Red Hat Enterprise Linux Features and Benefits

Enterprise-focused release cycle

Red Hat Enterprise Linux family products have a release cycle specifically designed to provide a stable platform for all phases of an enterprise IT deployment. Major Red Hat Enterprise Linux releases will occur approximately every 12-18 months. This allows ISVs to focus on a common, stable platform, and customers to effectively plan migration and upgrade cycles.

Additionally, stable binary (ABI) and programming (API) interfaces are maintained for the life of each major release. This ensures that applications do not need to be modified or recertified during the life of the release.

Key certification platform

Red Hat actively works to certify leading industry ISVs and OEMs for comprehensive application and hardware support for Red Hat Enterprise Linux products. Here are just some of the vendors supporting Red Hat Enterprise Linux:

Alias | Wavefront
BEA
BMC Software
Borland
Checkpoint
Computer Associates
Dell

HP
IBM: Tivoli, Lotus, DB2, Websphere
Legato
Novell
Oracle
Rogue Wave Software

SAP
Softimage
Sun
Synopsys
Tibco
VERITAS

Red Hat Network

Red Hat Enterprise Linux products include one year of Red Hat Network's Update Module, a service that provides access to an intuitive graphical interface for managing system updates and errata, priority errata email notifications, dependency checking, and optional auto-update.

Optional Red Hat Network entitlements include:

Management Module:
Provides systems grouping, role-based administration and systems permissions, scheduled actions, custom content channels, and channel/errata management tools. The RHN Management Module is recommended for enterprises wishing to scale their Linux deployments efficiently.
Monitoring Module:
Provides an agentless appliance that monitors a complete infrastructure host, operating system, applications, network devices, and business transactions. The Monitoring Module uses a common console and notification engine across the infrastructure and easily integrates into existing systems management tools.

Open Source Assurance

All technology delivered with Enterprise Linux is covered by the Open Source Assurance program. Open Source Assurance features an Intellectual Property Warranty. The Warranty is a promise by Red Hat to replace software if there is an intellectual property issue so that customers may continue to use the solution without interruption.

Server Packages Included

Apache, Samba, NFS

Red Hat Enterprise Linux 2.1:
dhcp, dns, ftp, gated, imap, iscsi, pxe, tux, uucp, amanda, anonftp, ypserv, inews, isicom, squid, routed, sliplogin, mailman, wu-ftpd, bootparamd
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 3:
amanda-server, arptables_jf, bind, caching-nameserver, dhcp, freeradius, inews, inn, krb5-server, netdump-server, openldap-servers, pxe, quagga, radvd, rarpd, redhat-config-bind, redhat-config-netboot, tftp-server, tux, vsftpd, ypserv