Red Hat has announced extensions to its Linux Automation strategy with the addition of Enterprise Identity, Policy and Audit (IPA).

The Linux firm has also opened the Red Hat Network Satellite code base to facilitate community-driven enhancements for systems management.

Red Hat Enterprise IPA, and the related technology purchase of the code base of open source identity integration provider Identyx, cuts costs and improves operational efficiency while ensuring compliance, risk reduction and business enablement, according to Red Hat.

The firm now provides centrally managed identity capabilities, single sign-on services, high-availability directory services, an access control framework and synchronisation with LDAP, Active Directory and other data stores.

"Delivering on the promise of any application, anywhere, anytime across physical and virtual infrastructures requires integrated, secure management of users, systems and applications," said Katrinka McCallum, vice president of Red Hat's Management and Security business.

"Dynamically allocating resources and providing efficient user access to systems and services as the IT landscape changes requires tightly integrated control systems.

"With Red Hat's management and security solutions spanning the operating system, virtualisation, grid frameworks, middleware and SOA, Red Hat is rapidly advancing Linux Automation."

Incorporating the Identyx code base enables Red Hat Enterprise IPA to provide virtual directory services that allow organisations to deliver a unified view of identity across multiple sources.

Red Hat also announced the open sourcing of the Red Hat Network (RHN) Satellite code base, available under the GPLv2 and known as Project Spacewalk.

RHN Satellite is a systems management solution that allows customers to manage Red Hat Enterprise Linux content updates, including system grouping permissions and scheduling, within their firewall.

The solution also performs systems provisioning, update and monitoring, across physical and virtual servers.