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Setup and administration

Changes to supported Linux operating systems

Contributors netapp-bcammett
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As we add and remove support for the Connector on specific Linux operating systems, you might have questions about how this support affects your existing Connector deployments.

Support for RHEL 8 and 9

Starting with the 3.9.40 release, BlueXP supports the Connector with the following versions of Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL):

  • 8.6 to 8.9

  • 9.1 to 9.3

Note the following about support for these RHEL versions:

Limitations

  • When the Connector is installed on a RHEL 8 or 9 host, BlueXP backup and recovery has limitations related to single-file restore and ransomware scanning. For details, refer to known limitations for BlueXP backup and recovery

  • BlueXP classification is supported if you install the Connector on a RHEL 8 or 9 host that resides on-premises. It's not supported if the RHEL 8 or 9 host resides in AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud.

Container orchestration tool

Podman is required as the container orchestration tool when you install the Connector on a RHEL 8 or 9 host. Docker Engine is not supported with RHEL 8 and 9.

View requirements for Podman.

Deployment mode

RHEL 8 and 9 are supported when using BlueXP in standard mode or restricted mode.

New manual installations only

RHEL 8 and 9 are supported with new Connector installations when manually installing the Connector on hosts running on your premises or in the cloud.

RHEL upgrades

If you have an existing Connector running on a RHEL 7 host, we don't support upgrading the RHEL 7 operating system to RHEL 8 or 9. Learn more about existing Connectors on RHEL 7 or CentOS 7.

End of support for RHEL 7 and CentOS 7

On June 30, 2024, RHEL 7 will reach end of maintenance (EOM), while CentOS 7 will reach end of life (EOL). NetApp will continue to support the Connector on these Linux distributions until June 30, 2024.

Red Hat: What to know about Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 End of Maintenance

Existing Connectors on RHEL 7 or CentOS 7

If you have an existing Connector running on RHEL 7 or CentOS 7, we don't support upgrading or converting the operating system to RHEL 8 or 9. To start running a Connector on a RHEL 8 or 9 host instead, you need to do the following:

  1. Set up a RHEL 8 or 9 host.

  2. Install Podman.

  3. Perform a new Connector installation.

  4. Configure the Connector to discover the working environments that the old Connector was managing.

Continued support for Ubuntu 22.04 LTS

The Connector is still supported on Ubuntu 22.04 LTS and is the default operating system for deployments from BlueXP and from the marketplace.

Docker Engine is required for this operating system. Podman is not supported.

Summary of supported operating systems

Here's a summary of the operating system support that was described in the previous sections.

Note NetApp will continue to support the Connector on RHEL 7 and CentOS 7 until June 30, 2024.
Standard mode
Manual installation

  • Ubuntu 22.04 LTS

  • CentOS 7.6 to 7.9

  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux

    • 7.6 to 7.9

    • 8.6 to 8.9

    • 9.1 to 9.3

Deployment from BlueXP

Ubuntu 22.04 LTS

Deployment from the AWS Marketplace

Ubuntu 22.04 LTS

Deployment from the Azure Marketplace

Ubuntu 22.04 LTS

Restricted mode
Manual installation

  • Ubuntu 22.04 LTS

  • CentOS 7.6 to 7.9

  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux

    • 7.6 to 7.9

    • 8.6 to 8.9

    • 9.1 to 9.3

Deployment from the AWS Marketplace

Ubuntu 22.04 LTS

Deployment from the Azure Marketplace

Ubuntu 22.04 LTS

Private mode
Manual installation

  • Ubuntu 22.04 LTS

  • CentOS 7.6 to 7.9

  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7.6 to 7.9

How to get started with RHEL 8 and 9

Refer to the following pages for details about host requirements, Podman requirements, and steps to install Podman and the Connector:

How to rediscover your working environments

Refer to the following pages to rediscover your working environments after a new Connector deployment.