Installation guide

is ins talled on the same machine as the Satellite during the installation process.
RHN Satellite — core "business logic" and entry point for Red Hat Upda te Age nt running on client
systems. The RHN Satellite also includes an Apache HT T P Server (serving XML-RPC requests ).
RHN Satellite Web interface — advanced system, system group, user, and channel management
interface.
RPM Repository — package repository for Red Hat RPM packages and custom RPM packages
identified by the organization.
Management T ools:
Database and file system synchronization tools
RPM importing tools
Channel maintenance tools (Web-based)
Errata management tools (Web-based)
User management tools (Web-based)
Client s ystem and system grouping tools (Web-based)
Red Ha t Update Agent on the client systems
The Red Hat Updat e Age nt on the client systems must be reconfigured to retrieve updates from the
organization's internal RHN Satellite instead of the central Red Hat Network Servers. After this one-time
reconfiguration, client sys tems may retrieve updates locally using the Re d Hat Update Agent, or
system administrators may schedule actions through the RHN Satellite website.
Important
Red Hat strongly recommends that clients connected to RHN Satellite be running the latest
update of Red Hat Enterprise Linux to ensure proper connectivity.
When a client requests updates, the organization's internal RHN Satellite queries its database,
authenticates the client system, identifies the updated packages available for the client system, and
sends the requested RPMs back to the client system. Depending upon the client's preferences, the
package may also be installed. If the packages are installed, the client system sends an updated
package profile to the database on the RHN Satellite; those packages are removed from the list of
outdated packages for the client.
The organization can configure the webs ite for the RHN Satellite to be accessible from the local area
network only or from both the local area network and the Internet. The Satellite's version of the RHN
website allows full control over client systems, system groups, and users.
The RHN Satellite management tools are used to synchronize the RHN Satellite database and package
repository with Red Hat Network. The RHN Satellite import tool allows the system administrator to
include custom RPM packages in the package repository.
RHN Satellite can be used in conjunction with RHN Proxy Server to deliver a distributed, self-contained
Red Hat Network deployment for the organization. For example, an organization can maintain one RHN
Satellite in a secure location. Red Hat sys tems with local network access to the RHN Satellite can
connect to it. Other remote offices can maintain RHN Proxy Server installations that connect to the RHN
Satellite. The different locations inside the organization must be networked, but this can be a private
network; an Internet connection is not required for any of the s ystems. Refer to the RHN Proxy Server
Installation Guide for more information.
Figure 1.1. Using RHN Satellite and RHN Proxy Se rve r Toge ther
1.5. Summary of Steps
Implementing a fully functional RHN Satellite requires more than installing software and a database.
Client s ystems must be configured to use the Satellite. Custom packages and channels should be
created for optimal use. Since these tasks extend beyond the basic installation, they are covered in
detail in other guides, as well as this RHN Satellite Installation Guide. For a full list of the necessary
technical documents, refer to Chapter 2, Requirements.
For this reas on, this section s eeks to provide a definitive list of all required and recommended steps,
from evaluation through custom package deployment. They should take place in roughly this order:
1. After an evaluation, you contact your Red Hat sales representative to purchase RHN Satellite.
2. Your Red Hat contact sends you an RHN Entitlement Certificate via email.
3. Your Red Hat contact creates a Satellite-entitled account on the RHN website and sends you the
login information.
4. Log into the RHN website (rhn.redhat.com) and download the distribution ISOs for Red Hat
Enterprise Linux 5 or 6 and RHN Satellite. T hes e can be found within the Downloads tab of the
respective Channel Details pages. Refer to the RHN Reference Guide for instructions.
5. While still logged into the RHN website, download the Channel Content ISOs to be served by your
Satellite, also available through the Downloads tab of your Satellite's Channel Details page.
These Channel Content ISOs differ from the distribution ISOs previously mentioned in that they
contain metadata necessary for pars ing and serving packages by Satellite.
6. If installing a Stand-Alone Database, prepare your database instance using the formula provided
in Chapter 2, Requirements.
7. Install Red Hat Enterprise Linux and then RHN Satellite on the Satellite machine.
8. Create the first user account on the Satellite by opening the Satellite's hostname in a Web
browser and clicking Create Account. T his will be the Satellite Administrator's (also referred to
as the Organization Administrator) account.
Red Hat Network Satellite 5.4 Installation Guide
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