Simplify conversions from CentOS Linux with tailored pathways
IT infrastructure is a critical business asset
CentOS Linux® is now at its end of life. Migrating to an alternative Linux distribution before a new Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) is discovered is critical to avoid exposing your organization to unpatched vulnerabilities and potential security breaches. If your organization uses CentOS Linux 7 in your IT environment, you will need to migrate to a new operating system (OS) to continue receiving updates, patches, and new features. Red Hat can help simplify your migration with high-value, cost-effective offerings, streamlined conversion tools, and an OS that lets you continue to use your current tools, processes, and knowledge. Moving to Red Hat® Enterprise Linux gives you a consistent, intelligent operating foundation for modern IT and enterprise hybrid cloud deployments.
Simplify and streamline your conversion to Red Hat Enterprise Linux
Red Hat offers 4 readily available in-place conversion pathways and a paid consulting engagement to simplify your migration from CentOS Linux to Red Hat Enterprise Linux. Each pathway is tailored for specific use cases.
| Use case | Conversion option | How it works |
| Visibility into and conversion of CentOS Linux systems for organizations that do not currently use Red Hat Enterprise Linux | Red Hat Lightspeed conversion tool | A hosted service, Red Hat Lightspeed provides a guided experience for connecting your CentOS Linux systems, viewing your system inventory, performing a preconversion analysis, providing remediation recommendations, and converting your systems. |
| Visibility into and conversion of CentOS Linux systems for current Red Hat Enterprise Linux users | Red Hat Lightspeed conversion tool or Convert2RHEL tool | Convert2RHEL is a command-line tool that converts both on-site and cloud-based CentOS Linux systems to Red Hat Enterprise Linux. This fully supported tool analyzes your systems, performs safety checks, provides preconversion remediation guidance, and performs the conversion. See instructions for using Convert2RHEL for instances running in Amazon Web Services (AWS), and Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud. |
| Bulk conversions for large-scale environments for current Red Hat Satellite users | Red Hat Satellite integration with Convert2RHEL | Red Hat Satellite uses an Ansible® Role, an Ansible Playbook, and the Convert2RHEL utility to streamline bulk conversions of multiple CentOS Linux hosts. |
Bulk conversions for large-scale environments for organizations that do not currently use Red Hat Satellite or Red Hat partners and service providers | Red Hat Satellite conversion toolkit | This toolkit uses the Red Hat Lightspeed image builder to simplify the installation of Red Hat Satellite. Once installed, the toolkit configures Red Hat Satellite Server to deliver the same bulk conversion experience without requiring a Red Hat Satellite subscription. |
| Paid consulting offering | ||
| Conversion planning assistance | Red Hat Consulting: CentOS to Red Hat Enterprise Linux Migration Assessment | This tailored Red Hat Consulting offering provides a personalized framework for analyzing and planning conversions of systems running on site, in AWS, or in Microsoft Azure. |
The business value of Red Hat Enterprise Linux
Compared to unpaid alternatives like CentOS Linux, Red Hat Enterprise Linux helps your teams get more done, faster, no matter where they work:1
- 32% more efficient IT infrastructure teams
- 42% faster identification of security risks
- 72% less unplanned downtime
- 24% lower 3-year cost of operations
- US$17.31 million average higher net revenue per year per organization
Access reduced-cost Red Hat Enterprise Linux subscriptions
Red Hat Enterprise Linux for Third Party Linux Migration is a new offering for current CentOS Linux 7 users. It includes:
- Reduced-cost access to Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server.
- Convert2RHEL tool.
- Up to 4 years of Extended Life Cycle Support (ELS).
- High Availability (HA).
Read the brief to learn how you can migrate more cost-effectively
Get started today
The discontinuation of CentOS Linux provides an opportunity to move to an OS that better supports your cloud initiatives. Red Hat Enterprise Linux delivers an intelligent, production-grade operating foundation for hybrid and multicloud environments.
Choose your path forward at red.ht/centos.
IDC White Paper, sponsored by Red Hat. “The Business Value of Red Hat Solutions Versus Non-Paid Open Source Alternatives.” Document #US50423523. March 2023.
