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    Elastic Compute Service:Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 ELS guidance

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    Elastic Compute Service:Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 ELS guidance

    Last Updated:Aug 09, 2024

    Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) public images provided by Alibaba Cloud are derived from the official operating systems provided by Red Hat, for which Alibaba Cloud and Red Hat jointly provide technical support. Red Hat announced Extended Life Cycle Support (ELS) for RHEL 7, which is available for 4 years starting July 1, 2024. RHEL 7 transitioned from the Maintenance Support phase to the 4-year Extended Life phase after June 30, 2024. In the Extended Life phase, a RHEL 7 subscription is still required for each Elastic Compute Service (ECS) instance that runs RHEL 7. The RHEL 7 subscription gives you access to security updates and bug fixes for all Red Hat software versions.

    In the Extended Life phase, Red Hat provides limited technical support for RHEL 7. To use new service capabilities and remain compatible with the most recent hardware platforms and independent software vendor (ISV) software, we recommend that you utilize your subscription services and upgrade RHEL 7 to RHEL 8. If you want to stay on RHEL 7, we recommend that you purchase a RHEL 7 ELS Add-on subscription to continue to receive limited software maintenance and technical support for your RHEL 7 ECS instance.

    Note

    In most cases, the RHEL lifecycle is divided into three phases: Full Support, Maintenance Support, and Extended Life. For more information, see Red Hat Enterprise Linux Life Cycle.

    ELS options

    After RHEL 7 enters the Extended Life phase, you can perform an in-place upgrade or purchase a RHEL 7 ELS Add-on subscription. The following table describes the ELS options for RHEL 7.

    Option

    Description

    Procedure

    (Recommended) Perform an in-place upgrade

    RHEL in-place upgrade allows you to upgrade RHEL 7 to RHEL 8. This option is suitable for enterprise-level environments in which you want to retain existing pipelines and configurations. If you use this option, you do not need to perform a fresh installation. This option retains existing applications, configurations, and data on the ECS instance and ensures that you continue to receive security updates, bug fixes, and technical support. Red Hat provides the Leapp tool for in-place upgrades and supports pre-upgrade checks.

    Upgrade from RHEL 7 to RHEL 8

    Purchase a RHEL 7 ELS Add-on subscription

    After July 1, 2024, you can submit a ticket to purchase a RHEL 7 ELS Add-on subscription provided by Red Hat to continue to receive security updates and bug fixes.

    The following section describes the prices for purchasing a RHEL 7 ELS Add-on subscription:

    • Instance types that have 1 to 8 vCPUs: USD 0.0084 per vCPU per hour (pay-as-you-go), USD 5.24 per vCPU per month (monthly subscription), and USD 54.52 per vCPU per year (yearly subscription)

    • Instance types that have 9 to 127 vCPUs: USD 0.006 per vCPU per hour (pay-as-you-go), USD 3.93 per vCPU per month (monthly subscription), and USD 40.89 per vCPU per year (yearly subscription)

    • Instance types that have at least 128 vCPUs: USD 0.0048 per vCPU per hour (pay-as-you-go), USD 3.41 per vCPU per month (monthly subscription), and USD 35.44 per vCPU per year (yearly subscription)

    The following examples describe how fees are calculated when you purchase RHEL ELS Add-on subscriptions.

    Billing examples

    • In the following examples, an ECS instance that has 4 vCPUs is used:

      • Fees for one month = USD 5.24 per vCPU per month × 4 vCPUs = USD 20.96

      • Fees for one year = USD 54.52 per vCPU per year × 4 vCPUs = USD 218.08

      • Fees for 24 hours = USD 0.0084 per vCPU per hour × 4 vCPUs × 24 hours = USD 0.8064

    • In the following examples, an ECS instance that has 32 vCPUs is used:

      • Fees for one month = USD 3.93 per vCPU per month × 32 vCPUs = USD 125.76

      • Fees for one year = USD 40.89 per vCPU per year × 32 vCPUs = USD 1,308.48

      • Fees for 24 hours = USD 0.006 per vCPU per hour × 32 vCPUs × 24 hours = USD 4.608

    To purchase a RHEL 7 ELS Add-on subscription, submit a ticket.

    FAQ

    After RHEL 7 entered the Extended Life phase:

    • Do I need to purchase a RHEL 7 ELS Add-on subscription for a RHEL 7 ECS instance?

      No, you can purchase a RHEL 7 ELS Add-on subscription for your RHEL 7 ECS instance based on your business requirements.

    • Is a RHEL 7 ECS instance stopped if I do not purchase a RHEL 7 ELS Add-on subscription for the instance?

      No, RHEL 7 ECS instances are not stopped if you do not purchase RHEL 7 ELS Add-on subscriptions for the instances. A RHEL 7 ELS Add-on subscription provides access to security updates and patches for RHEL 7. If you do not purchase a RHEL 7 ELS Add-on subscription, you do not receive the security updates and patches and cannot ensure the security of your RHEL 7 ECS instances.

    • Can I renew a RHEL 7 ECS instance if I do not purchase a RHEL 7 ELS Add-on subscription for the instance?

      Yes, you can renew RHEL 7 ECS instances even if you do not purchase a RHEL 7 ELS Add-on subscription for the instances. For information about how to renew a RHEL 7 ECS instance, see Renewal overview.

    • Am I charged for the licenses of RHEL images in the RHEL 7 ELS phase?

      Yes, you are charged RHEL subscription fees in the RHEL 7 ELS phase because RHEL 7 instances must be licensed by RHEL in this phase. You can obtain the following items:

      • Released software updates and security patches for RHEL 7.

      • Software installation package of RHEL 8. You can use the installation package to perform a RHEL 7 in-place upgrade to RHEL 8.

      • Technical support from Alibaba Cloud and Red Hat.

      Note

      For information about the billing of RHEL images, see Images.

    To view other frequently asked questions about the Extended Life phase of RHEL 7, see FAQ: Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 reaches End of Maintenance Phase and transitions to Extended Life Phase.

    References