Red Hat Enterprise Linux socket-pair based licensing

  • Release version: Xanadu
  • Updated August 1, 2024
  • 7 minutes to read
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    Summary of Red Hat Enterprise Linux socket-pair based licensing

    Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) Server licensing is managed based on the number of socket-pairs or virtual machine (VM) pairs on physical hosts. This model supports deployment in physical, virtual, and hybrid environments, allowing flexibility in licensing across different infrastructure setups.

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    Virtual environments are classified as either low-density or high-density by comparing the ratio of required RHEL Server licenses to RHEL for Virtual Datacenters licenses against a configurable threshold (default is 3.2). This classification helps optimize license costs by choosing the appropriate license type for the environment.

    Key Features

    • Physical environment licensing: Licenses are based on the total number of socket-pairs on physical hosts. For example, a host with 10 sockets requires 5 RHEL Server licenses. Clusters are licensed by summing socket-pairs across hosts.
    • Virtual environment licensing: Licenses are based on the number of VM pairs running RHEL servers on physical hosts. For example, 6 VMs require 3 licenses. Single VMs require individual licenses. Clusters are licensed by summing VM pairs across hosts.
    • Hybrid environment licensing: Combines socket-pair and VM pair counts on physical hosts to determine total RHEL Server licenses needed. Clusters sum these counts across hosts.
    • RHEL for Virtual Datacenters: Designed for high-density virtual environments using hypervisors like Red Hat Virtualization and VMware. Licensing is based on socket-pairs on physical hosts, covering unlimited VMs without per-VM licensing. Clusters are licensed by total socket-pairs across hosts.
    • License consumption order: When both RHEL Server and RHEL for Virtual Datacenters licenses are available, consumption prioritizes RHEL for Virtual Datacenters licenses on allocated hosts/VMs/clusters, followed by RHEL Server licenses, and then other scenarios according to environment density and availability.

    What This Enables for ServiceNow Customers

    ServiceNow customers managing Red Hat licenses can use this model to:

    • Optimize costs by accurately classifying virtual environments as low- or high-density using the threshold ratio.
    • Properly allocate licenses based on physical socket-pairs and VM pairs, ensuring compliance and avoiding over- or under-licensing.
    • Manage license consumption order effectively when holding multiple license types, aligning with Red Hat’s licensing policies.
    • Leverage cluster-level licensing to streamline license management across multiple hosts, reducing complexity.

    This approach ensures that license management in ServiceNow reflects actual infrastructure usage, enabling cost control and compliance for RHEL deployments in diverse environments.

    Use the RHEL Server licensing based on the number of socket-pairs or virtual machine (VM) pairs on a physical host to manage licenses for your RHEL products.

    Overview of the socket-pair based licensing model

    Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server

    Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server enables Linux distributions in physical, virtual, and hybrid environments. Although you can use RHEL licenses in both low-density and high-density virtual environments, they’re more cost efficient in low-density virtual environments.

    To determine whether a virtual environment is low-density or high-density, divide the number of required RHEL licenses by the number of required RHEL for Virtual Datacenters licenses. Compare this value against the threshold value in the Red Hat Enterprise Linux for Virtual Datacenters license cost optimization threshold field that you defined in your Software Asset Management properties. If your value is lower than the threshold value, then the virtual environment is considered low-density. If your value is equal to or higher than the threshold value, then the virtual environment is considered high density.
    Note:
    The default value for the Red Hat Enterprise Linux for Virtual Datacenters license cost optimization threshold field is 3.2. This value is based on the ratio of the current RHEL Server subscription list price to the current RHEL for Virtual Datacenters subscription list price. If your entitlements contain different pricings for these products, then you can calculate this value by dividing your RHEL for Virtual Datacenters subscription price by your RHEL Server subscription price.

    RHEL uses different licensing models depending on the environment in which you deploy a server.

    Table 1. RHEL licensing models
    Environment Description Licensing model Cluster licensing model
    Physical Deployment of RHEL servers on physical hosts. Licensing is based on the number of socket-pairs on the physical host. For example, a physical host with 10 sockets requires five RHEL Server licenses.

    Single-socket hosts must be licensed individually.

