What is our primary use case?
I use Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 (redhat 9) | Support by SupportedImages for customer applications, customer application servers, sometimes for Oracle databases, and occasionally for IBM products. We install Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 (redhat 9) | Support by SupportedImages for security reasons; customers always prefer the latest version due to security issues, though there are cases where we have to revert to lower versions, but most of the time, they opt for the latest version with the latest patches.
I have used containers very little, as we are only now moving toward containerization. Previously, we only used bare metal OS. Recently, customers are requesting containerization, and we are starting to provide those solutions, but it is still in the early stages in Bangladesh.
For integration with hybrid cloud technologies, most of the time the integration is done via API or direct communication through applications. While the OS itself has the capability, we primarily utilize APIs or other methods such as file transfers for integration, which means I prefer other software beyond the OS for that purpose.
Most of my deployments are on-premise because my clients are banks, which face geographical and compliance constraints. Only a few of them are on cloud environments for testing purposes, but all production deployments are primarily on-premise.
We have utilized Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 (redhat 9) | Support by SupportedImages on AWS cloud for testing and some development purposes, but none of it is for production; it is strictly for software development teams.
What is most valuable?
From my experience as a partner, the biggest advantage of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 (redhat 9) | Support by SupportedImages is that it is a stable and reliable product. It is a reliable OS when I am using it for applications because we run middleware software upon the OS, which means if there are problems or security holes in the OS, my applications also face those issues. In that scenario, the stability and security of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 (redhat 9) | Support by SupportedImages is commendable.
The security policy of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 (redhat 9) | Support by SupportedImages is improved, but security measures must still be implemented. After we install the operating system, the customer's bank security team will harden the OS to block any potential breaches or malicious activities.
To measure performance with Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 (redhat 9) | Support by SupportedImages, I assess how much RAM and CPU the background processes are consuming. I can restrict these processes to ensure that minimal background processes run, allowing my application server software and applications to operate better with the available memory and CPU resources.
What needs improvement?
I cannot say there are significant disadvantages, but people are using Oracle Linux more due to the fact that updates are free. With Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 (redhat 9) | Support by SupportedImages, I have to pay for subscriptions to get updates, which can be a disadvantage compared to Ubuntu or Oracle Linux. Other than that, the product is essentially similar since Oracle Linux is based on the Red Hat kernel with minor changes. While there is a cost-related disadvantage, feature-wise it remains comparable.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been dealing with Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 (redhat 9) | Support by SupportedImages for two years, basically using it in my projects.
I have been working with Red Hat products for almost fifteen years, but specifically with version 9 for two years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
In terms of stability, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 (redhat 9) | Support by SupportedImages is ninety-nine percent stable and reliable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
When it comes to scalability, if I want to increase RAM or other components, it is quite easy. I simply need to install new RAM in the hardware, and the operating system easily recognizes it, allowing it to be used right away. Scalability is therefore very straightforward; as long as the motherboard has the necessary ports to install additional CPUs or RAM, it is not complex.
How are customer service and support?
Regarding the technical team of Red Hat, I find the support to be a mixed bag. In my region during office hours, calls go to the Asia Pacific support team, which is not up to the mark. However, if I log calls late at night, they are routed to the European team, which provides excellent support. Unfortunately, the local Asia Pacific support has been inadequate for the last four or five years across all products, including Oracle Linux, Oracle databases, and Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 (redhat 9) | Support by SupportedImages.
I would rate the local support team around five or six out of ten.
How was the initial setup?
I find the installation of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 (redhat 9) | Support by SupportedImages and its deployment to be straightforward. The hardening aspect is a bit trickier since that is handled by security procedures, but overall, the installation process is quite comparable across all operating systems.
What about the implementation team?
I am a partner working for the customer, doing the deployment and other things, so I am not just a customer. All of my work is onsite.
What was our ROI?
Even though it is a bit pricey, I see value for money with Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 (redhat 9) | Support by SupportedImages. Red Hat releases the latest security features first, and others tend to copy them or rely on community development. Thus, it holds a competitive advantage in terms of security, vulnerability mitigation, and related improvements, making it worth the investment for organizations.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
We do not use open-source support for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 (redhat 9) | Support by SupportedImages because for banks and regulatory policies, we must have a subscription. Moreover, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 (redhat 9) | Support by SupportedImages does not provide updates for free; subscriptions are necessary for updates.
In terms of pricing, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 (redhat 9) | Support by SupportedImages is slightly on the higher side compared to Ubuntu and Oracle Linux subscriptions. It is priced at about eighteen to twenty percent more, but not dramatically so; it is just slightly higher.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
The biggest difference when comparing Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 (redhat 9) | Support by SupportedImages to Oracle or Ubuntu lies in the subscription model. Besides that, they are almost the same.
What other advice do I have?
I continue to deal with IBM products. Red Hat itself is an IBM company, which means I work with both. I would give Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 (redhat 9) | Support by SupportedImages a general rating of eight point five, or possibly a nine. My overall review rating for this product is nine.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?