As CentoOS 5 is nearing its End of Life (EOL) this upcoming March, cPanel users must consider immediately switching the use of CentOS 5 to the updated CentOS 7 as there will be no more updates for the latter program. CentOS 7 is a community based distribution that stems from the Red Hat Enterprise Linux Distribution that brings stability to users and is also going to be the primary CentOS platform beginning March. For those looking to migrate into CentOS 7, here is useful guide that may help users in understanding what is new and what to expect from this solution.
What are the Benefits of Running CentOS 7?
As previously mentioned, the primary benefit of running CentOS 7 is stability as this desktop will be running for a very long time. This includes cPanel web hosts being able to receive regular updates for as long as an estimated 10 years. With all the available updates, cPanel users will also benefit in many ways such as:
Security
As CentOS 7 is the newest platform, users will be able to utilize a more impenetrable firewall and anti-Spam program. For cPanel hosts, some security programs available a host of many programs that include:
Upgrading
For cPanel hosts upgrading from a CentOS 6 to a CentOS 7, they need not reformat their computers. CentOS 7 comes with an automatic upgrading feature called the In-Place Upgrade. This feature automatically provides upgrading from CentOS 6 to CentOS 7.
Data Management
As most cPanel hosts deal with gargantuan amounts of data, CentOS 7 uses XFS as its official file system. This system makes dealing with data a very efficient experience for cPanel hosts as it prevents journal traffic delays that were very predominant in previous, older systems.
Compatibility
Even with CentOS 7 offering many new and amazing features, the system is still compatible with older software. This means that data being managed by CentOS 5 and CentOS 6 will still work perfectly for CentOS 7. As a cPanel user, you may need to consider updating the data to CentOS 7 for safety and security.