Ensuring Continued Support for CentOS 7 Beyond End of Life

As the end-of-life (EOL) date for CentOS 7 approaches on June 30, 2024, many organizations are concerned about the future of their systems. End of life means the end of official updates, CentOS 7 patches and security fixes from the CentOS project. This makes existing CentOS systems vulnerable to security risks and compatibility issues. 

Fortunately, SUSE offers an alternative solution to keep your CentOS 7 systems secure and operational, ensuring 100% compatibility with your existing APIs and application binary interfaces (ABIs).

Let’s dive deeper into how SUSE can support CentOS 7 after its end of life date. We’ll cover:

• Backporting fixes in the CentOS code
• Maintaining compatibility with APIs and ABIs
• Features and benefits of SUSE Liberty Linux

Backporting Fixes: SUSE’s Proven Approach

To support CentOS 7 beyond EOL, SUSE employs a strategy of backporting fixes into the CentOS code. This approach is tried and tested; we have been successfully backporting as a core strategy for our own SUSE software. 

Backporting involves taking security patches and updates from newer software versions and applying them to older ones. This method ensures that any newly discovered vulnerabilities are promptly addressed without requiring major upgrades, thereby avoiding potential disruptions. Backporting security patches is part of SUSE’s comprehensive CentOS 7 extended support.

Maintaining Compatibility: API and ABI Assurance

A critical feature of SUSE Liberty Linux is maintaining 100% compatibility of APIs and ABIs. When we backport fixes, we ensure that these interfaces remain unchanged, so your applications continue to run smoothly without any modifications. Gain peace of mind, knowing your crucial CentOS 7 systems will function as expected without any business disruptions.

SUSE Liberty Linux

SUSE Liberty Linux combined with SUSE Manager provides a unified solution for managing all Linux environments. With SUSE Liberty Linux, you receive trusted support along with optional, proven management tools optimized for Linux environments, including CentOS. The three pillars of SUSE Liberty Linux are:

• Enterprise-Grade Support: SUSE Liberty Linux offers enterprise-grade support for your entire Linux environment, including CentOS distros, from a world-class technical support team. You have access to support 24/7/365 via chat, email, or phone, with follow-the-sun support in local languages. The support package includes guaranteed business-critical SLAs and ongoing communication from problem identification to resolution. This ensures that your CentOS 7 support needs are met comprehensively.
• Management Tools that Automate: SUSE Liberty Linux works seamlessly with SUSE Manager as an optional automation and management tool. This integration simplifies and streamlines your Linux environment, from core to cloud and edge. SUSE Manager provides a single pane of glass for monitoring, driving efficiencies by automating routine tasks and integrating smart automation. This mitigates resource constraints and the time required for system deployment and updates, even in complex DevOps scenarios. It’s ideal for CentOS 7 maintenance and ensuring the future of your systems.
• Zero Migration, Complete Compatibility: With SUSE Liberty Linux, no migration is required. Its compatibility with CentOS allows you to keep your existing infrastructure. The transition is simple: remove Red Hat patch repositories and install SUSE channels. This ensures stability and functionality, letting you focus on core business activities without disruption. You’ll receive consolidated maintenance patches, security updates and world-class support from a single provider, ensuring high availability, resilient storage, and reliable load balancing. Your applications and workloads will continue to operate as designed, and you’ll be ready for the future of CentOS environments.

With over 30 years of enterprise Linux experience, SUSE is uniquely positioned to provide extended support and maintenance for CentOS 7. Our history of innovation and commitment to open source principles ensure that your CentOS 7 systems remain secure and operational well beyond the official EOL date.

SUSE Liberty Linux simplifies the management of your mixed IT infrastructure by consolidating support under one partner with rich Linux expertise. As part of SUSE’s open, interoperable strategy, SUSE Liberty Linux offers the simplicity, choice and flexibility you need without the cost and constraints of vendor lock-in.

Don’t let the end of CentOS 7 support disrupt your operations. Contact SUSE today to learn more about our support solutions and how we can help you maintain a secure and reliable IT environment.