Are You Under a Red Hat Licensing Audit—or Overspending 40–60% on Subscriptions?
Choose Licensing Data Solutions to Uncover Red Hat Licensing Gaps, Optimize Subscriptions, and Future-Proof your compliance and cloud strategy
Don't go alone—whether renewing your ELA, optimizing Red Hat subscriptions, or migrating to Azure or AWS, our auditor-level analysis ensures an accurate ELP, reduced costs, and audit readiness.
There's so much confusion out there when it comes to Red Hat licensing
— and most of it doesn't need to be.
Organizations face challenges with Red Hat licensing — from varying product metrics and subscription tiers to procurement and compliance pitfalls. It also outlines the most common issues companies encounter in managing Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) environments and suggests strategies to control costs, avoid compliance risks, and maintain operational efficiency.
Every Red Hat Product Speaks a Different Language
You're expected to be fluent in all of them just to stay compliant
Red Hat licensing looks simple from the outside.
But dig one layer deeper, and it's a minefield of backdating rules, "all-or-none" subscription policies, and ever-changing metrics.
Common 4 Pain Points We See in Clients During Audit
Contracts & Procurement
Scattered agreements across business units with procurement and IT not speaking the same language
Licensing Metrics
Misunderstood measurement models — sockets, cores, nodes, and clusters all require different expertise
Unoptimized Redhat License Management
Most organizations struggle with fragmented visibility across Red Hat subscriptions, leading to compliance gaps, duplicate entitlements, and inflated costs. Without a unified approach, maintaining license accuracy and optimizing spend becomes increasingly difficult.
Support Entitlements
Mismatch with actual deployments — paying for support on systems nobody touches anymore
How LDS Turns Audit into Advantage
Red Hat licensing is confusing on purpose. We decode it, manage it, and optimize it for you.
The Truth Most Don't Know
They're running instances without entitlement coverage, renewing old SKUs they no longer need, or paying for support on systems that no one even touches anymore.
Most organizations don't know their Red Hat Effective License Position (ELP)
Common Overspending Areas
With LDS, Everything Changes
From reactive firefighting to proactive optimization — discover what's possible when you have complete visibility
Complete Red Hat ELP
Know exactly what's deployed, what's covered, and what's at risk — across your entire Red Hat ecosystem
Consolidate & Optimize
Eliminate unused subscriptions and duplicate entitlements automatically
Strategic Renewals
Manage renewals strategically based on actual usage — not reactive guesswork
Continuous Compliance
Stay audit-ready 24/7 with real-time insights into your licensing position — no surprises, ever
Review & Reconcile
We analyze your deployment data and reconcile it with RHSM and Customer Portal entitlements
Define Baseline
Create a clear compliance baseline and establish your true licensing position
Optimize & Forecast
Forecast future needs and negotiate based on actual requirements
No More Surprises. No More Wasted Spend.
Just complete visibility into your Red Hat environment — across RHEL, OpenShift, Ansible, Satellite, and the rest of the Red Hat ecosystem.
Please don't go alone in Red Hat SCALE review
For organizations aiming to reduce both cost and risk across their software estate, Licensing Data Solutions (LDS) provides comprehensive insights and expert guidance to ensure efficient license management and optimized deployments.
Our Red Hat Licensing Review Service
We provide a complete and accurate Effective License Position (ELP), along with actionable recommendations to optimize costs, enhance compliance, and future-proof your licensing strategy.
Contract Renewals
Planning to renew contracts with confidence
Infrastructure Changes
Re-architecting on-premises environments
Cloud Migration
Azure and AWS workload transitions
Our Approach
- Proprietary discovery scripts and system-generated reports
- Data collection integrated with existing SAM tools
- Expert analysis by former software auditors
What We Identify
- Unused or underutilized software entitlements
- More cost-effective licensing options
- Architectural recommendations to reduce costs
Key Review Areas
Contract Terms Analysis
Detailed review of Enterprise License Agreements (ELAs)
Entitlement Review
Software entitlement data and deployed assets (RHEL, JBoss, etc.)
