensive support resources, ensuring assistance if any issues arise.
What is most valuable?
We chose Red Hat Enterprise Linux for its broad distribution, enterprise-level support, and robust stability. These factors are particularly crucial for our work in government-related IT, where stability and security are paramount.
What needs improvement?
I would like Red Hat to focus on continuous improvement.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Red Hat Enterprise Linux for a year at this point. Although my experience with Linux is extensive, I am relatively new to the Red Hat Enterprise Linux world.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Red Hat Enterprise Linux is stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Scaling is mostly about increasing the resources for specific virtual machines, and it hasn't been a problem.
How are customer service and support?
I have not personally used customer service, but it's reassuring to know that support is available if needed. I often try to resolve issues myself to learn new things.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
What was our ROI?
The return on investment lies in the time saved due to simplified management, allowing me to focus on more important tasks rather than maintenance.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
What other advice do I have?
I would rate Red Hat Enterprise Linux nine out of ten.
While not currently using Red Hat Enterprise Linux for containerization, we have a Podman test machine that we use for our clients. We do plan to utilize it in the future.
Red Hat is an excellent choice due to its strong backing and foundation in open source. They have a comprehensive product stack, including not just Enterprise Linux, but also Ansible, OpenShift, and many other offerings. Red Hat also boasts extensive partner integrations with various manufacturers and developers through licensing agreements.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Enhanced security and documentation streamline workload management
What is our primary use case?
We primarily use Red Hat Enterprise Linux for auxiliary workloads in our larger clusters, such as logging and automation.
Red Hat Enterprise Linux was chosen for its centralized management tools, such as Satellite, which, despite occasional issues, simplifies numerous tasks with a streamlined, efficient approach.
How has it helped my organization?
Red Hat Enterprise Linux helps centralize our workloads.
Red Hat Enterprise Linux performs well for all our business-critical applications.
The built-in security features enhance some of our existing functionalities.
We conducted a purple team test and achieved a passing score with only minor issues identified. The robust security features inherent in Red Hat Enterprise Linux, such as its built-in tools, significantly mitigate our risk of cyber attacks by enhancing our overall security posture.
What is most valuable?
The documentation is excellent. It allows me to upload documents, inquire about specific details, and receive prompt answers, which is incredibly beneficial.
What needs improvement?
One area for improvement is the Subscription Manager, which is sometimes an inconvenience, especially when it doesn't work well with Satellite. Also, we experience issues with package management since different Red Hat packages may not be automatically obvious regarding their repositories.
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 scalability of the solution?
We appreciate the scalability of Red Hat Enterprise Linux due to its simplicity. Although some automation is necessary, tools like Ansible can streamline deployment to a few clicks, depending on the environment. However, deploying on VMware occasionally introduces additional complexity.
How are customer service and support?
The customer service and support are brilliant compared to other vendors.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I primarily use Red Hat Enterprise Linux at work and Debian at home. Red Hat Enterprise Linux is preferred at work due to its extensive documentation and robust support.
What was our ROI?
Time saved on troubleshooting issues and readily available support are the main returns on investment from using Red Hat Enterprise Linux.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
What other advice do I have?
I would rate Red Hat Enterprise Linux a nine out of ten, however, its cost remains a significant barrier. Although I don't personally handle the expenses, the price is frequently discussed, especially when dealing with cloud vendors. Due to this cost, we often avoid using Red Hat Enterprise Linux in our cloud environments despite its strengths. It would be ideal to utilize it consistently across all platforms, but the financial implications make it impractical for our cloud clusters.
While we utilize Red Hat Enterprise Linux for some containerizations, most employ alternative solutions.
I am interested in using AI with Red Hat Enterprise Linux, but we are not currently utilizing it.
When considering a third-party Linux OS as an alternative to Red Hat Enterprise Linux, the decision depends on the intended use. While other operating systems might be suitable for testing purposes, Red Hat Enterprise Linux is generally preferred for its reliability and comprehensive support, which is crucial when encountering critical issues. However, if immediate support is not a primary concern, alternative options can offer a cost-effective solution.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Enhanced security and automation ease workload management
What is our primary use case?
Red Hat Enterprise Linux is a versatile operating system for many workloads, including databases, web applications, and infrastructure. It is a reliable and adaptable platform suitable for various computing needs.
When I started my current job 14 years ago, we used many different Linux distributions, which created management challenges. However, when we began deploying a hardened version of Linux, Red Hat Enterprise Linux was the best option due to its robust support, familiarity with our team, and overall suitability for our needs, making it an easy choice.
