Expanding its relationship with users outside the Linux world, Canonical has partnered with Microsoft and launched an Azure-tailored Ubuntu kernel. The new launch is touted to receive the “same level of support and security maintenance” that the company develops for traditional Ubuntu kernels.
Canonical and Microsoft have agreed to send regular updates to the Azure-tailored Ubuntu kernel throughout the support life of the Ubuntu 16.04 LTS version that was debuted in April last year and will receive security update packages until 2021. Furthermore, the Ubuntu maker is set to produce upgrades even to newer kernel versions over time.
“As we continue to collaborate closely with various Microsoft teams on public cloud, private cloud, containers and services, you can expect further boosts in performance, simplification of operations at scale and enablement of new innovations and technologies,” said Leann Ogasawara, director of kernel engineering, Ubuntu, in a statement.
The new Ubuntu kernel is provided by the Linux-azure kernel package and comes with features such as Accelerated Networking support, Infiniband and RDMA capabilities and Hyper-V socket and device compatibility. Additionally, Canonical’s team has reduced the kernel size by 18 percent and added 10 percent greater throughput on guests not using SR-IOV.
It is worth noting that Ubuntu Cloud Images for Ubuntu 16.04 LTS image purchased from the Azure portal after September 21 will be capable of running on the Azure-tailored Ubuntu kernel. Plus, Canonical has provided support for the optional Ubuntu Advantage service.
