Red Hat Powers Network, Storage Performance with Latest Version of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7.3 enhances performance for high-bandwidth
applications, adds new options for enterprise innovation with Linux
container and Internet-of-Things capabilities
RALEIGH, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Red Hat, Inc. (NYSE: RHT), the world's leading provider of open source
solutions, today announced the general availability of Red Hat
Enterprise Linux 7.3, the latest version of the world’s leading
enterprise Linux platform. This update to Red Hat’s flagship Linux
operating system includes new features and enhancements built around
performance, security, and reliability. The release also introduces new
capabilities around Linux containers and the Internet of Things (IoT),
designed to help early enterprise adopters use existing investments as
they scale to meet new business demands.
Performance
From video conferencing technologies and voice over IP (VoIP) to
web-based applications and services, the network demands of the modern
enterprise can be substantial. Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7.3 helps
address this need for better networking with the addition of lightweight
tunnels, enabling guest instances of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7.3 to be
more secure, efficient, scalable and flexible. Additionally,
enhancements to the bulk packet memory allocator improve performance for
both 40 and 100 Gb networking interfaces.
Meanwhile, high-transaction applications like databases, event
processing, and virtual machines need improved input-output (IO) rates
and lower latencies to help enterprises realize their benefits. New
hardware technologies like non-volatile memory address these concerns,
and Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7.3 expands support for high speed, low
latency non-volatile memory devices. In addition, Red Hat Enterprise
Linux 7.3 makes performance-sensitive Parallel NFS (pNFS) clusters
easier to manage with support for the Block SCSI layout format and the
Flex Files layout format.
Security and Identity Management
IT security cannot remain static in the face of an ever-changing threat
landscape, and a more secure datacenter begins with innovation at the
operating system level. Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7.3 helps to drive this
IT security evolution by introducing several new and enhanced security
features, delivering a more secure platform for mission-critical
deployments and other essential workloads. This includes:
-
Updates to SELinux, a mechanism for enforcing granular, system-level
access control policies, for faster policy creation and improved
overall ease of use.
-
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7.3 now provides a consistent compliance
checking mechanism across containerized and traditional non-container
workloads for better overall operations efficiency. This is provided
through enhancements to OpenSCAP, an open source implementation of the
Security Content Automation Protocol (SCAP), which provides a
standardized compliance checking solution for enterprise-level Linux
infrastructure. Configuring SCAP-based policies with the OpenSCAP
Workbench graphical user interface is now easier, as well.
-
Improvements to Red Hat’s Identity Management solution, providing
better performance for large installations, support for smart card
authentication with Active Directory, and support for configurable
authentication strength across individual hosts and services.
Reliability
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7.3 continues to provide a solid, stable
foundation for enterprise environments and workloads. Customers can now
deploy a fully-integrated, multi-site disaster recovery solution without
having to also rely on custom or third-party solutions, resulting in
potentially reduced costs and speedier times to deployment. Specific
enhancements in support of this include:
-
The ability to configure pacemaker to manage multi-site and
stretch clusters across geo-locations for disaster recovery and
scalability.
-
The ability to better configure and trigger notifications when the
status of a managed cluster changes with the introduction of enhanced pacemaker
alerts.
Linux Containers
Linux containers provide a compelling mechanism to help enterprises
scale to new levels of operational efficiency. They provide an
innovative packaging and management format that can speed application
development and drive more flexibility in managing life cycles based on
the application. The combined characteristics of containers increase
both application portability and infrastructure flexibility and allow
organizations to more clearly delineate the roles of developers and IT
administrators. Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7.3 bolsters support for Linux
containers via numerous incremental improvements in addition to enhanced
management tools (Atomic CLI / Cockpit) and an updated container runtime
(docker engine). It also includes a new container signing capability as
a Technology Preview.
IoT
Industrial IoT implementations consist of vast connected networks of
“smart” edge devices feeding information in real-time to centralized
datacenters, allowing for improved operational efficiency and reduced
operating costs. These implementations need to be backed up by a solid,
enterprise-grade operating system. Presenting a powerful platform upon
which to run enterprise-scale IoT, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7.3
introduces two key features:
-
Support for communication with Bluetooth LE (Low Energy) devices - an
extension of the Bluetooth standard, Bluetooth LE is specifically
designed for low energy devices like IoT sensors.
-
Kernel support for the Controller Area Network bus (CANbus) protocol -
CANbus is a controller area network used in automobiles and high-end
industrial controllers.
