INFOBrief
Red Hat Linux 7.2
Key Points
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Red Hat Linux 7.2 has many features designed for corporate enterprise computing. It provides improvements in capacity, storage management, and symmetric multi-processing.
ed Hat® Linux® 7.2 is based on the Linux version 2.4 kernel, which provides improved performance and scalability. Red Hat Linux 7.2 can be used with more powerful hardware (both IA32 and IA64) than earlier versions, offering support for more processors and memory up to 64GB. These improvements help advance the use of Linux for a broader range of enterprise applications.
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Linux provides a cost-effective, optimal operating environment for the front end of an Internet infrastructure using Dell™ PowerEdge™ servers, PowerEdge SC servers, and PowerApp™ server appliances. There are no license fees or per seat fees associated with Red Hat Linux software, which is an important contribution to lower TCO.
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Ease-of-use has been significantly enhanced with Red Hat 7.2 through graphical configuration and installation tools.
Now Red Hat Linux offers support for raw I/O, large memory, thousands of processes, and a journal file system for data integrity. With these features, Red Hat 7.2 is an attractive operating system for database applications.
Background
In August 1991, Linus Torvalds began building an operating system (OS) that eventually became Linux, a full-featured OS that has evolved as a project of programmers worldwide. Linux is similar but not identical to UNIX. It runs on a wide variety of hardware, including systems based on Intel, Alpha, PowerPC and other processors.
The Linux operating system is developed under the GNU General Public License (GPL), making it freely distributable. Freely distributable means that the source code for the kernel (the core technology within any operating system) and most software cannot be withheld. It does not mean that companies cannot charge for it. The GNU GPL is intended to guarantee the freedom to share and change free software. Companies and developers may charge money for Linux enhancements and service as long as the source code remains available for free.
As a result, although Linux initially referred strictly to the kernel (the core of the operating system), it now also includes a collection of configured software that runs on top of the Linux kernel. These “collections of software” are known as distributions. Currently, a number of vendors including Red Hat, Caldera, and SuSE offer distributions of Linux that include various enhancements as well as service and support.
Dell has chosen Red Hat as a strategic partner, and to distribute Red Hat’s versions of Linux. Red Hat maintains a strictly open source policy for its Linux offerings, which is consistent with Dell’s commitment to industry standards. Through this partnership, Dell provides customers with Red Hat Linux factory-installed on PowerEdge and PowerEdge SC servers. Red Hat Linux 7.2 is fully supported by Dell as a standard OS choice for PowerEdge servers, PowerEdge SC servers, and PowerApp.web appliances, and is also supported by all NICs, SCSI RAID controllers, and SCSI storage offered by Dell.
Premiere Enterprise Services & Support is available for customers selecting Linux as their operating system on Dell PowerEdge and PowerEdge SC servers. Sample offerings include training, phone and email support, and annual contracts (8 x 5 or 24 x 7). Bundled warranty for Linux on Dell PowerEdge and PowerEdge SC servers includes 90 days phone, 90 days email, 180 days of Red Hat Network and one advanced configuration incident.
Product Description
Red Hat Linux 7.2, based on the Linux 2.4 kernel, includes new feature improvements over prior versions: improved large memory support (up to 64 GB of RAM), SMP support for up to eight processors, increased device support, enhanced security features, and new graphical kick-start configuration tools for quick system set-up.
Additional enterprise-class availability enhancements that are now part of the operating system are the journal file system, raw I/O support for databases, and a logical volume manager.
Assisting in the management of Dell PowerEdge servers running Red Hat Linux are tools such as Network configuration tools, Red Hat Network for OS change management, user management tools, as well as hardware viewing tools. These features are elements of the operating system and come ready to use with each factory-installed Red Hat Linux server from Dell.
Red Hat has also included some popular Internet applications in Red Hat Linux 7.2:
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