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Cisco IOS XR7 vs. Open Network Linux vs. Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)

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    Overview
    ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price

    Cisco IOS XR7

    Score9.9 out of 10
    N/ACisco IOS XR7 is a network operating system which the vendor states delivers greater modularity, a simplified networking stack, and cloud-enhanced automation for improved network programmability.N/A

    Open Network Linux

    Score9.9 out of 10
    N/AOpen Network Linux (ONL) is a Linux distribution for bare metal switches. ONL builds an ONIE-compatible installer and a switch image which contains a complete Debian distribution with added drivers and configuration for running on bare metal switches.N/A

    Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)

    Score9.1 out of 10
    N/ARed Hat Enterprise Linux is a Linux distribution mainly used in commercial data centers.N/A
    Pricing
    Cisco IOS XR7Open Network LinuxRed Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)
    Editions & Modules
    No answers on this topic
    No answers on this topic
    No answers on this topic
    Offerings
    Pricing Offerings
    Cisco IOS XR7Open Network LinuxRed Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)
    Free Trial
    NoNoNo
    Free/Freemium Version
    NoNoNo
    Premium Consulting/Integration Services
    YesNoNo
    Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup feeNo setup fee
    Additional Details———
    More Pricing Information
    Community Pulse
    Cisco IOS XR7Open Network LinuxRed Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)
    Considered Multiple Products
    Cisco
    Chose Cisco IOS XR7
    Cisco's routers running Cisco IOS XR7 are rock solid, have years of proven performance, and the maintainers base for its CLI-based interface for set up and maintenance. Even though it is pretty high on initial purchase costs, this year of rock-solid performance is what a few of …
    Incentivized
    Open Source
    No answer on this topic
    Red Hat
    No answer on this topic
    Key User Insights
    Would buy again
    No answers on this topic
    No answers on this topic
    100%
    Would buy again
    295 Answers
    Delivers good value for the price
    No answers on this topic
    No answers on this topic
    99%
    Delivers good value for the price
    253 Answers
    Happy with the feature set
    No answers on this topic
    No answers on this topic
    98%
    Happy with the feature set
    289 Answers
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    No answers on this topic
    No answers on this topic
    97%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    188 Answers
    Implementation went as expected
    No answers on this topic
    No answers on this topic
    98%
    Implementation went as expected
    253 Answers
    Features
    Cisco IOS XR7Open Network LinuxRed Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)
    Operating System
    Comparison of Operating System features of Cisco IOS XR7 and Open Network Linux and Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)
    Feature
    Cisco IOS XR7
    -
    Ratings
    Open Network Linux
    -
    Ratings
    Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)
    8.4
    78 Ratings
    4% below category average
    File Management00 Ratings00 Ratings8.073 Ratings
    Software Application Management00 Ratings00 Ratings8.075 Ratings
    System Update Frequency00 Ratings00 Ratings8.276 Ratings
    Operating System Security00 Ratings00 Ratings9.378 Ratings
    Best Alternatives
    Cisco IOS XR7Open Network LinuxRed Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)
    Small Businesses
    No answers on this topic
    No answers on this topic
    CentOS Linux
    Score8.9 out of 10
    Medium-sized Companies
    No answers on this topic
    No answers on this topic
    IBM AIX
    Score9.4 out of 10
    Enterprises
    Cisco NX-OS
    Score8 out of 10
    Cisco NX-OS
    Score8 out of 10
    Ubuntu
    Score8.2 out of 10
    All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
    User Ratings
    Cisco IOS XR7Open Network LinuxRed Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)
    Likelihood to Recommend
    9.0
    (2 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    8.8
    (302 ratings)
    Likelihood to Renew
    -
    (0 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    9.1
    (3 ratings)
    Usability
    -
    (0 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    8.5
    (194 ratings)
    Availability
    -
    (0 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    8.2
    (1 ratings)
    Performance
    -
    (0 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    7.3
    (1 ratings)
    Support Rating
    -
    (0 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    8.2
    (9 ratings)
    Implementation Rating
    -
    (0 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    9.1
    (3 ratings)
    Configurability
    -
    (0 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    Product Scalability
    -
    (0 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    7.3
    (1 ratings)
    User Testimonials
    Cisco IOS XR7Open Network LinuxRed Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)
    Likelihood to Recommend
    Cisco
    Before we moved to Cisco IOS XR7, we did not have the opportunity to automate the network configuration. Recently with new rollouts we have used the network orchestration modules within the new IOS to enhance zero-touch config, even though there can be additional features. We have saved a lot of repetitive work with this product.
    Incentivized
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    Open Source
    No answers on this topic
    Red Hat