Licensing Metrics
Evaluation of licensing metrics and subscription models
Cloud Strategy
Assessment of cloud migration and licensing impact
Service Deliverables
Current Position
Your current Red Hat Effective Licensing / Subscription Position
Recommendations
Independent recommendations to improve licensing accuracy
Strategic Roadmap
A roadmap for long-term licensing optimization
What Sets Us Apart
We are an unaffiliated software licensing advisory, operating with complete independence from vendors.
Fully Client-Aligned
100% focused on your interests and business outcomes
Independent & Unbiased
No vendor commissions, incentives, or hidden agendas
15+ Years Experience
Former auditors and licensing specialists
Proven Track Record
Over 500 successful audits delivered globally
We don't sell software — we protect your software investments.
Our mission: clarity, confidence, and complete control over your licensing position.
How the LDS Implementation
Process Works
At Licensing Data Solutions (LDS), our Red Hat licensing implementation process is built around accuracy, transparency, and compliance assurance. We work closely with your team to establish a complete, verifiable view of your Red Hat environment.
Discovery and Data Collection
Foundation Building
LDS begins by collecting and validating all data sources related to your Red Hat environment.
Foundation for an accurate Effective License Position (ELP)
Environment Mapping and Validation
Complete Visibility
We analyze the technical structure and operational segmentation of your Red Hat environment to ensure end-to-end visibility:
Clear representation of your entire Red Hat footprint
Compliance and Optimization Review
Risk Mitigation
Once the environment is validated, LDS performs a deep-dive analysis to identify risk areas and optimization opportunities:
Uncover overspend, redundant subscriptions, and potential compliance exposures
Strategic Reporting and Governance Framework
Long-term Control
LDS delivers a detailed Red Hat Effective License Position report, supported by actionable recommendations and a governance model for continuous compliance.
Complete control over Red Hat licensing, reduced subscription waste, and audit readiness
Outcome
Our Red Hat Management Services
Expert services designed to protect your investment and optimize Red Hat licensing
Server Tracking & Deployment Management
LDS maintains a comprehensive inventory of all Red Hat servers, including physical, virtual, and cloud-based systems. We track deployments across environments, map virtual systems to physical hosts and clusters, and ensure that every server is properly accounted for and aligned with subscriptions.
Software & Subscription Management
We continuously monitor all installed Red Hat products, including RHEL, OpenShift, Middleware (JBoss EAP, AMQ, Ansible), and Automation/Storage products. Each has unique subscription models requiring careful alignment with workloads. LDS validates entitlements, identifies underutilized or duplicate subscriptions, and optimizes allocation to ensure maximum return on investment.
SLA, Environment Segmentation & Lifecycle Management
LDS maintains detailed records for Prod vs. Non-Prod environments, including support tiers, SLA levels, and deployment segmentation. We track system lifecycles, build/install dates, and decommissioning schedules to support accurate subscription usage and audit readiness.
Audit Readiness & Compliance Monitoring
LDS establishes continuous compliance monitoring and performs regular internal audits to maintain a defensible Effective License Position (ELP). Our governance framework ensures organizations are always prepared for external audits and subscription renewals.
Outcomes of Working with LDS
Comprehensive Red Hat License
Discovery, Normalization & Compliance
Our systematic approach ensures complete visibility, accurate tracking, and defensible compliance across your entire Red Hat environment.
Server Discovery & Inventory Normalization
Complete, Accurate View
Create a complete, accurate view of all Red Hat servers in the environment.
Automated Discovery
- Scan all environments (on-premises, AWS, Azure, and other cloud providers)
- Identify every Red Hat deployment, including virtual machines, physical servers, and containers
Data Extraction
- Host Name & IP addresses
- Normalized Server Name
- Middleware scripts, JBoss presence (EAP, Fuse, Web)
- OS Type & Version (RHEL 7.x, 8.x, etc.)
- Cloud Provider and Region (AWS, Azure, EC2 instances, Subnets, etc.)
