FAQs about Red Hat and IBM Cloud® infrastructure

What versions of Red Hat Enterprise Linux are available in IBM Cloud?

• See Lifecycle for operating systems and add-ons - Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) for the Red Hat versions that IBM Cloud Classic infrastructure supports.
• See Lifecycle for guest operating systems - Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) for the Red Hat versions that IBM Cloud VPC supports.

How are updates applied to Red Hat Enterprise Linux on IBM Cloud?

When Red Hat releases an update, IBM stock images pull updates from Red Hat official repositories - repositories that are maintained by Red Hat.

What support can I expect from IBM Cloud for Red Hat products?

For Red Hat software that is purchased natively on IBM Cloud, support is the first point of contact for any issue with a Red Hat software-related issue.

IBM provides three support plans.

• Basic
• Advanced
• Premium.

For more information, see IBM support plans.

How does IBM Cloud and Red Hat work together to solve issues?

If Red Hat involvement is required to solve a potential issue, IBM Cloud support engages Red Hat support. For client BYOL issues, you need to contact Red Hat support.

What is the level of ownership between IBM Cloud and customers who use Red Hat software?

IBM Cloud provides the cloud infrastructure and Red Hat stock images. IBM Cloud support covers any issue with the cloud infrastructure and the stock images - such as driver mismatch or licensing. Issues that are related to image licensing are the responsibility of the customer. Custom images (customer-owned images) are also the responsibility of the customer.

Does IBM Cloud support Bring Your Own License (BYOL) for Red Hat operating systems?

Yes. IBM Cloud supports BYOL. You need to contact Red Hat support for any issues with the image.

Am I charged for BYOL?

If you use the BYOL option, you are charged by IBM for only the IBM Cloud infrastructure.

What is the end of service (EOS) policy for Red Hat OS in IBM Cloud?

In the lifecycle of an operating system, EOS is the last date that IBM Cloud delivers standard support for a version or release of a product. IBM Cloud VPC EOS dates and Classic EOS dates align with the Red Hat EOS dates.

Can I provision virtual servers in IBM Cloud by using EOS software?

No. You can't provision a virtual server with software that reached its EOS date. Customers can use the existing EOS software that was provisioned before the EOS date at their own risk.

For more information about EOS, see VPC - End of support operating system considerations and Classic - End of support for operating systems considerations.

Where can I find the EOS date for Red Hat servers that run in IBM Cloud?

For more information about EOS dates for Red Hat software, see Bare Metal Servers for Classic - Lifecycle for operating systems and add-ons and Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) - Lifecycle for guest operating systems.

What if a customer wants to keep operating EOS software?

If the virtual server is provisioned before the EOS date, customer can continue to use EOS software at their own risk while no bug and security fixes are available.