Installation guide

Table 6.2. Sat ellite Import /Sync O ptions
Opt ion Description
-h, --help Display this list of options and exit.
-d=, --db=DB Include alternate database connect string:
username/password@SID.
-m=, --m ount-point=MOUNT_POINT Import/sync from local media mounted to
the Satellite. T o be used in closed
environments (such as thos e created
during disconnected installs).
--list-channels List all available channels and exit.
-cCHANNEL, --channel=CHANNEL_LABEL Process data for this channel only.
Multiple channels can be included by
repeating the option. If no channels are
specified, all channels on the Satellite will
be freshened.
-p, --print-configuration Print the current configuration and exit.
--no-ssl Not Advisable - T urn off SSL.
--step=STEP_NAME Perform the sync process only to the step
specified. T ypically used in tes ting.
--no-rpm s Do not retrieve actual RPMs.
--no-packages Do not process full package data.
--no-errata Do not process Errata information.
--no-kickstarts Do not process kickstart data
(provisioning only).
--force-all-packages Forcibly process all package data without
conducting a diff.
--debug-level=LEVEL_NUMBER Override the amount of messaging sent to
log files and generated on the s creen set
in /etc/rhn/rhn.conf, 0-6 (2 is
default).
--em ail Email a report of what was
imported/synchronized to the des ignated
recipient of traceback email.
--traceback-mail=TRACEBACK_MAIL Direct sync output (from --em ail) to this
email address.
-s=, --server=SERVER Include the hostname of an alternative
server to connect to for synchronization.
--http-proxy=HTTP_PROXY Add an alternative HT TP proxy server in
the form hostname:port.
--http-proxy-usernam e=PROXY_USERNAME Include the username for the alternative
HTTP proxy server.
--http-proxy-password=PROXY_PASSWORD Include the password for the alternative
HTTP proxy server.
--ca-cert=CA_CERT Use an alternative SSL CA certificate by
including the full path and filename.
--system id=SYSTEM_ID For debugging only - Include path to
alternative digital system ID.
--batch-size=BATCH_SIZE For debugging only - Set maximum batch
size in percent for XML/database-import
processing. Open man satellite-sync for
more information.
If no options are included, satellite-sync synchronizes all channels that already exist in the
Satellite's database. By default, the --step (all steps) option is enabled.
Keep in mind that the --channel option requires the channel label, not its name. Use the --list-
channels option to obtain a list of all channels by label. All displayed channels are available for
importing and synchronizing.
6.2.2. Preparing for Import from Local Media
To perform the RHN Satellite import, the following prerequisites must be met:
The RHN Satellite installation must have been performed successfully.
The Red Hat Network Channel Content ISOs or RHN Satellite Export er data must be available, or
the Satellite must have access to the Internet and the RHN website.
Although it is poss ible to conduct the import directly from the RHN website, this s hould be done only if
Channel Content ISOs are not available. It takes a long time to populate a channel from scratch over the
Internet. For this reason, Red Hat urges you to use ISOs, if they are available, for initial import.
6.2.2.1 . Preparing Cha nnel Cont ent ISO s
Channel Content ISOs are special collections that contain both packages and XML dumps of metadata.
The ISO images can be downloaded from the RHN website on a machine connected to the Internet and
then transferred to the Satellite. After logging in, click Channels in the top navigation bar. Then, click on
the RHN Satellite channel, making sure to select the Satellite channel that corresponds to your version
of Satellite. Click the Downloads tab and use the instructions on the page to obtain the Channel
Content ISOs, available by version of Red Hat Enterprise Linux. If the desired Channel Content ISOs do
not appear, ensure your RHN Entitlement Certificate has been uploaded to RHN and correctly identifies
the target channels.
Channel Content ISOs are mounted and then copied to a temporary repository directory. Before
mounting the ISOs , ensure the temporary repository has enough disk space to copy all the contents into
a single directory. For a single channel, the approximate required s pace is at least 20 GB. The process
to copy Channel Content ISOs is to mount each one, copy its contents to the temporary repository, and
then unmount the ISO. Each channel consists of several ISOs. Once finished, the administrator should
delete the temporary directory and all of its contents. Follow these steps:
1. Log into the machine as root.
2. Insert the first Channel Content ISO that has been burned to disc.
3. Create a directory in /mnt/ to store the file(s) with the command:
mkdir /m nt/import/
4. Mount the ISO file from within the directory containing it using the command:
mount iso_filename /mnt/im port -o loop
Red Hat Network Satellite 5.4 Installation Guide
24