The Unbreakable Enterprise Kernel for Oracle Linux provides the latest innovations from upstream development to customers who run Oracle Linux in the data center.

Starting with Oracle Linux 5 Update 6 and later Oracle Linux kernels, the Unbreakable Enterprise Kernel is included and enabled by default. It is based on a recent stable mainline development Linux kernel, and also includes optimizations developed in collaboration with Oracle Database, Oracle middleware, and Oracle hardware engineering teams to ensure stability and optimal performance for the most demanding enterprise workloads.

Oracle highly recommends deploying the Unbreakable Enterprise Kernel in your Oracle Linux environment, especially if you run enterprise applications. However, using Unbreakable Enterprise Kernel is optional. If you require strict Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) kernel compatibility, then Oracle Linux also includes a kernel compatible with the RHEL Linux kernel, compiled directly from the RHEL source code.

You can obtain more information about the Unbreakable Enterprise Kernel for Oracle Linux at the following URL:

http://www.oracle.com/us/technologies/linux

The Unbreakable Enterprise Kernel for Oracle Linux is the standard kernel used with Oracle products. The build and QA systems for Oracle Database and other Oracle products use the Unbreakable Enterprise Kernel for Oracle Linux exclusively. The Unbreakable Enterprise Kernel for Oracle Linux is also the kernel used in Oracle Exadata and Oracle Exalogic systems. Unbreakable Enterprise Kernel for Oracle Linux is used in all benchmark tests on Linux in which Oracle participates, as well as in the Oracle Preinstallation RPM program for x86-64.

Oracle Ksplice, which is part of Oracle Linux, updates the Linux operating system (OS) kernel, while it is running, without requiring restarts or any interruption. Ksplice is available only with Oracle Linux.