What is the Difference between RHEL 8 and RHEL 9 ?

Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) is a leading enterprise operating system known for its stability, security, and performance. With the release of RHEL 9, Red Hat has introduced a host of new features and improvements over RHEL 8. In this detailed comparison, we’ll explore the key differences and enhancements that RHEL 9 brings to the table compared to RHEL 8.

1. Kernel and Core System Enhancements

Kernel Version

• RHEL 8: Utilizes the Linux kernel version 4.18, which offers a solid foundation for stability and performance.
• RHEL 9: Upgrades to the Linux kernel version 5.14, providing better hardware support, improved performance, and numerous new features such as better support for newer CPU architectures, improved power management, and enhanced security.

The newer kernel in RHEL 9 supports a wider range of hardware and includes many performance and security enhancements that are crucial for modern enterprise environments.

2. Performance and Scalability

RHEL 9 introduces significant performance improvements over RHEL 8. These enhancements are particularly noticeable in large-scale deployments and cloud environments. The new kernel brings better scalability for handling large workloads and more efficient resource management, which is critical for high-demand applications.

3. System Initialization and Boot Process

• RHEL 8: Uses systemd for system initialization and service management.
• RHEL 9: Continues to use systemd but with updates that improve boot speed and reliability. The enhancements in systemd in RHEL 9 include faster service startup times and better handling of dependencies.

4. Software and Package Management

Package Management

• RHEL 8: Introduces DNF (Dandified Yum) as the default package manager, replacing Yum. DNF offers better performance, a more robust dependency resolution, and enhanced modularity.
• RHEL 9: Continues to use DNF with further optimizations for speed and reliability. The package manager in RHEL 9 is more efficient, reducing the time required for installing and updating packages.

Application Streams

• RHEL 8: Introduced the concept of Application Streams (AppStreams), allowing multiple versions of user-space components to be available and easily switchable.
• RHEL 9: Expands on AppStreams, providing even more flexibility and updated software versions. This makes it easier for developers and administrators to select and manage the right versions of applications and runtime environments for their needs.

RHEL 9’s enhanced AppStreams ensure that enterprises can more easily maintain compatibility with their software stack while taking advantage of the latest updates and features.

5. Security Enhancements

System-Wide Cryptographic Policies

• RHEL 8: Provides system-wide cryptographic policies to simplify the configuration of security standards across applications.
• RHEL 9: Builds on this by introducing more advanced cryptographic algorithms and policies, ensuring better security and compliance with evolving standards.

SELinux and Security Features

• RHEL 8: Includes SELinux (Security-Enhanced Linux) for mandatory access control, offering robust security against unauthorized access.
• RHEL 9: Enhances SELinux policies and introduces new security features like the Integrity Measurement Architecture (IMA), which provides better verification of the integrity of the system and critical data.

The advancements in SELinux and the addition of IMA in RHEL 9 significantly improve the security posture of the operating system, making it more resilient to attacks and unauthorized modifications.

6. Enhanced Firewall Capabilities

RHEL 9 includes updated firewall capabilities with improved support for complex network environments and better integration with modern networking technologies. This includes enhanced support for IPv6, better handling of network namespaces, and more efficient routing.

7. Developer Tools and Support

Compiler and Development Tools

• RHEL 8: Includes GCC 8, Python 3.6, and other development tools, providing a solid base for software development.
• RHEL 9: Updates to GCC 11, Python 3.9, and includes additional compilers like LLVM, Rust, and Go, offering better support for modern development practices and languages.

The updated development tools in RHEL 9 enable developers to take advantage of the latest language features and performance improvements, resulting in more efficient and robust applications.

8. Containerization and Virtualization

Containers

• RHEL 8: Supports containerized applications with tools like Podman, Buildah, and Skopeo, providing a secure and efficient environment for running containers.
• RHEL 9: Enhances support for containerization with updates to Podman and better integration with Kubernetes. The container tools in RHEL 9 are more mature, offering improved container image building, management, and orchestration.

The enhanced container support in RHEL 9 makes it easier for organizations to deploy and manage containerized applications at scale, leveraging the benefits of microservices architectures.

Virtualization

• RHEL 8: Improved virtualization capabilities using KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine) and QEMU.
• RHEL 9: Further enhancements in virtualization performance, better support for virtualized environments, and improved management tools. RHEL 9 also introduces support for new virtualization features that provide better resource utilization and isolation.

The advancements in virtualization in RHEL 9 enable more efficient use of hardware resources and better performance for virtual machines, making it an ideal choice for data centers and cloud environments.

9.System Management and Automation

System Roles

• RHEL 8: Introduced system roles to simplify the configuration of common tasks using Ansible.
• RHEL 9: Expands system roles with more predefined roles for easier system management and automation. These roles cover a wider range of services and configurations, making it easier to maintain consistent and repeatable setups across multiple systems.

The expanded system roles in RHEL 9 help administrators automate complex tasks, reducing the potential for errors and improving overall efficiency.

Cockpit

• RHEL 8: Includes Cockpit for web-based server management, providing an intuitive interface for managing system services, storage, networking, and more.
• RHEL 9: Improves Cockpit features, offering better performance and additional functionality. The updated Cockpit in RHEL 9 provides more detailed monitoring and management capabilities, making it easier to oversee the health and performance of servers.

The enhancements in Cockpit in RHEL 9 offer a more streamlined and powerful management experience, enabling administrators to quickly and easily manage their RHEL servers.

10. Networking and Storage Management

Networking

• RHEL 8: Improved networking stack with better performance and support for modern network interfaces.
• RHEL 9: Introduces advanced networking features, including better support for IPv6, improved network namespaces, and more efficient routing. These improvements ensure that RHEL 9 can handle complex network configurations and high-performance networking demands.

Storage

• RHEL 8: Enhanced storage management with tools like Stratis and VDO (Virtual Data Optimizer), providing better storage efficiency and management capabilities.
• RHEL 9: Further improvements in storage efficiency and management tools, including better support for distributed storage systems and enhanced integration with cloud storage solutions.

The storage enhancements in RHEL 9 enable organizations to manage their storage infrastructure more effectively, ensuring optimal performance and cost-efficiency.

11. Support Lifecycle

• RHEL 8: Released in May 2019, with a 10-year support lifecycle, including extended lifecycle support.
• RHEL 9: Released in May 2022, also with a 10-year support lifecycle, ensuring long-term stability and support for enterprise deployments.

The long support lifecycle for both RHEL 8 and RHEL 9 provides enterprises with the assurance of ongoing security updates, bug fixes, and technical support, making them reliable choices for mission-critical applications.

Table highlights Differences between RHEL 8 and RHEL 9.

Conclusion

RHEL 9 builds upon the solid foundation of RHEL 8, offering significant improvements in performance, security, developer tools, containerization, virtualization, system management, networking, and storage management. The updates and enhancements in RHEL 9 make it an ideal choice for modern IT environments, including cloud and large-scale deployments.

Whether you are running critical workloads, developing new applications, or managing a complex infrastructure, RHEL 9 provides the tools and capabilities needed to meet the demands of today’s enterprise environments. By upgrading to RHEL 9, organizations can benefit from the latest advancements in technology, ensuring a more secure, efficient, and scalable IT infrastructure.