Simplify your Red Hat subscriptions with AWS License Manager

AWS License Manager has introduced a powerful new feature for customers using Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) and RHEL for SAP products. This tool now supports license type conversions, enabling Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (Amazon EC2) customers to switch their Red Hat subscriptions between AWS-provided and Red Hat-provided options directly from the AWS Marketplace without needing to rebuild or redeploy their instances.

This update is perfect for customers who want to take advantage of volume-based discounts or different offerings in the AWS Marketplace, allowing for a simple transition with minimal downtime.

You can optimize your license inventory for the following scenarios using license type conversion:

Migrate on-premise workloads to Amazon EC2

As you migrate your workloads to Amazon EC2, you can initially take advantage of licenses provided by AWS. After the migration process is finished, AWS License Manager allows you to convert your instances. This enables you to utilize the on-premise licenses that were freed up during the migration.

Continue running workloads with expiring license agreements

If your existing software license agreement with Red Hat is nearing its expiration, you have flexible options for your workloads to continue to run without interruption.

For those not planning to renew an existing contract, you can smoothly switch to AWS-provided licenses. Using AWS License Manager's license type conversion, you can move to a flexible, pay-as-you-go option, so your workloads remain fully compliant.

Alternatively, as you approach renewal, you can work directly with Red Hat on an AWS Marketplace Private Offer to lower your overall spend. After finalizing a new subscription with custom pricing and terms, you can use the license conversion tool to migrate your instances to this more cost-effective path forward.

Optimize costs

AWS License Manager provides the flexibility to adapt your licensing model as your workloads change. If you have instances, which may require a long-term commitment, you can convert them to the more cost-effective "license included" option for small or irregular usage. Conversely, when a workload stabilizes and becomes more predictable, you can switch back, as long as the instance was originally launched from your own virtual machine (VM) image.

Extended maintenance

Extend the life of your RHEL operating system beyond its standard support lifecycle with an Extended Life Phase Support (ELS) add-on subscription. Purchasing ELS allows you to continue receiving critical security patches, bug fixes and updates, enabling your systems to remain security-focused and stable for several more years.

Eligible license types for license type conversion in License Manager

License type conversion for select AWS Marketplace products is available in all AWS Commercial and AWS GovCloud (US) Regions where AWS Marketplace is available.

License type conversion considerations for RHEL and RHEL for SAP conversion

Before converting your RHEL subscription, you must complete certain steps that vary by subscription type. Please find your specific scenario below:

• Converting to a Red Hat AMI listing: You must first subscribe to the new AMI listing on AWS Marketplace before beginning the license conversion.
• Converting to a Red Hat SaaS listing: You must purchase your new subscriptions directly from Red Hat before converting.
• Converting RHEL for SAP: To switch from the Red Hat-sold version to the AWS-sold version, please open a support case for assistance.
• Important note for annual contracts: If you are leaving an annual Red Hat contract purchased on AWS Marketplace, please be aware that you will not receive a refund for the unused months.

RHEL instances must meet the following prerequisites:

Planning to convert from an AWS-provided subscription to a Red Hat offering on AWS Marketplace? Your first step depends on the destination:

• If converting to the Red Hat AMI listing: First, subscribe to the new Red Hat-owned AMI listing on the Marketplace.
• If converting to the Red Hat SaaS listing: First, purchase the new subscription directly from Red Hat. After completing the required prerequisite, you can proceed with the conversion.

RHEL for SAP instances must meet the following prerequisites:

To ensure your license conversion is successful, please review the prerequisite that matches your situation:

• For RHEL for SAP or Update Services: Your instances are only eligible for conversion if they were launched from an AWS Marketplace RHEL product, which includes a RunInstance:0010 usage operation and a Marketplace product code.
• When converting from AWS-provided to a Red Hat AMI listing: You must subscribe to the new Marketplace AMI listing before you can initiate the conversion.
• When converting from AWS-provided to a Red Hat SaaS listing: You must purchase the new subscription directly from Red Hat before you can initiate the conversion.

Getting started

To begin using this feature, your first step is to configure Linux subscriptions discovery in AWS License Manager. Once that is set up, you can create a license type conversion. These actions can be performed through the console, the AWS CLI, or the License Manager API. For a detailed guide, we invite you to visit the AWS License Manager page or consult the AWS Marketplace Buyer Guide.