FAQ: Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4 Reaches End of Full/Maintenance Phases and Transitions to Extended Life Phase
Can you describe the Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4 life cycle?
Red Hat offers support and services for each major release of Red Hat Enterprise Linux throughout four phases – Production 1, 2, and 3 and the Extended Life Phase. For Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4, the Full/Maintenance Phases spans seven years, followed by an Extended Life Phase. Together, these four phases constitute the “life cycle.” The specific support and services provided during each phase is described in detail at http://redhat.com/rhel/lifecycle.
What is happening to Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4 on March 01, 2012?
On March 01, 2012, all Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4-based products listed below will transition from the Full/Maintenance Phases to the Extended Life Phase:
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux AS 4
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux ES 4
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux WS 4
- Red Hat Desktop 4
- Red Hat Global File System 4
- Red Hat Cluster Suite 4
What will happen to my Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4 systems on March 01, 2012?
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4 systems will continue to be subscribed to Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4 channels on Red Hat Network, continue to require a Red Hat Enterprise Linux entitlement, and continue to have access to:
- Limited technical support for existing Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4 deployments (for customers with Basic, Premium or Standard support only).
- Previously released bug fixes (RHBAs), security errata (RHSAs), and product enhancements (RHEAs) via Red Hat Network (RHN). Software maintenance, new bug fix and security errata, will no longer be provided for the Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4 product family.
- Red Hat Knowledgebase and other content (white papers, reference architectures, etc.) found in the Red Hat Customer Portal.
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4 documentation.
Please also note that new bug fix, security, or product enhancements advisories (RHBAs, RHSAs, and RHEAs) will no longer be provided for the Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4 Cluster Suite and Global File System Add-Ons after March 01, 2012.
As Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4 transitions into the Extended Life Phase, what is Red Hat’s suggested course of action for customers?
Your Red Hat subscription gives you continuous access to all active versions of the Red Hat software in both binary and source form, including all security updates and bug fixes. As Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4 transitions out of the Full/Maintenance Phases, we strongly recommend that you take full advantage of your subscription services and upgrade to Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 or 7, which contain compelling new features, enablement for modern hardware platforms and ISV applications. If you must stay on Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4, we recommend that you add the Red Hat Enterprise Linux Extended Life Cycle Support (ELS) Add-On subscription to your current Red Hat Enterprise Linux subscription. See the question below that describes ELS.
I am running Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4 and can’t migrate to a later version at this time. What options do I have?
- Continue to use Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4 and continue to receive access to the subscription services listed above. Note that software maintenance is not provided and only limited technical support is available (for Basic, Standard, and Premium support subscriptions).
- Continue to run Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4 and purchase the Extended Life Cycle Support (ELS) Add-On subscription to continue to receive limited software maintenance and technical support (see the ELS description below).
- Migrate to Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 or 7 as soon as you can.
How can I continue to receive software maintenance (bug and security fixes) and full technical support for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4?
If you require software maintenance and full technical support for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4, Red Hat strongly recommends that you purchase the Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4 Extended Life Cycle Support (ELS) Add-On subscription. The Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4 ELS Add-On complements your Red Hat Enterprise Linux subscription and provides software maintenance services not otherwise available in the Extended Life Phase. Customers who purchase the Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4 ELS Add-On subscription continue to receive software maintenance (critical impact security and selected urgent priority bug fixes) and technical support as provided in the Production 3 Phase. Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4 ELS is available through March 31, 2017 and requires that you have an existing Red Hat Enterprise Linux subscription with equivalent subscription terms and support level.
For more information on the Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4 ELS Add-On, visit http://www.redhat.com/products/enterprise-linux-add-ons/extended-lifecycle-support/.
How do I access the Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4 ELS Add-On content on Red Hat Network?
The Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4 ELS Add-On content (critical impact security and selected urgent priority bug fixes) for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4 will be available on Red Hat Network as a child channel of the Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4 base channels. The child channel will be located under the product “Red Hat Enterprise Linux ELS.” For more information on how to access Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4 ELS content on Red Hat Network, visit https://access.redhat.com/knowledge/articles/70098.
I purchased the Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4 Extended Update Support (EUS) Add-On subscription. What happens to the EUS Add-On content for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4.5 and 4.7 once Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4 transitions from the Full/Maintenance Phases to the Extended Life Phase?
Starting March 01, 2012, previously released EUS content for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4.5 and 4.7 will continue to be accessible at the current Red Hat Network location, including ISOs and previously released Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4.5 and 4.7 bug fix, security, and product enhancements advisories (RHBAs, RHSAs, and RHEAs).
What happens to the Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4 Add-Ons such as Red Hat Cluster Suite 4 and Red Hat Global File System 4 on March 01, 2012?
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4 Add-On ISOs continue to be available to active subscribers in their current location in Red Hat Network after March 01, 2012. Note that Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4 Extended Life Cycle Support (ELS) does not include support for the Add-Ons including the Red Hat Cluster Suite 4 and Red Hat Global File System (GFS) 4. Therefore, no software maintenance or bug fix updates are provided for these Add-Ons. For more information, please refer to the more detailed ELS Add-On FAQ page.
How are Red Hat Network Satellite installations affected?
After March 01, 2012, customers with active Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4 subscriptions can continue to use Satellite to consume previously released bug fixes, security errata, and product enhancements as well as provision Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4 systems. Customers will continue to consume a Red Hat Enterprise Linux entitlement for every server associated with Red Hat Network Satellite. Red Hat Network Satellite customers who purchase Extended Life Cycle Support (ELS) for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4 should consult the following Knowledgebase article to obtain information regarding how to access ELS content: https://access.redhat.com/knowledge/articles/70098.
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