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Explore Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10
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Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 features
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Red Hat Enterprise Linux
Support add-ons
Which support add-on is right for you?
Extend support and enhance security for your Red Hat® Enterprise Linux® deployments.
If you need longterm update and lifecycle support
Red Hat Enterprise Linux Long-Life Add-On
Red Hat Enterprise Linux Long-Life Add-On is a valuable, yearly extended maintenance offering exclusively for customers with Red Hat Enterprise Linux Extended Life Cycle, Premium subscriptions. This add-on provides a continuous support path for organizations that require their fundamental infrastructure to remain stable and supported far beyond the standard 14-year support commitment.
Use cases
- Production environments with strict change control processes.
- Highly regulated sectors like global telecommunications, healthcare, and aerospace.
- Organizations with significant investments in applications certified only on older versions.
- Any workloads that are extremely change-averse and cannot upgrade after a 14-year life cycle.
Architectural autonomy
Extend your organization’s infrastructure support beyond 14 years, and synchronize software lifecycles with long-term hardware or regulatory requirements.
Strategic risk mitigation
Build a stable, supported path for change-averse workloads, allowing delayed upgrades for reasons of stability, compliance, or resource management without compromising vital support and security.
Operational efficiency
Eliminate the need for frequent, large-scale platform migrations dictated by vendor expiration dates.
Entrprise-grade consistency
Maintain the long-term integrity and resilience of important environments with a consistent, validated software stack.
If you need to extend support for minor OS releases
Extended Update Support (EUS)
EUS provides a stable, static update stream for specific minor releases of Red Hat Enterprise Linux, allowing you to maintain a consistent environment for an extended period without having to immediately upgrade to the latest minor release. EUS provides 2 years of support.1
Enhanced Extended Update Support (EEUS)
EEUS features the same benefits as EUS but provides an additional 2 years of support. This is particularly beneficial for production systems that require rigorous certification and extensive testing before any software changes.1
Use cases
- Production environments with strict change control processes.
- Applications or hardware requiring specific, certified Red Hat Enterprise Linux minor releases.
- Organizations for which a 6-month release and update cycle for minor releases is too frequent.
Extended update availability
EUS/EEUS typically extends the availability of errata (bug fixes, security updates, and enhancements) for a specific minor Red Hat Enterprise Linux release beyond its standard maintenance period, including priority security errata for common vulnerabilities and exposures (CVEs) with a severity score of 7 or higher.
Reduced upgrade frequency
By locking into an EUS/EEUS stream, organizations can reduce the frequency of system upgrades, minimizing disruption and resource allocation for testing and deployment.
Targeted support
EUS/EEUS focuses on providing security updates and critical bug fixes for the selected minor release, ensuring stability and security without introducing new features that could impact compatibility.
Red Hat Satellite integration
EUS/EEUS content can be managed and distributed efficiently through Red Hat Satellite, allowing centralized control and automation of updates across large deployments.
If you need to extend support for major OS releases
Extended Life Cycle Support (ELS) Add-On
ELS provides critical software maintenance for Red Hat Enterprise Linux major releases beyond their standard 10-year maintenance lifecycle, offering continued support for a significantly longer duration. This is essential for customers who cannot migrate to a newer, major release due to hardware compatibility, application dependencies, or other organizational constraints.2
Use cases
- Systems and applications that are difficult or costly to migrate to a newer Red Hat Enterprise Linux major release.
- Environments with long-term hardware refresh cycles.
- Organizations with significant investments in applications certified only on older versions.
Lifecycle extension
ELS extends the overall lifecycle of a major Red Hat Enterprise Linux release, providing a bridge for customers who need more time to plan and execute their migration to a newer, fully supported version.
Critical updates only
ELS primarily focuses on delivering security errata (CVEs) that address severe vulnerabilities or critical system stability issues, including select bug fixes.
Limited scope of support
While ELS provides essential maintenance, it has a more limited scope compared to the full support phases. New feature development or extensive hardware enablement is not typically included.
Advisory and technical support
Customers with ELS subscriptions continue to receive technical support and advisories from Red Hat, helping them resolve issues and plan future migrations.
If you need to enhance security for your Red Hat Enterprise Linux deployments
Security Select Add-On
The Security Select Add-On enhances the security posture of Red Hat Enterprise Linux systems by providing additional security-focused features and content beyond what is available in standard subscriptions and some extended lifecycle offerings. It offers a more proactive and comprehensive approach to managing security vulnerabilities.
Use cases
- Environments with stringent security and compliance requirements (e.g., government, finance, healthcare).
- Organizations facing advanced, persistent threats or operating in high-risk sectors.
- Customers who need additional updated packages to address Low or Moderate Red Hat CVSS-scored CVEs not covered in Red Hat's standard security errata practices.
Extended security content
This add-on provides access to a broader range of security updates and patches. This includes fixes for vulnerabilities that might not be covered under Red Hat’s existing CVE mitigation criteria but are still important if your organization has additional security needs.