Normalization
- Map discovered servers to normalized names
- Avoid duplication and ensure consistent reporting across multiple environments and teams
A master inventory of all active Red Hat servers with a standardized naming convention
License Classification & Exclusion Handling
Relevant & Licenseable
Ensure only licenseable, relevant servers are considered for compliance and cost analysis.
License Eligibility Assessment
- Review each server to determine Red Hat subscription requirements
- Consider server termination status
- Identify developer/test licenses
- Detect duplicate or redundant servers
Exclusions
- Mark terminated servers as Non-Licensable
- Exclude duplicates from cost calculations
- Flag developer/test instances separately
- Remove non-Red Hat OS from compliance tracking
Comments & Justification
- Document exclusion reasons for every server
- Provide audit-ready traceability (e.g., 'Since Duplicate, it is Excluded')
- Maintain detailed justification records
Clean, defensible server inventory with documented exclusions
Usage Normalization & Environment Mapping
Align & Optimize
Align discovered servers with contractual entitlements and optimize license usage.
Environment Mapping
- Identify production, development, and testing environments
- Map each server to its cloud provider, region, and service type
Subscription Verification
- Compare normalized server inventory against Red Hat subscriptions purchased
- Identify over-utilized subscriptions
- Find unused or underutilized servers
- Detect subscription mismatches
Middleware and Workload Analysis
- Check for middleware scripts (JBoss EAP, Fuse, Web)
- Evaluate if workloads require additional entitlements
Optimized license allocation aligned with actual usage
Effective License Position (ELP) Reporting
Clear & Actionable
Produce a clear, actionable license report for business and audit purposes.
Comprehensive Reporting
- Active Red Hat servers eligible for licensing
- Servers excluded and justification
- Duplicate or inactive resources
- Cloud-hosted instances and mapped subscription requirements
Optimization Recommendations
- Consolidate redundant subscriptions
- Decommission unused servers
- Reallocate licenses for cost-efficiency
Audit Defense
- Document all exclusions and mappings
- Create defensible license position for Red Hat audits
- Maintain audit-ready compliance records
Complete control over Red Hat licensing, reduced subscription waste, and audit readiness
Complete License Control
Maximize Your Red Hat Investment with LDS
End-to-End Red Hat Management Framework
Our strategic framework delivers measurable results through a comprehensive, expert-led process for managing Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) and related products. We help you gain complete visibility into your RHEL infrastructure, optimize subscription usage, and ensure compliance across on-premise and cloud environments.
Red Hat Environment Assessment & Baseline
Developing a Custom Red Hat Management Plan
Tailored to your infrastructure (physical, virtual, and cloud), subscription types (Standard, Premium, Smart Management, High Availability, etc.), and known risk areas. We define clear objectives for inventory, tracking, and compliance.
Data Collection Readiness
LDS coordinates with your infrastructure teams to gather critical data. We ensure:
Complete technical baseline – including hostname, CPU/socket counts, RHEL versions, and subscription status – ready for analysis
Subscription Usage Analysis & Reconciliation
Usage & License Consumption Analysis
Review actual RHEL usage across your environments. We audit core/socket counts on each system, taking into account virtualization (e.g., guest vs host allocations) and cloud instances. This analysis highlights any under- or over-utilization of purchased subscriptions.
Entitlement Mapping & Reconciliation
Align your purchased subscription entitlements (via Red Hat Subscription Asset Manager, Customer Portal data or renewal records) against the deployed inventory:
Cloud & Virtualization Review
Analyze RHEL deployments in cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud) and virtual clusters:
High Availability & DR Inventory
Track your HA clusters and disaster-recovery systems:
Reporting & Insights
We deliver clear reports summarizing license coverage and compliance status. These include detailed findings on subscription usage, compliance gaps, and actionable recommendations (e.g., reallocate licenses, retire unused systems, or adjust support tiers).
Complete visibility into subscription usage, compliance gaps, and optimization opportunities
Optimization, Governance & Audit Defense
Subscription Optimization
Implement cost-saving measures based on our findings:
Audit Readiness & Defense
Prepare your organization for Red Hat compliance reviews:
Optimized costs, robust governance, and continuous compliance assurance
Ready to Optimize Your Red Hat Investment?