    		 Licensing is based on the total number of socket-pairs on the physical hosts within a cluster. For example, if Cluster Host A has 10 sockets and Cluster Host B has 20 sockets, then you must use 15 RHEL Server licenses to license the entire cluster.
    Virtual (low-density and high density)

    Deployment of RHEL servers on the VMs that are running on physical hosts.

    		 Licensing is based on the number of VM pairs that are running the server on a physical host. For example, a physical host with six VMs that are running a RHEL server requires three RHEL Server licenses.

    Single VMs that are running a RHEL server must be licensed individually.

    		 Licensing is based on the total number of VM pairs on the physical hosts within a cluster. For example, if Cluster Host A has 10 VMs and Cluster Host B has 20 VMs, you must use 15 RHEL Server licenses to license the entire cluster.
    Hybrid Deployment of RHEL servers on the physical hosts and on the VMs that are running on those hosts. Licensing is based on the number of socket-pairs on the physical host and the number of VM pairs that are running the server on the same host. For example, you can run a RHEL server on a physical host with 10 sockets and also on the 20 VMs running on that host. In this example, the host requires a total of 15 RHEL Server licenses. Licensing is based on the total number of socket-pairs and VM pairs on the physical hosts within a cluster. For example, if Cluster Host A has 10 sockets and 10 VMs while Cluster Host B has 20 sockets and 20 VMs, you must use 30 RHEL Server licenses to license the entire cluster.
    Red Hat Enterprise Linux for Virtual Datacenters

    Red Hat Enterprise Linux for Virtual Datacenters uses hypervisors, such as Red Hat Virtualization and VMware, to enable Linux distributions in both low-density and high-density virtual environments. RHEL for Virtual Datacenters licenses are more cost efficient in high-density virtual environments.

    To determine whether a virtual environment is low-density or high-density, divide the number of required RHEL Server licenses by the number of required RHEL for Virtual Datacenters licenses. Compare this value against the threshold value in the Red Hat Enterprise Linux for Virtual Datacenters license cost optimization threshold field that you defined in your Software Asset Management properties. If your value is lower than the threshold value, then the virtual environment is considered low-density. If your value is equal to or higher than the threshold value, then the virtual environment is considered high density.

    Note:
    The default value for the Red Hat Enterprise Linux for Virtual Datacenters license cost optimization threshold field is 3.2. This value is based on the ratio of the current RHEL Server subscription list price to the current RHEL for Virtual Datacenters subscription list price. If your entitlements contain different pricings for these products, you can calculate this value by dividing your RHEL for Virtual Datacenters subscription price by your RHEL Server subscription price.

    RHEL for Virtual Datacenters licensing is based on the number of socket-pairs on the physical hosts that are running your VMs. With this license type, you don’t need to license the VMs that are running a RHEL for Virtual Datacenters server because you can access an unlimited number of VMs from your physical hosts. Single-socket hosts must be licensed individually.

    If you deploy a RHEL for Virtual Datacenters server on VMs within a cluster, licensing is based on the total number of socket-pairs on all hosts that are running those VMs. Since you can access an unlimited number of VMs from your physical hosts, you don’t need to license the cluster based on the total number of VMs that are running the server within the cluster. For example, if Cluster Host A has 10 sockets and 20 VMs while Cluster Host B has 20 sockets and 60 VMs, you must use 15 RHEL for Virtual Datacenters licenses to license the entire cluster.

    License consumption order

    If you have both RHEL Server and RHEL for Virtual Datacenters licenses, consume them in the following order:

    1. RHEL for Virtual Datacenters licenses on the physical hosts, VMs, or clusters that have allocated licenses.
    2. RHEL Server licenses on the physical hosts, VMs, or clusters that have allocated licenses.
    3. RHEL for Virtual Datacenters licenses on physical hosts, VMs, or clusters in high-density virtual environments.
    4. RHEL Server licenses on physical hosts, VMs, or clusters in low-density virtual environments.
    5. RHEL Server licenses on physical hosts, VMs, or clusters in high-density virtual environments. Use this license type only if you have run out of RHEL for Virtual Datacenters licenses in high-density virtual environments.
    6. RHEL for Virtual Datacenters licenses on physical hosts, VMs, or clusters in low-density virtual environments. Use this license type only if you have run out of RHEL Server licenses in low-density virtual environments.