Solutions

MontaVista has been embedding Linux into all kinds of "things" for over 2 decades.

As an Embedded market leader, we can target basically any baseline using our facilities for building and testing, being honed in the development of Carrier Grade Linux products. We are confident to say that we are subject matter experts when it comes to embedded Linux and offer access to long-term expertise through professional services.

Whether a short task of integrating a newly released package to an older kernel version or longer commitment that requires a dedicated engineering resource, MontaVista has a support program to your needs:

• Standard support included in MontaVista Linux products
• Engineering hours for shorter and focused tasks on demand
• Yearly or half-yearly dedicated MontaVista engineering services to your development team
• Project-based support to achieve a defined deliverable requirement

One of MontaVista’s most prominent support programs is MVShield for CentOS, a distribution derived from Redhat Enterprise Linux® (RHEL).

Like RHEL, developers embedding a CentOS distribution have to continue moving forward with new CentOS releases to receive bug fixes, CVEs, and features. Such updates to a new Linux branch every 6-9 months will create a disruptive development environment and inconsistent testing, resulting in higher cost, missed schedules, and challenging QA practices.

Since January 2022, the CentOS project has decided that the traditional model of working with the CentOS distribution will move to the CentOS Stream approach, which offers more limited stabilization options. Consequently, the original founders of the CentOS project founded another Linux consortium named the Rocky Enterprise Software Foundation (RESF) that published Rocky Linux.

Rocky Linux is replicating the original intent of CentOS Linux by reproducing a derivative of RHEL. Since April 2021, MontaVista has been a Principal Sponsor of RESF. Our MVShield products have embraced Rocky Linux, especially for distributions that target the CentOS 8.x or Rocky 8.x baselines. Despite the changes to the CentOS project source distribution announced by Red Hat in June 2023, MontaVista continues our firm commitment to Rocky Linux, providing commercial support for Rocky Linux 9.2 and upcoming 9.x releases.

MontaVista also extends CentOS 7.9 operational viability beyond the June 30, 2024, End-Of-Life (EOL) date, offering continued security updates and technical support via MVShield.

MVShield allows customers to freeze the CentOS branch they are using. It is best suited for customers who utilize CentOS or Rocky in markets such as network and wireless infrastructure, medical, and military-aerospace. For such companies, having a stable and frozen development environment enables them to maintain product integrity, build a secure product (by incorporating CVEs) and meet their product deadlines. These factors are crucial for long-term success.

 

As a high quality support program, MVShield can bring you real value adds as below:

• Timely technical support resolution via a Service Level Agreement (SLA) to leverage MontaVista’s deep expertise in embedded Linux
• Reduced risk and liability for defects and CVEs due to continuous maintenance and support program built up from over 20 years of embedded Linux product development
• Cut development and maintenance costs by reusing a ready-to-use validated test, build, QA and support framework
• Long-term support for CentOS® vaulted releases, allowing product lifetimes of 10 years or more

MontaVista will provide robust CVE and bug fix updates that are thoroughly tested through our QA test infrastructure. In addition, MontaVista can provide a custom service level agreement (SLA) to cover engineering requirements needing a rapid response and resolution for key schedule milestones and launch events. We are also very flexible to work on important bug fixes and CVEs deemed necessary to fix in your timeframe to meet customer commitments.  This includes providing quick turnaround “hot” fixes to potentially devastating 9/10 scored CVEs.

The following diagram describes the long-term aspects of MVShield. We always utilize the CentOS or Rocky project baseline but keep maintaining this over a much longer duration. With MVShield, you don’t have to upgrade the minor CentOS/Rocky versions as we keep your chosen baseline updated with backports.

 

There are some good reasons to choose a MontaVista-supported CentOS or Rocky program:

• Enterprise Linux base: MVShield follows a well-known baseline RHEL and has an extensive application ecosystem
• Competitive pricing: Our services have a fixed yearly cost with no run-time fees or licenses that will save 30-50% of your annual spendings
• No lock-in effect: All open-source distribution, no multi-year tie-in with the service
• Risk reduction by having MontaVista handle the distribution maintenance for security vulnerabilities and defects, and allowing you to focus on your products core value
• Peace of mind for having a trusted partner to provide advice for your Linux needs and be on-call to handle technical support issues

For insights, the following diagram depicts some key differences between RHEL, community CentOS and MVShield.

 

 

Our commercial support offering for CentOS and Rocky Linux distributions, MVShield, is available now!

 

Get in touch by sending an email to sales@mvista.com or filling in the Contact Us form today!

 

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This site is not endorsed by the CentOS Project