Our comprehensive framework ensures you maintain complete control over your Red Hat licensing, reduce subscription waste, and stay audit-ready at all times.
Strategic On-Prem to Cloud Pathway
Considering a move of RHEL workloads to public cloud or container platforms? LDS provides strategic guidance and detailed mapping to ensure a smooth transition.
Supported Cloud Platforms
Inventory & Entitlement Mapping
We extract and normalize your on-premises RHEL inventory and entitlement records. Then, we align these with cloud offerings or container platforms.
- Identify which existing subscriptions can be ported (e.g., via Red Hat Cloud Access)
- Determine which workloads may require new purchases or different licensing (such as RHEL for OpenShift)
Contract & Cloud Eligibility Analysis
Our team reviews your Red Hat agreements to determine:
- Eligibility for Red Hat Cloud Access on AWS, Azure, Google Cloud or other supported clouds
- How existing maintenance agreements translate to cloud or hybrid deployments
- Any licensing terms that may need renegotiation for global or managed-service scenarios
Cloud Cost Comparison & ROI Analysis
We help you compare total cost of ownership:
- Model on-premises vs. cloud subscription costs, including any mixed licensing (PAYG vs. BYOS) and support tiers
- Forecast growth and usage to determine how many cloud-entitled RHEL subscriptions you'll need
- Highlight optimization opportunities (such as using reserved instances or rightsizing VMs) and calculate potential savings
Migration Journey
On-Premise RHEL
Current infrastructure
Hybrid Environment
Transition phase
Cloud-Native
Future state
Complete Cloud Migration Confidence
Our Red Hat Management Services ensure your RHEL environment is fully optimized, compliant, and ready for whatever your business needs next—whether that's scaling in the cloud, consolidating licenses, or gearing up for an audit.
Why Choose LDS?
For organizations seeking to reduce the overall cost and risk associated with their software estate, Licensing Data Solutions (LDS) delivers comprehensive insights and expert guidance.
Our Red Hat Licensing Review Service
We provide a complete and accurate Effective License Position (ELP), along with actionable recommendations to optimize costs, enhance compliance, and future-proof your licensing strategy.
Contract Renewals
Planning to renew contracts with confidence
Infrastructure Changes
Re-architecting on-premises environments
Cloud Migration
Azure and AWS workload transitions
Our Approach
- Proprietary discovery scripts and system-generated reports
- Data collection integrated with existing SAM tools
- Expert analysis by former software auditors
What We Identify
- Unused or underutilized software entitlements
- More cost-effective licensing options
- Architectural recommendations to reduce costs
Key Review Areas
Contract Terms Analysis
Detailed review of Enterprise License Agreements (ELAs)
Entitlement Review
Software entitlement data and deployed assets (RHEL, JBoss, etc.)
Licensing Metrics
Evaluation of licensing metrics and subscription models
Cloud Strategy
Assessment of cloud migration and licensing impact
Service Deliverables
Current Position
Your current Red Hat Effective Licensing / Subscription Position
Recommendations
Independent recommendations to improve licensing accuracy
Strategic Roadmap
A roadmap for long-term licensing optimization
What Sets Us Apart
We are an unaffiliated software licensing advisory, operating with complete independence from vendors.
Fully Client-Aligned
100% focused on your interests and business outcomes
Independent & Unbiased
No vendor commissions, incentives, or hidden agendas
15+ Years Experience
Former auditors and licensing specialists
Proven Track Record
Over 500 successful audits delivered globally
We don't sell software — we protect your software investments.
Our mission: clarity, confidence, and complete control over your licensing position.
Proven Results Across Industries
Our clients have saved millions while achieving complete Red Hat licensing compliance
$17.4M+
Total Client Savings Delivered
"LDS conducted a comprehensive Red Hat Licensing Review across our RHEL and JBoss deployments, uncovering underutilized subscriptions and misaligned entitlements. Their recommendations and negotiation support during our ELA renewal saved us $3.2 million while ensuring full audit readiness."
