CentOS 6 End of Life

CentOS 6 will reach the end of its life in November 2020 – but what are your other options?

CentOS 6 is heading towards its End of Life, which will be reached on 30th November 2020. But what does End of Life actually mean? In simple terms, the software will no longer be supported by CentOS, meaning they will, from this date, be unable to fix bugs or vulnerabilities or provide security updates as they would have done previously. If you’re currently using CentOS 6, it’s essential to migrate to a newer version before this date.

Here at CWCS, our customers are our top priority. As we will no longer be able to support CentOS 6 after November 2020, we wouldn’t recommend continuing with this operating system. Instead, we’ve put together an article detailing your alternative:

Upgrade to a newer version of CentOS

Our Account Managers are here to support you and to make the upgrade to a newer CentOS version as seamless as possible. Moving your data is known as an “Migration” and entails copying your data from your existing server, to a newer server running a more up to date operating system.

It would be useful if you could start planning in advance so that your websites won’t be negatively impacted during this time. In most cases your websites will be online at all times during the transition. There are different types of migration, but the most common is by control panel to control panel. Plesk and cPanel, both offer migration tools that can be used to move your websites and emails, from one server to another with ease.
If you do not have a control panel, don’t worry, in most circumstances we can assist with a manual migration of the data.

With all migrations we offer a free 2 hour service, which is normally enough manual hours to complete the move.

Benefits of using a new version of CentOS

To make the transition easier, we’ve listed some of the main benefits of using a new version of CentOS for VPS Hosting, Cloud Hosting or Dedicated Servers, detailing why it is worth the upgrade:

Security measures

We imagine that, like many companies, security is one of your big concerns. Newer versions of CentOS are capable of running the most up to date software versions of PHP and MySQL, which are an easy source for hackers exploit if left vulnerable. It is essential that you keep your software up to date. If you are using an older version of PHP and MySQL, it is definitely worth upgrading your systems and code to be compatible, however Plesk and cPanel offer the ability to run older versions per domain, so you can still migrate to a new server, and then look at upgrading to the newer versions post migration.

Extended support

As we mentioned, sticking with CentOS 6 will mean that you are no longer supported. Newer CentOS versions will be supported by us for years to come, which is why CentOS systems are an ideal choice for developers and larger companies, as they are extremely reliable and have long release cycles.

Package management

As part of of support plans, we automatically update the operating system with security patches. With CentOS 7 supported until June 2024 and CentOS 8 until 2029, there is plenty of time left for security updates before having to look at this process again.

Support from other management panels

CentOS systems can provide support to a number of different management platforms such as cPanel, Plesk, WebMin, DirectAdmin, and multiple others. You’ll be able to host multiple sites and keep the procedures easily managed. There are many complex tasks that are associated with server management, and with support from our expert team, these tasks can be completed in a few simple clicks.

Purchase a new package

Our team will work with you to understand your current hosting platform, and will provide support and guidance on the best solution to meet your overall needs.

If you would like to discuss this further, contact our team of experts.

Don’t upgrade at all

While we don’t tend to recommend this option, you can choose to ignore any options to upgrade. However, you should be aware that once CentOS 6 reaches its End of Life, we will no longer be able to support the operating system.

You should also bear in mind that if you come across a security issue with CentOS 6 after its End of Life, there’s no way to fix it, which can prove very dangerous to your server and the data it holds. In the past, we have found that a server can become vulnerable in a very short space of time, which can leave your data at risk.

If you are looking to upgrade, make sure to plan this well in advance of November 30th, 2020. Our team are here to help and once the upgrade is complete, you can relax, and if required leave the server management to us via one of our support plans.

Our friendly and professional team are more than happy to assist you in your choice and recommend which is the best upgrade option for you. We promise easy installation, attractive and reasonable prices, and comprehensive protection for the future. Don’t hesitate to contact us.