Red Hat Enterprise Linux Variants
Today’s launch also signifies updates to several Red Hat Enterprise
Linux variants. From powering massive container build-outs to delivering
open innovation on new server architectures, Red Hat Enterprise Linux
7.3 variants provide answers to some of the most specific enterprise
architecture needs. These variants include:
-
Red Hat Enterprise Linux Atomic Host, a minimal footprint operating
system optimized to run Linux containers. Running applications in
containers on top of Red Hat Enterprise Linux Atomic Host provides
application portability across the hybrid cloud. New to Red Hat
Enterprise Linux Atomic Host 7.3 as a Technology Preview is the
capability for users to layer additional RPMs, providing additional
flexibility often required by diverse environments.
-
Red Hat Enterprise Linux for SAP Applications, a variant optimized for
running SAP environments, is now supported on IBM z Systems and IBM
Power, big endian.
-
Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server for ARM 7.3 Development Preview, Red
Hat’s operating system designed for 64-bit ARM-based systems has been
updated to include:
-
Single-host virtualization based on KVM, one of the leading open
source virtualization technologies.
-
Red Hat Ceph Storage for prototyping and deploying scale-out,
software- defined storage for object, block, and file.
-
Initial support for Red Hat Developer Toolset, which provides C
and C++ developers with the latest stable open source tools to
create, diagnose, and debug applications for 64-bit ARM platforms.
Supporting Quotes
Jim Totton, vice president and general manager, Platforms Business
Unit, Red Hat
“As modern enterprise applications become increasingly resource
intensive at both the network and storage levels, IT infrastructure must
not just keep pace, but anticipate and adapt to these changing needs.
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7.3 delivers increased application performance
and a more secure, reliable and innovative enterprise platform,
well-suited for existing mission-critical workloads and emerging
technology deployments like Linux containers and IoT.”
Additional Resources
Connect with Red Hat
About Red Hat, Inc.
Red Hat is the world's leading provider of open source software
solutions, using a community-powered approach to provide reliable and
high-performing cloud, Linux, middleware, storage and virtualization
technologies. Red Hat also offers award-winning support, training, and
consulting services. As a connective hub in a global network of
enterprises, partners, and open source communities, Red Hat helps create
relevant, innovative technologies that liberate resources for growth and
prepare customers for the future of IT. Learn more at http://www.redhat.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements contained in this press release may constitute
"forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private
Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements
provide current expectations of future events based on certain
assumptions and include any statement that does not directly relate to
any historical or current fact. Actual results may differ materially
from those indicated by such forward-looking statements as a result of
various important factors, including: risks related to the ability of
the Company to compete effectively; the ability to deliver and stimulate
demand for new products and technological innovations on a timely basis;
delays or reductions in information technology spending; the integration
of acquisitions and the ability to market successfully acquired
technologies and products; fluctuations in exchange rates; the effects
of industry consolidation; uncertainty and adverse results in litigation
and related settlements; the inability to adequately protect Company
intellectual property and the potential for infringement or breach of
license claims of or relating to third party intellectual property;
risks related to data and information security vulnerabilities; the
ability to meet financial and operational challenges encountered in our
international operations; ineffective management of, and control over,
the Company's growth and international operations; and changes in and a
dependence on key personnel, as well as other factors contained in our
most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (copies of which may be
accessed through the Securities and Exchange Commission's website at http://www.sec.gov),
including those found therein under the captions "Risk Factors" and
"Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results
of Operations." In addition to these factors, actual future performance,
outcomes, and results may differ materially because of more general
factors including (without limitation) general industry and market
conditions and growth rates, economic and political conditions,
governmental and public policy changes and the impact of natural
disasters such as earthquakes and floods. The forward-looking statements
included in this press release represent the Company's views as of the
date of this press release and these views could change. However, while
the Company may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some
point in the future, the Company specifically disclaims any obligation
to do so. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as
representing the Company's views as of any date subsequent to the date
of this press release.
Red Hat, Red Hat Enterprise Linux, the Shadowman logo and Ceph are
trademarks or registered trademarks of Red Hat, Inc. or its subsidiaries
in the U.S. and other countries. Linux® is the registered trademark of
Linus Torvalds in the U.S. and other countries. The OpenStack Word Mark
is either a registered trademark/service mark or trademark/service mark
of the OpenStack Foundation, in the United States and other countries,
and is used with the OpenStack Foundation's permission. Red Hat is not
affiliated with, endorsed or sponsored by the OpenStack Foundation, or
the OpenStack community.
View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161103005429/en/
Red Hat, Inc.
John Terrill, +1-571-421-8132
jterrill@redhat.com
Source: Red Hat, Inc.