On 30 June 2024, the popular Linux operating system, CentOS 7, reached its End of Life. If this is the operating system (OS) installed on your server, its demise makes it vital that you find an alternative OS as soon as possible. Here, we look at the implications of End of Life and the challenges of finding and migrating to a new OS.
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What is ‘End of Life’?
The important thing to mention here is that End of Life won’t cause your server to suddenly stop operating. Rather, it’s the industry jargon for when the developers stop providing support for the software. By support, we mean issuing updates. In other words, you’re stuck with the version you currently have installed. The reason this means you have to find another operating system is that without updates, there will be no more patches to fix security vulnerabilities or bugs and there will be no new features or functionalities.
Impact of CentOS 7 demise
While CentOS 7 will continue to work after 30 June 2024, the longer you carry on using it, the more your system is at risk of cyberattacks. Moreover, given the pace of software and hardware development, it will soon become outdated and incompatible with technological advances. These issues can impact your ability to comply with regulations, lead to operational problems and increase the costs of server maintenance.
The most compelling reason to migrate to a new OS quickly is because there will be no more security updates. According to Kaspersky, between Q1 2023 and Q1 2024, there was a 130% increase in attacks on Linux users . With no more security patches to protect CentOS 7 from new vulnerabilities, the potential for becoming a victim of a cyberattack is hugely increased. Businesses using these vulnerable OS will also find it more difficult to maintain compliance or attain the standards needed for security accreditations, increasing the potential for penalties and damaged reputation.
Companies that persist in using CentOS 7 will find that it eventually stops being compatible with the latest software and hardware. This means that your critical apps may cease to operate, bringing disruption to your business and diverting IT technicians from vital projects.
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Alternative OS options
CentOS 7 is just one of many different Linux distributions, open source and proprietary, so when it comes to future options, there is plenty of choice available. However, no two Linux OS are the same, so it is vital to choose a distribution that meets your current and future needs and one that will not be too challenging to migrate to.
With regards to business needs, any OS you choose should be tested, validated, secure and compliant; come with assurance of long-term support, including security patches and updates; and be compatible with your software and hosting environment. For companies whose servers are hosted by a service provider, it is a good idea to check with them about which distributions are best suited to that environment.
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When it comes to finding an OS that is not too difficult to migrate to, it helps to understand the nature of the Linux family. Linux is an umbrella term that describes a wide range of different but closely related operating systems. For decades, developers have been taking older versions and producing new ones based on them. This has resulted in a kind of Linux family tree. Generally speaking, the more closely related your new OS is to CentOS 7, the less of a challenge it could be to migrate to it. For this reason, it is helpful to know that CentOS 7 is a Fedora-based Linux distribution, so migrating to another Fedora derivative, instead of an openSUSE or Debian derivative might mean you won’t need to modify or replace any existing applications or processes.
Getting ready for migration
Changing your OS is a major task and to prevent any disasters, the operation needs detailed preparation. This means identifying the systems where CentOS 7 is running, together with the software and services they support and their dependencies and configurations.
You will also need to know whether your new OS is compatible with your software and services by testing them in a staging environment and addressing any issues. The migration itself will also need testing to eradicate any problems that would affect existing operations.
Only when these tests have proved successful, can the migration take place. However, before proceeding, it is crucial that your current CentOS 7 system is fully backed up. This way if any unexpected issues arise, the system can be quickly restored, and major downtime avoided.
When migration takes place, it is advisable to do it step by step, migrating one application at a time and then checking that it works effectively before proceeding to the next. To reduce the chance of a major problem, it is a good idea to start with the less critical applications first. Even if everything goes smoothly, you should monitor your migrated system closely to ensure no new issues arise.
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cPanel and Plesk extended support
CentOS 7 users with a cPanel or Plesk control panel can take some comfort in that both providers are offering continued support for the OS until 1 January 2026. Users will be enrolled on their Extended Lifecycle Support programmes and will continue to receive important security updates during that time through a partnership with TuxCare. This does come at a cost but will assure users that their systems remain protected while they find a new OS. The control panel companies are also providing their users with migration tools.
Webhosting UK customers who have issues with their migration also have access to our 24/7 technical support experts.
Conclusion
CentOS 7’s End of Life means users will need to find and migrate to an alternative OS. The sooner this is done, the better, even for those with cPanel and Plesk Extended Lifecycle Support. To ensure a successful migration, users of the OS need to identify the best Linux alternative and conduct rigorous testing so that they know the new OS is compatible with their existing systems.
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