What is Azure Red Hat OpenShift?
Azure Red Hat OpenShift (ARO) is a fully managed Kubernetes service that provisions OpenShift clusters in Azure. The service is jointly engineered, operated, and supported by Red Hat and Microsoft: both companies patch and monitor the control plane, infrastructure, and application nodes, so customers don’t need to administer the underlying virtual machines themselves. Clusters run in your own Azure subscription and are billed through your regular Azure invoice.
Azure Red Hat OpenShift builds on Kubernetes and adds image registry, networking, storage, and CI/CD integration along with logging and monitoring tools, delivered as a unified platform. Sign-in and access control are integrated through Microsoft Entra ID combined with Kubernetes RBAC.
Core Features
- Managed service jointly operated by Red Hat and Microsoft with integrated enterprise support from both vendors
- No need to patch the control plane or nodes yourself, as this is handled by the provider
- Integration with Microsoft Entra ID for single sign-on and role-based access control (RBAC)
- Nodes run on Azure VMs; storage can be attached to nodes and pods
- Freedom to choose your own registry, networking, storage, and CI/CD solutions, or use OpenShift’s built-in capabilities for builds, deployments, scaling, and health management
- Billing directly through your Azure invoice
Typical Use Cases
Azure Red Hat OpenShift suits organizations that want to run containerized applications on an enterprise Kubernetes platform without maintaining the cluster infrastructure themselves. Common scenarios include modernizing existing Java and middleware workloads, hybrid cloud architectures alongside on-premises OpenShift environments, and production workloads with high requirements for enterprise support and compliance.
Benefits
- Reduced operational effort through cluster operations jointly managed by Red Hat and Microsoft
- A single support relationship covering both the Kubernetes platform and the underlying Azure infrastructure
- Seamless integration into existing Azure identity and governance structures via Microsoft Entra ID
- Portability of OpenShift workloads between on-premises, other clouds, and Azure
Integration with innFactory
As a Microsoft Solutions Partner, innFactory supports you with architecture, migration, and operations of Azure Red Hat OpenShift, as well as cost optimization for your container workloads in Azure.
Contact us for a non-binding consultation on Azure Red Hat OpenShift and Microsoft Azure.
Frequently Asked Questions about Azure Red Hat OpenShift
What is Azure Red Hat OpenShift?
Azure Red Hat OpenShift is a fully managed OpenShift Kubernetes service jointly operated and supported by Microsoft and Red Hat. Customers get production-ready clusters without having to patch or monitor the underlying VMs themselves.
When should I use Azure Red Hat OpenShift?
ARO is a good fit when you need an enterprise Kubernetes platform with vendor support from Red Hat, want to leverage existing OpenShift expertise or workloads, or are planning hybrid scenarios between on-premises OpenShift and Azure.
What does Azure Red Hat OpenShift cost?
Costs are billed through your regular Azure invoice and are based on the compute, storage, and networking resources consumed by the cluster nodes. Use the Azure pricing calculator for a current cost estimate.
How does Azure Red Hat OpenShift integrate with other Azure services?
Azure Red Hat OpenShift integrates via Microsoft Entra ID for identity and access control, as well as standard Azure networking and storage services. Clusters can also be connected to Azure Monitor and other Azure services.
What SLA does Azure Red Hat OpenShift offer?
Microsoft guarantees 99.95% availability for Azure Red Hat OpenShift under the official Azure SLA for the service.
Note: All product information on this page has been compiled with care, but is provided without guarantee and may be outdated or incomplete. Cloud services evolve rapidly — features, pricing, SLAs, and availability change frequently. Authoritative and up-to-date information can only be found on the official product page of Azure (official documentation). This page does not represent an offer by Azure.
