Installation guide

Chapter 1. Introduction
1.1. Red Hat Network
Red Hat Network (RHN) is the environment for system-level support and management of Red Hat
systems and networks of systems. Red Hat Network brings together the tools, services, and information
repositories needed to maximize the reliability, security, and performance of their systems. T o use RHN,
system administrators register the software and hardware profiles, known as System Profiles, of their
client systems with Red Hat Network. When a client system requests package updates, only the
applicable packages for the client are returned (based upon the software profile stored on the RHN
Servers).
Advantages of using Red Hat Network include:
Scalability — with Red Hat Network, a single system administrator can set up and maintain hundreds
or thousands of Red Hat systems more easily, accurately, and quickly than they could maintain a
single system without Red Hat Network.
Standard Protocols — standard protocols are used to maintain security and increase capability. For
example, XML-RPC gives Red Hat Network the ability to do much more than merely download files.
Security — all communication between registered systems and Red Hat Network takes place over
secure Internet connections.
View Errata Alerts — easily view Errata Alerts for all your client systems through one website.
Scheduled Actions — use the website to schedule actions, including Errata Updates, package
installs, and software profile updates.
Simplification — maintaining Red Hat systems becomes a simple, automated process.
1.2. RHN Proxy Server
An RHN Proxy Server is a package-caching mechanism that reduces the bandwidth requirements for
RHN and enables custom package deployment. Proxy customers cache RPMs, such as Errata Updates
from Red Hat or custom RPMs generated by their organization, on an internal, centrally-located server.
Client systems then receive these updates from the Proxy rather than by accessing the Internet
individually.
Although the packages are served by the Proxy, clients' System Profiles and user information are stored
on the secure, central RHN Servers , which also serve the RHN website (rhn.redhat.com). The Proxy
acts as a go-between for client systems and Red Hat Network (or an RHN Satellite Server). Only the
package files are stored on the RHN Proxy Server. Every transaction is authenticated, and the Red Hat
Update Agent checks the GPG signature of each package retrieved from the local RHN Proxy Server.
In addition to storing official Red Hat packages, the RHN Proxy Server can be configured to deliver an
organization's own custom packages from private RHN channels, using the RHN Package Manager. For
instance, an organization could develop its own software, package it in an RPM, sign it with its own GPG
signature, and have the local RHN Proxy Server update all of the individual systems in the network with
the latest versions of the custom software.
Advantages of using RHN Proxy Server include:
Scalability — there can be multiple local RHN Proxy Servers within one organization.
Security — an end-to-end secure connection is maintained: from the client systems, to the local RHN
Proxy Server, to the Red Hat Network servers.
Saves time — packages are delivered significantly faster over a local area network than the Internet.
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Red Hat Network Satellite 5.3 Proxy Installation Guide
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