Proactive security information
Receive enhanced security advisories, vulnerability alerts, and recommendations to help you stay ahead of emerging threats.
Compliance support
The Security Select Add-On can help organizations meet specific regulatory compliance requirements by providing a higher level of security patching and vulnerability management. It helps prioritize CVEs not covered by Red Hat's standard mitigation.
Integration with security tools and Red Hat Technical Account Management (TAM)
The Security Select Add-On may offer better integration or compatibility with Red Hat's security management tools and services, allowing for more streamlined security operations. It also requires a security or platform TAM, who connects you to security teams for fixes and patches, offering Red Hat Enterprise Linux experience, security tooling expertise, and industry knowledge to help your organization assess and address Red Hat software security needs.
Important considerations
- Subscription requirements: All these services are add-ons and require an active base Red Hat Enterprise Linux subscription.
- Availability: EUS/EEUS subscriptions are not tied to a specific Red Hat Enterprise Linux version. You can choose which version to apply them to, provided the chosen version is still eligible for coverage. ELS, while not versioned itself, is only offered on one specific version at a time. The Red Hat Enterprise Linux Long-Life Add-On is generally available to users with a Red Hat Enterprise Linux Extended Life Cycle, Premium subscription; however, certain exceptions apply. For detailed information, including specific eligibility criteria and support timelines, please consult Red Hat's lifecycle policies.
- Planning: Organizations should carefully plan their Red Hat Enterprise Linux deployments and upgrades, considering the benefits and limitations of each support offering to align with their business objectives and technical requirements.
- Layered security: The Security Select Add-On is best viewed as a layer of enhanced security on top of a well-maintained environment, rather than a standalone security solution.
Optimize operations and manage risk
By taking advantage of these extended support options, Red Hat Enterprise Linux customers can optimize their operations and manage risk for the long term, adapting to various business needs and technical constraints.
Compare support add-ons
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Red Hat Enterprise Linux Long-Life Add-On
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Extended Update Support (EUS)
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Enhanced Extended Update Support (EEUS)
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Extended Life Cycle Support (ELS)
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Security Select Add-On
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| Primary purpose |
Extended support for select minor and major releases
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Stable minor releases for longer deployments
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Stable minor releases for longer deployments
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Extended support for older major releases
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Enhanced security features and compliance
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| Availability |
See lifecycle policies for detailed information
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Select minor releases
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Select minor releases
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End-of-life (EOL) major releases
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Applicable to various Red Hat Enterprise Linux versions
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| Update type |
Security errata for Red Hat CVSS CVEs scored 7 or higher, as well as select bug fixes
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Security errata for Red Hat CVSS CVEs scored 7 or higher, as well as select bug fixes
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Security errata for Red Hat CVSS CVEs scored 7 or higher, as well as select bug fixes
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Security errata for Red Hat CVSS CVEs scored 7 or higher, as well as select bug fixes
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Security content, compliance tools, hardening
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| Duration of support |
Extended yearly as long as needed
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Up to 24 months from minor release availability
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Up to 48 months from minor release availability
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Typically up to 36 months beyond standard EOL
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Ongoing with subscription
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| Target audience |
Enterprises requiring stable environments for long-term deployments
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Enterprises requiring stable environments for long-term deployments
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Enterprises requiring even longer stable environments for extended deployments
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Customers needing to run their systems beyond our standard lifecycle or those needing more time to upgrade to a newer version
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Organizations with strict security and compliance requirements that extend beyond the scope of normal coverage
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| Impact on system upgrades |
Yearly support based on specific use cases
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Allows for up to 24 months on a supported minor release
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Allows for an additional 24 months after EUS on a supported minor release
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Provides additional time before major version upgrades
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Enhances the security posture by providing a solution for organizations to request low or moderate CVE mitigation
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| Cost |
Contact your Red Hat Sales representative
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Included with some Red Hat Enterprise Linux subscription tiers or sold as an add-on
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Available for both standard and premium support offerings as an add-on
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Additional cost
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Additional cost
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| Key benefit |
Reduced upgrade cycles, increased stability for older versions
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Reduced upgrade cycles, increased stability
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Significantly reduced upgrade cycles, maximum stability for long-term, specific minor release deployments
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Enables continued operation of systems coupled with CVE mitigation for in-scope vulnerabilities
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Proactive security management, simplified compliance
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Keep reading
The Red Hat Enterprise Linux lifecycle
Upgrading your Red Hat Enterprise Linux infrastructure
1Please contact your Red Hat representative to transition your EUS and EEUS add-ons to the Red Hat Enterprise Linux Extended Life Cycle Premium subscription or the Red Hat Enterprise Linux Long-Life Add-On. Further details can be found in Red Hat’s lifecycle policies.
2Please contact your Red Hat representative to transition your ELS add-on to the Red Hat Enterprise Linux Extended Life Cycle Premium subscription or the Red Hat Enterprise Linux Long-Life Add-On. Further details can be found in Red Hat’s lifecycle policies.