    There's a lot of things that can and can't be discussed. But as I mentioned earlier, cloud computing and on-prem, and very much like in the cloud, having a standard image ISO, deploying that, the configurations with Ansible or packages installed via Ansible, instead of just a Kickstart script, you have a set of scripts that run in a pipeline that deploy Red Hat. So I'd say the environments, every time I've used Red Hat Enterprise Linux as a computing solution has been, like I mentioned, reusable, scalable, positive. And I don't think I've ever found any situations where I wish I were using something other than Red Hat Enterprise Linux, because the support is not there for anything else as much as it is for Red Hat Enterprise Linux.
    Incentivized
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    Pros
    Cisco
    • Flixible.
    • Faster times to boot.
    • Utilizes less memory.
    Incentivized
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    Open Source
    No answers on this topic
    Red Hat
    • Virtualization, like the operating system level task. I see this product is very good and it blends very well with the middleware components like all the JBoss and other things. And other than that, either you install it or a virtual machine or physical servers, it works seamlessly anywhere. And if you want to go further, like Red Hat OpenShift or those things also work very nice with it.
    Incentivized
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    Cons
    Cisco
    • Graphic User Interface could be improved
    • Network Orchestration
    • Zero touch config could have more features
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Open Source
    No answers on this topic
    Red Hat
    • Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) needs better built-in developer-centric tooling.
    • The desktop experience is too barebones, which makes it less attractive for developer workstations.
    • Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) needs to be integrated and available in GItHub Actions as a supported platform so code developed on GitHub can be tested and qualified there.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Likelihood to Renew
    Cisco
    No answers on this topic
    Open Source
    No answers on this topic
    Red Hat
    We find RHEL to be a superior OS with stable operations and long life. It is also easier to use and fix then most other OS's.
    Incentivized
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    Usability
    Cisco
    No answers on this topic
    Open Source
    No answers on this topic
    Red Hat
    It's pretty intuitive and easy to use. Everything is adjustable; everything is customizable through a set of yaml's and everything can be undone and re-done. Doing items such a modification and restarting the single app doesnt take down the whole operating system like one of the more popular GUI based operating systems. We can work on live production systems without breaking into a sweat.
    Incentivized
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    Reliability and Availability
    Cisco
    No answers on this topic
    Open Source
    No answers on this topic
    Red Hat
    Product support and regular patches.
    Incentivized
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    Performance
    Cisco
    No answers on this topic
    Open Source
    No answers on this topic
    Red Hat
    As with any OS enhanced testing will need to be done prior to application integration.
    Incentivized
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    Support Rating
    Cisco
    No answers on this topic
    Open Source
    No answers on this topic
    Red Hat
    Red Hat support has really come a long way in the last 10 years, The general support is great, and the specialized product support teams are extremely knowledgeable about their specific products. Response time is good and you never need to escalate.
    Incentivized
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    Implementation Rating
    Cisco
    No answers on this topic
    Open Source
    No answers on this topic
    Red Hat
    Don't be afraid of it, its easy to install and configure for the tasks needed.
    Incentivized
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    Alternatives Considered
    Cisco
    Cisco's routers running Cisco IOS XR7 are rock solid, have years of proven performance, and the maintainers base for its CLI-based interface for set up and maintenance. Even though it is pretty high on initial purchase costs, this year of rock-solid performance is what a few of our customers very much needed and this is the very reason a few of our customers, and we did suggest Cisco IOS XR7 running routers for them.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Open Source
    No answers on this topic
    Red Hat
    Windows Server can take a long time to patch, waiting for the patch to install, then waiting to apply, after the OS is rebooted it can also take additional time to apply the update. Often times Windows Server patches can fail, leading to long troubleshooting times and application outages. Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) Patching is extremely quick, I've honestly not seen a Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) update fail to install in many years of Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) patching.
    Incentivized
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    Scalability
    Cisco
    No answers on this topic
    Open Source
    No answers on this topic
    Red Hat
    Operational ease of use backed by support
    Incentivized
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    Return on Investment
    Cisco
    • Saves man hours with Network Orchestration
    • Scalable and cloud managed
    • Supports many platforms
    Incentivized
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    Open Source
    No answers on this topic
    Red Hat
    • It has done wonders for my career because I come from a Linux background, HPUX, Solaris and AIX. So made this transition to Linux 20 years ago. So it has really put my career at the forefront of what we do in the company. We're still primarily a window shop, but with Red Hat and what they're doing with the Kubernetes integration with OpenShift, with the East Satellite Management, the Ansible stuff, all based on Red Hat. It's taken off at my company and we're very happy about it.
    Incentivized
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