Red Hat Enterprise Linux Update Expands Automation, Security

• By John K. Waters
• 11/19/24

Open source solution provider Red Hat has announced the release of Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) 9.5, the latest version of its flagship Linux platform.

This release introduces enhanced automation and security features to help organizations reduce complexity and manage workloads effectively, from data centers to public clouds and the edge. Version 9.5 supports faster, more secure deployment of applications across hybrid cloud environments. And delivers enhanced capabilities to bring even more consistency to the operating system underpinning rapid IT innovations, from artificial intelligence (AI) to edge computing, and make these advancements an accessible reality for more organizations, the company says.

"Complexity in enterprise IT, from the applications that we build to the environments in which they run, isn't going away," said Gunnar Hellekson, VP and GM of Red Hat's Enterprise Linux group, in a statement. "Rather, it's growing exponentially, especially with the dynamics of new technologies like AI. While more complexity can impact the attack surface, we are committed to making Red Hat Enterprise Linux the most secure, zero trust platform on the market, so businesses can tackle each challenge head-on with a secure base at the most fundamental levels of a system. This commitment enables the business itself to embrace the next wave of technology innovations."

This release was designed to "equip developer to ship faster," said Gil Cattelain, principal product marketing manager for Red Hat Enterprise Linux, in a blog post.

"Nearly every organization struggles to give developers what they need to create the new applications and services their customers need," Cattelain said. "Too often, developers waste time hunting for their preferred tools, or settle for older versions, when they'd rather work with the latest packages coming from upstream. We've curated a set of new application streams for those developers that provide the latest tools, languages and database classes."

Java Developer Kit (JDK) 17 is now the default Java toolkit in RHEL 9. JDK 17 offers features that improve application performance, speed up code execution and smooth out your application scale-up. JDK 17 is the new default, but JDK 11 is still available in RHEL 9.

This update also includes new RHEL system roles with Red Hat Ansible automation capabilities to simplify administrative tasks, with a focus on improving configuration consistency. Notably, a new role for sudo configurations allows non-administrators to perform tasks securely, further reducing complexity across the organization.

Confidential computing support has also been bolstered, with the aim of protecting sensitive AI workloads by preventing data exposure and minimizing insider threat risks. This approach allows enterprises to securely use AI to process vast datasets while adhering to data compliance regulations, the company says.

Red Hat Satellite 6.16, also introduced with RHEL 9.5, enhances compatibility by supporting RHEL 9 installations, improving efficiency through streamlined content syncing and adding secure container support for container-dependent workflows.

Satellite 6.16 ships with a number of features that support Red Hat Enterprise Linux management including:

• RHEL 9 as Base OS
• Satellite can be installed on both RHEL 8 and RHEL 9
• Simple Content Access  is the only way to consume content
• Online Backups
• No need to stop Satellite while making backup
• Only services that affect consistency are shut down - Satellite remains operational and jobs are queued
• Container Push
• Satellite provides a full container registry capability following the OCI specifications
• No need to always sync from an upstream container registry
• All Hosts Menu UI Improvements
• Bulk actions support straight from the menu
• Install, Remove, Upgrade packages
• Perform single-host actions such as Edit, Clone, Delete and Change Content view
• Easier compliance remediations
• Running a playbook straight from the OpenSCAP reports
• Upgrades and Improvements
• PostgreSQL 13
• Puppet server 8

In its "shift left" approach, Red Hat's Image Builder integrates security fixes early in development, offering pre-hardened configurations to ensure robust security without requiring extensive security expertise.

The latest version of RHEL also introduces file management tools in its web console, allowing routine tasks, such as file uploads and permission changes, without command-line interaction. This addition, along with new deployment automation tools, aims to simplify system administration, enabling organizations to standardize deployment at scale.