Suse linux enterprise support

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Extended Support?

Extended Support is an interim time period between General Support and Self-Support for any SUSE Linux Platform Solution, and gives customers the flexibility to remain on an older version of SUSE products for a predefined time. Long Term Service Pack Support is available for purchase during the Extended Support product support lifecycle phase, enabling customers to extend the lifecycle of each major version of SUSE Linux Enterprise Server. An active SUSE Linux Enterprise Server subscription is required and configuration limitations apply.

What is Self-Support?

Self-Support includes free and some fee-based resources and is available for thirteen years from the start of General Support. Look here to see what Self-Support options are available.

What software patches and fixes are available during Extended Support of SUSE Linux Enterprise?

SUSE generally releases service packs every 12 to 18 months. Once a new service pack is released, we provide the industry standard six-month window in which we continue to deliver the critical support you need for the previous service pack, while you plan for, test and implement the new service pack release. Service packs are available to current SUSE subscription customers only.

If you need additional time to design, validate and test execution plans, Long Term Service Pack Support can extend support an additional 12 to 36 months in 12-month increments, giving you a total of three to five years of support on any given service pack.

What software patches and fixes are available during General Support of SUSE Linux Enterprise?

With the purchase of Long Term Service Pack Support, customers are able to maintain their current operating system version significantly longer, preserving the stability and security of their data centers.

Long Term Service Pack Support includes:

• Access to SUSE’s award winning support organization for unlimited technical support
  • Priority subscriptions provide 24×7 coverage
  • Standard subscriptions provide 12×5 coverage
• Fixes for critical security issues
• Fixes for Severity Level 1 and 2 defects reported by customers participating in the program

Long Term Service Pack Support does not include any software enhancement requests or hardware enablement. For more information, see Long Term Service Pack Support.

If I already pay a SUSE Subscription, do I need to purchase Long Term Service Pack Support for my older products?

Yes, if the older version product has moved from the General to the Extended Support phase, you must purchase Long Term Service Pack Support in order to receive technical support and maintenance updates/security fixes.

To see if a particular product is in the Extended Support lifecycle phase, see the SUSE Product Support Lifecycle web site. For more information, see Long Term Service Pack Support.

If I have multiple SUSE Linux Enterprise products, do they all share the same Product Support Lifecycle schedule?

The SUSE Product Support Lifecycle is designed to be consistent by product categorization and by product family. However, there may be some exceptions to the guidelines. For this reason, it is important to verify product support lifecycle schedules posted on the SUSE Product Support Lifecycle web site.

What does «Current Version» in the Product Support Lifecycle schedule mean?

«Current Version» is the latest released product version for the product listed in the “Product Release” column. SUSE recommends that customers make reasonable efforts to be on the current version of their SUSE products.

What does «Replacement Product» in the Product Support Lifecycle schedule mean?

«Replacement Product» is the current product which replaces the product listed in the “Product Release” column of the lifecycle status page.

Источник

SUSE Technical Support Policy

Every SUSE solution has a defined lifecycle. The lifecycle begins when a product is released and ends when it is no longer supported. Knowing these dates help you make an informed decision about when to update / upgrade your solutions. Please see the Product Support Lifecycle site for information about your specific product.

For specific product information, please visit

SUSE Support Definitions

To understand policy information for each support offering from SUSE, please select an option below:

SUSE Technical Support

SUSE technical experts give you the help you need, when you need it. With Priority Support, you get follow the sun, 24x7x365 technical support from our globally based experts. Customers with standard and priority subscriptions can open incidents through our SUSE Customer Center or search our self-help knowledge base. For a production system down, we recommend all customers to call their local number as listed in our support handbook. View the technical support policy handbook.

SUSE categorizes technical support into the following categories:

Problem determination, which means technical support designed to provide compatibility information, usage support, ongoing maintenance, information gathering and basic troubleshooting using available documentation.

Problem isolation, which means technical support designed to analyze data, reproduce customer problems, isolate problem area and provide a resolution for problems not resolved by Level 1 or prepare for Level 3.

Problem resolution, which means technical support designed to resolve problems by engaging engineering to resolve product defects which have been identified by Level 2 Support.

Security and Maintenance Patches

SUSE provides security and maintenance patches for all currently supported solutions because we know keeping your systems up-to-date helps ensure maximum performance and security. Through the SUSE Customer Center, SUSE will proactively notify its customers when patches are available for their systems. You will also find the powerful tools you need to update them quickly and easily.

During a product’s general support period, SUSE’s Support team is available for:

• Break-fix technical support related to
• Installation
• Upgrade
• Configuration
• Unplanned outages and errors

During a products general support period, you will also have access to software repositories for maintenance and security patches.

During a product’s extended support period, customers with active subscriptions continue to have access to software repositories, where previously released maintenance patches are posted. During the extended support period, SUSE will deliver security patches for critical vulnerabilities, and maintenance patches for critical non-security issues.

Program Temporary Fixes and Defect Resolution

SUSE provides security and maintenance patches for all currently supported solutions because we know keeping your systems up-to-date helps ensure maximum performance and security. Through the SUSE Customer Center, SUSE will proactively notify its customers when patches are available for their systems. You will also find the powerful tools you need to update them quickly and easily.

Service Packs

Service Packs are up-to-date product versions which contain enhancements, as well as all maintenance and security patches released since its prior version (if there is one), packaged into a single, convenient, installable image. Once a new service pack is released, customers have six months to upgrade to this latest service pack, and continue to receive current patches and fixes.

