More security and edge features for RHEL 9 at Red Hat

This week at its annual Red Hat Summit in Boston (May 10-11, 2022), IBM-owned Red Hat demonstrated several features for its Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) 9.0 distribution ( for x86, ARM, IBM Power and Z), many of which are focused on edge computing. Red Hat Edge initiative to streamline the process of deploying and managing edge infrastructure comes with the launch of several features, such as automation technology through Ansible and advanced cluster management for Kubernetes , to name a few. Red Hat’s idea is to leverage its Linux and OpenShift enterprise platforms to provide new ways to deploy edge technology. One of the key new features is touchless device provisioning via OpenShift, along with pre-built “validated templates”, which provide a quick and easy foundation for deploying new edge software stacks, whether for device manufacturers computers looking to simplify sales or for businesses that want to design their own technology.

Additionally, a technology preview of OpenShift deployment models more suitable for edge computing, including, for the first time, OpenShift Single Node (SNO) support, is also available now. “Edge computing is no longer an emergent concept for the enterprise…except that, at the same time, teams are facing an entirely new set of challenges,” said Francis Chow, vice president and general manager in charge of of the embedded operating system and the Edge at Red Hat, in a press release announcing the initiative. “The enhancements to the Red Hat Edge initiative…can help overcome these production hurdles and drive broader adoption of edge computing in the open hybrid cloud,” he added.

The importance of edge security

At the same conference, Red Hat also announced security features. In addition to software supply chain security templates, essentially cryptographically signed “known-good” configurations of code, the company has augmented its Advanced Cluster Security for Kubernetes platform with automated DevSecOps to deliver integration of configuration analysis, integration of CI/CD (continuous integration/continuous deployment) and vulnerability management. It also gains native threat detection, incident response and network segmentation features.

According to Vincent Danen, Red Hat vice president of product security, these features are an integral part of the more holistic approach to security demanded by the modern threat environment. “Computer security is not tied to a software edition or an add-on; it must be integrated with any technology chosen by the company, from the base of the operating system to the applications,” he said in a statement. “The enhanced security capabilities infused across Red Hat’s hybrid cloud portfolio should help deliver less complex operations with high levels of security, no matter where the business operates,” said -he adds.