How has it helped my organization?
Red Hat Enterprise Linux has performed well for our business critical applications.
It offers robust built-in security features that surpass those found in Windows. Its highly customizable environment allows for easy system hardening, eliminating the need for additional purchases as all necessary security components are integrated within the operating system.
Red Hat Enterprise Linux enhances security and reduces risk. In a mixed environment with Windows, securing Windows systems is significantly more challenging and achieving a truly secure state is nearly impossible, whereas Red Hat Enterprise Linux offers robust security features that mitigate these concerns.
It contributes to risk reduction through its strong security features. With a mixed environment of Linux and Windows, making Windows secure is challenging, whereas RHEL does not have such issues. Furthermore, automation with RHEL reduces manual labor, allowing us to automate almost everything, which saves work.
The portfolio helps reduce our total cost of ownership by significantly decreasing employee work hours. Automation through ready-made images eliminates manual labor, allowing us to automate almost everything and ensure consistent accuracy, ultimately saving time and resources.
What is most valuable?
Red Hat Enterprise Linux's built-in security features are very good. Compared to other systems like Windows, it's on another level. With SE Linux and the customizable nature of Linux, creating a tightly-hardened environment is easy. Additionally, the knowledge bases and white papers provided by Red Hat support are very helpful.
What needs improvement?
While there are no specific features I would like added to the next version, there is always room for improvement.
The licensing cost of Red Hat Enterprise Linux is high and could be improved.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Red Hat Enterprise Linux since 1998.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Red Hat Enterprise Linux performs admirably, earning a nine-point five out of 10. While minor issues exist, they are not significant enough to substantially detract from its effectiveness.
How are customer service and support?
The Red Hat support works well, though I haven't used it extensively. I appreciate the knowledge bases and articles provided by them. Consultancy services have been used, but not much of the support services itself.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
At my current job, we started with a lot of different distros. Managing them was chaotic. When we began using hardened versions of Linux, Red Hat was selected because it was the best option for us. We have a support system in place and Red Hat Enterprise Linux is familiar to our team, making it the easy pick.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Red Hat Enterprise Linux licensing is expensive.
What other advice do I have?
I would rate Red Hat Enterprise Linux nine out of ten.
We will soon be using Red Hat Enterprise Linux for containerization projects.
For servers, Red Hat Enterprise Linux is the recommended choice due to its robust features, including comprehensive updates, ease of management, and excellent compatibility with tools like Ansible. While other distributions may be suitable for workstations, Red Hat Enterprise Linux excels in server environments with its stability and long-term support.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Streamlined system integration and robust security through effective automation
What is our primary use case?
I am utilizing Red Hat Enterprise Linux for automated workloads.
Having prior experience with Ansible and its automation capabilities, I sought a centralized platform with a graphical interface. Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform seemed like the ideal solution, especially since I was already familiar with Red Hat Enterprise Linux. This familiarity made it a natural progression to explore containerization within the RHEL environment.
How has it helped my organization?
Red Hat Enterprise Linux helps to centralize development.
Choosing Red Hat Enterprise Linux for our container environment provides a more secure and reliable platform for our applications.
I appreciate the robust security features in Red Hat Enterprise Linux, such as including security benchmarks like CIS security hardenings. These benchmarks offer a significant improvement over previous Red Hat Enterprise Linux versions and provide numerous valuable security enhancements.
The most crucial factor is arguably the availability of fast, reliable, and effective support, as this prevents isolation when managing Linux systems and significantly mitigates risk.
Open integration is beneficial because it enables the use of various benchmarks to strengthen Red Hat Enterprise Linux.
What is most valuable?
Integrating Ansible Automation offers benefits, while Red Hat Enterprise Linux provides robust security features, including benchmarks for security hardening.
What needs improvement?
I would like a more straightforward process for extending file systems without the need to write all the names of logical volumes, to simplify administration and automation.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Red Hat Enterprise Linux for about ten years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Early versions of Red Hat Enterprise Linux had several issues, but up from RHEL 7 I have found it very stable.
How are customer service and support?
The support is accessible and responsive. I have engaged with them almost every day for two weeks and opened many cases, receiving assistance with my challenges and issues.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The Red Hat Enterprise Linux subscriptions are quite expensive.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
Red Hat Enterprise Linux is considered an industry standard.
What other advice do I have?
I would rate Red Hat Enterprise Linux nine out of ten.
I recommend considering Red Hat Enterprise Linux if the budget allows, as it is widely used in the industry and offers superior software support.