Long Term Service Pack Support

Long Term Service Pack Support provides up to 3 years of continued access to technical support, maintenance and security patches for selected products that have reached the end of general support date. You can purchase this continued support in 1-year increments to continue access to migration, configuration, break-fix help, and Defect Resolution for Level 1 and 2 severity issues.

Extended Service Pack Support

Extended Service Pack Overlay Support (ESPOS) provides an additional 3 years support for a specific product release, in addition to the 6 months overlap support period already provided, for a total of 3.5 years. This eliminates the need to purchase LTSS until the last service pack.

During this period, you receive support and all relevant maintenance updates under the terms of Long Term Service Pack Support (LTSS). LTSS does not include any software enhancement requests or hardware enablement, and is available as an extension to an existing SUSE Linux Enterprise Server subscription. Both LTSS and ESPOS are not available for new deployments that are past the end date of general support.

Источник

Award-Winning Support for All Things Linux

As your Linux environment grows, you may run into unexpected (and unwanted) costs. Our Expanded Support program gives you access to the most interoperable and cost-effective Linux, plus SUSE’s #1 rated support for your existing Linux deployment. We’ll also help you transition from Red Hat Enterprise Linux.​

• SUSE & Red Hat–compatible updates & fixes​
• Urgent request hot patches & fixes​
• Unlimited 24/7 technical support​
• Choice of 1 to 3-year contracts​
• Option to co-terminate or consolidate support​

QUICK LINKS

Key Features

Manage Your Mixed Linux Environment and easily migrate from Red Hat Enterprise Linux to SUSE Linux Enterprise by combining SUSE Manag.

Support for Your Mixed IT Environment from SUSE providing premium support for mission-critical enterprise environments and has been r.

Powerful Online Self-Help with​ SUSE Linux Enterprise Server also features two powerful support applications. Not only do.

Manage Your Mixed Linux Environment and easily migrate from Red Hat Enterprise Linux to SUSE Linux Enterprise by combining SUSE Manager with SUSE Linux Enterprise Server with Expanded Support​.

SUSE Manager seamlessly manages multiple Linux distributions, including SUSE Linux Enterprise Server and Red Hat Enterprise Linux, enabling you to confidently manage your workload migration.​

Support for Your Mixed IT Environment from SUSE providing premium support for mission-critical enterprise environments and has been ranked number-one in Linux support worldwide.​

Expanded Support formalizes existing technical support and professional services that SUSE has delivered to customers who want simplified enterprise Linux support.​

Powerful Online Self-Help with​ SUSE Linux Enterprise Server also features two powerful support applications.

Not only do SupportLink and SupportAdvisor help you quickly and easily diagnose and resolve issues, but they let you perform health checks to identify trends and address potential trouble spots before they become serious problems.​

Manage Your Mixed Linux Environment and easily migrate from Red Hat Enterprise Linux to SUSE Linux Enterprise by combining SUSE Manager with SUSE Linux Enterprise Server with Expanded Support​.

SUSE Manager seamlessly manages multiple Linux distributions, including SUSE Linux Enterprise Server and Red Hat Enterprise Linux, enabling you to confidently manage your workload migration.​

Support for Your Mixed IT Environment from SUSE providing premium support for mission-critical enterprise environments and has been ranked number-one in Linux support worldwide.​

Expanded Support formalizes existing technical support and professional services that SUSE has delivered to customers who want simplified enterprise Linux support.​

Powerful Online Self-Help with​ SUSE Linux Enterprise Server also features two powerful support applications.

Not only do SupportLink and SupportAdvisor help you quickly and easily diagnose and resolve issues, but they let you perform health checks to identify trends and address potential trouble spots before they become serious problems.​

The initial migration from Red Hat Enterprise Linux to SUSE Linux Enterprise Server with Expanded Support produced an immediate 50 percent saving in total subscription costs for Tyro. «The added value we get from SUSE is the support and the diligence in the testing of their packages before release—that’s what we’re paying for.»

Sascha Hess, Vice President of Operations

“Colt first purchased Expanded Support from SUSE 2 years ago for our internal Red Hat Enterprise Linux Environment. we saved approximately 60% on our annual Red Hat Subscription costs.”

Stefan Farrelly, Manager, Management and Operations

“We chose the Expanded Support offering from SUSE to help manage our existing Red Hat Linux environment. In addition to superior quality support, the SUSE offering has also reduced our Linux support related costs by over 60%.”

Scott Culbertson, Vice President, Information Services

IT Transformation is Hard—We Can Help

Partner with SUSE experts to accelerate business modernization. Address skills gaps with flexible training. Enjoy white glove technical support services directly from a named professional. Experience dedication, responsiveness and choice. Experience SUSE Global Services.

SUSE Consulting

Your modernization journey is as unique as your business. We work with you and your team to identify starting points, design solutions, implement best practices, and optimize for continual success.

Blended Services

Disruptive technologies help you stay ahead of your competition but can require new skills and resources. Select Services blends consulting and premium support services to jumpstart your modernization efforts.

Training Services

If skills are inhibiting your transformation, SUSE Training is your answer. Our comprehensive portfolio of courses and certification paths provide the training that fits your needs, your schedule, and your business.

Premium Support Services

Extend your SUSE support with direct, named access to a resource who know you, your team and your infrastructure. Keep up with the pace of change and customer expectations, while still taking care of every day business.

Источник