Do we need ELS add-on for servers running on RHEL 7 in Azure as RHEL7 is going to EOL

@Sandeep Jain (Kyndryl Transition Team) Thanks for posting your query on Microsoft Q&A.

As RHEL 7 approaches its end-of-life (EOL) date on June 30, 2024, you can ensure continued security updates and support by using the Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) Extended Life Cycle Support (ELS) add-on for RHEL 7 on Azure.

Compared to previous major releases, ELS for RHEL 7 expands the scope of security fixes by including updates that address important Common Vulnerabilities and Exceptions (CVEs). It also includes maintenance for RHEL for SAP Solutions (including S4/HANA) and RHEL High Availability and Resilient Storage add-ons.

The cost of this offering is based on the number of virtual CPUs (vCPUs) used per hour.

**** This offering will be available to Azure customers at no cost through the end of June 2024. All usage after that date will be billed at the normal rate. ****

ELS for RHEL 7 will be available for up to 4 years, through June 30, 2028. ELS for RHEL 7 is based on the last minor release, RHEL 7.9, therefore users must be on RHEL 7.9 to use ELS for RHEL 7.

In summary, for VMs running RHEL 7 in Azure beyond its EOL date, you'll need to consider either upgrading to a supported version of RHEL or purchasing Red Hat's Extended Lifecycle Support (ELS) add-on to continue receiving critical updates and support.

Additional Reading:

https://access.redhat.com/articles/rhel-7-els-on-cloud

https://azuremarketplace.microsoft.com/en-us/marketplace/apps/redhat-limited.rh-rhel-els-7?tab=Overview

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