Three Ways Long Term Service Pack Support (LTSS) Makes the Life of Enterprise IT Easier

Before I get to the three amazing things that calm down admins, developers and IT decision makers, I would like to take the opportunity and remind everyone of a few vital dates coming up:

• March 31, 2019. In other words, NOW. This is when SUSE Linux Enterprise Server (SLES) 11 Service Pack 4 reaches end of life. This is the last service pack of the SLES 11 codebase and, while I would not bet my house on it, I assure you it had the longest run in general availability for any SLES service pack.

Just check out the green bar for SLES11 SP4 below (the thing ran so long it barely fits on this page!):

• June 30, 2019 – this is when SLES12 SP3 reaches end of general support and requires LTSS for continued support.

• July 01, 2019 – this is when LTSS for SLES12 GA (SP0) reaches end of life. This means no more SLES 12 GA. If your IT shop is running it, it is time to schedule upgrades immediately.

Now, as promised, here are the three lifesavers offered by LTSS:

1. It gives enterprises more time to make a decision to upgrade, hold on, upgrade partially etc. Sometimes making the decision is the hardest part. Once done, it is all so easy.
2. LTSS keeps the compliance guys at bay and does not let them come around and yell on account of running systems unpatched and unsupported. … and, believe me, the compliance officers can be vocal and loud!
3. LTSS can be purchased on the fly and just added on to the core SLES subscriptions customers already own. Yes, LTSS is an add-on product and comes in various flavors/packs. If SLES 11 SP4 is the one folks need, they can get it just about any time. Just remember to keep an eye on the lifecycle page where we list the actual service pack dates, their first customer shipment, LTSS end dates and all other vital lifecycle information.

In closing let me quiz you to see if you were paying attention on the three things to remember:

• Schedule upgrades early and diligently. Even a super long run like the one for SLES 11 SP4 eventually reaches end of life.
• Keep and eye on the lifecycle page – this is really important for enterprise customers. Know your dates.
• SLES 11 SP4 is out of support by end of this month. Long Term Service Pack is an option for customers who need more time to plan and carry out updates. Please remember that LTSS is a temporary solution – schedule the upgrades! Rumor has it that SLES 15 SP1 will be out in the summer and that it is wicked good! ?

Now that you know the relief that LTSS offers, please rush like a sprinter to the product pages and chat with your favorite SUSE sales or support person about Long Term Service Pack support.