Red Hat Unveils Enterprise Linux 5.4

Red Hat explained that Enterprise Linux 5.4 is the foundation of the Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization portfolio of solutions and delivers expanded virtualization capabilities with the inclusion of kernel-based virtual machine (KVM) technology and Intel Virtualization Technology for Directed I/O (Intel VT-d) and PCI-SIG SR-IOV, allowing multiple virtual machines in an Intel Xeon Processor 5500 Series-based platform to directly share I/O devices. While continuing to deliver a broad ecosystem of certified hardware and software to customers, Red Hat said that the release also features improved I/O throughput and the inclusion of additional tools for developers.

Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.4 provides the integrated platform foundation for the Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization portfolio of solutions. With virtualization technology that is developed as an integral part of the Linux kernel, Red Hat Enterprise Linux offers the next generation of virtualization technology. Red Hat Enterprise Linux customers deploying Xen virtualization will continue to be supported through the full lifecycle of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5. Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.4, in combination with the Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization portfolio of products, is intended to enhance Red Hat's position in open virtualization as being what the company called the first Virtual Machine Vendor to support both IntelVT-d and PCI-SIG SR-IOV, allowing customers to deploy virtualization pervasively.

"Red Hat Enterprise Linux plays a significant role in Red Hat's virtualization strategy, and the availability of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.4 with the same virtualization technology base as Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization today is a significant step in our delivery of virtualization to the market," said Scott Crenshaw, vice president, Platform Business Unit at Red Hat. "The release also features advances in performance, security and storage that span virtual and physical environments. With this update release, Red Hat Enterprise Linux aims to raise the bar once again, offering compelling software technologies with impressive quality and reliability."

In addition to virtualization enhancements, Red Hat Enterprise stated that Linux 5.4 also includes a broad set of hardware platform enhancements focusing on performance and scalability. At the processor chipset level, the release includes optimizations for Intel Xeon Processor 5500 Series platforms as well as AMD Istanbul platforms. Network advancements include Generic Receive Offload (GRO) that utilizes new processing components in advanced network adapters to offload portions of the receive stack. Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) performance enhancements and hardware support are also included. The release additionally offers a large array of device driver enhancements ranging from disk, network, and graphics to OFED InfiniBand drivers.

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