Jessica Miller
CIO
Global Manufacturing Firm – APAC
"Facing a potential cost overrun during our Red Hat subscription renewal, LDS analyzed our deployments, identified shadow instances, and optimized subscription allocations. Their strategic insights allowed us to right-size our environment and reduce spend by $2.5 million."
Michael Johnson
CFO
National Retail Chain – U.S. Southeast
"Just before a planned migration to AWS, LDS provided a detailed Red Hat Effective License Position analysis, identifying unused RHEL and JBoss licenses. Their guidance enabled us to reallocate subscriptions, avoid over-provisioning, and save $4.1 million."
Emily Davis
VP, IT Operations
Global Technology Company – Europe & North America
"Our decentralized Red Hat deployments led to duplication and inefficient licensing. LDS performed a full licensing audit, mapped entitlements accurately, and recommended cost-effective subscription models, resulting in $1.9 million in savings and a more sustainable licensing strategy."
Brian Wilson
Director of IT Infrastructure
Healthcare Services Group – U.S.
"During our Red Hat ELA renewal, LDS identified critical gaps between entitlements and actual usage across our RHEL, OpenShift, and JBoss environments. Their forensic analysis, recommendations, and negotiation support prevented compliance risk while delivering $3.5 million in savings."
Ashley Thompson
CFO
Global Financial Services Firm – London
"Our planned migration to Azure highlighted licensing inefficiencies across our Red Hat estate. LDS conducted a complete Effective License Position review, identified redundant subscriptions, and helped optimize our cloud migration plan, saving $2.2 million and ensuring future compliance."
Ryan Anderson
SVP, Digital Transformation
National Logistics & Supply Chain Organization – Canada
Red Hat Licensing Optimization for a Canadian SMB Manufacturing Company
Client Background
A mid-sized manufacturing company in Canada, operating across multiple locations, was facing escalating costs and compliance risks with its Red Hat software portfolio, which included RHEL, JBoss, and OpenShift deployments. The company planned to migrate a portion of its infrastructure to Azure cloud but lacked clarity on current license usage and entitlement alignment.
Challenge
-
Uncertain Red Hat License Utilization: The client had limited visibility into which subscriptions were actively used versus idle.
-
Escalating Costs: Inefficient allocation of Red Hat subscriptions and over-provisioning were leading to unnecessary expenditure.
-
Cloud Migration Uncertainty: The client needed to understand the impact of moving workloads to Azure on its existing Red Hat licensing agreements.
-
Potential Audit Risk: Without accurate Effective License Position (ELP) reporting, the client faced possible compliance gaps during future audits.
Solution
Licensing Data Solutions (LDS) implemented a structured Red Hat Licensing Review to deliver auditor-grade analysis and actionable recommendations:
1. Comprehensive Inventory & Analysis
- • Collected deployment data using proprietary LDS scripts and existing SAM tools.
- • Mapped all Red Hat software usage against current entitlements to determine the true Effective License Position (ELP).
2. Forecasting & Optimization
- • Projected usage over the next three years, considering planned migration to Azure cloud.
- • Identified underutilized and redundant subscriptions that could be reallocated or removed.
3. Contract & ELA Optimization
- • Reviewed current Enterprise License Agreement (ELA) terms.
- • Assisted in negotiating a cost-effective ELA that balanced license counts with projected cloud and on-premises usage.
4. Cloud Migration Planning
- • Evaluated Red Hat licensing implications for Azure deployment.
- • Provided recommendations to avoid over-licensing while ensuring compliance during migration.
Results & Benefits
Optimization and reallocation of unused subscriptions reduced unnecessary spend.
Provided auditor-grade reporting and clear understanding of compliance status.
The negotiated ELA accounted for cloud migration, reducing risk of overspending.
Clear license visibility enabled better planning and operational efficiency.
Ensured the client could confidently respond to any Red Hat audit requests.
"LDS gave us full visibility into our Red Hat environment and helped us save millions while preparing for our move to Azure. Their analysis and negotiation support made a complex licensing situation simple and cost-effective."
Jennifer Walker
CFO, Canadian Manufacturing Company
