6.4.2.9.3. System Details ⇒ Configuration —

This tab and its sub-tabs, which do not appear without a Provisioning entitlement, assist in managing the configuration files associated with the system. These configuration files may be managed solely for the current system, or may be distributed widely via a Configuration Channel. The following section describe these and other available options on the System Details ⇒ Configuration sub-tabs.
Like software channels, configuration channels store files to be installed on systems. While software updates are provided by RHN, configuration files are managed solely by you. Also unlike software packages, various versions of configuration files may prove useful to a system at any given time. However, only the latest version can be deployed.
You should understand the difference between local and centrally-managed configuration files. Local configuration files are specific to a single system, and are managed through the System Details ⇒ Configuration sub-tab. They always take precedence over centrally-managed configuration files and are also referred to as override configuration files as a result. Centrally-managed configuration files are also referred to as global files. They exist in a channel to which multiple systems may be subscribed. They are managed from the Configuration tab on the top navigation bar.
6.4.2.9.3.1. System Details ⇒ Configuration ⇒ Overview
This sub-tab provides access to the configuration statistics of your system and to the most common tasks used to manage configuration files. It is made up of three panels: Configuration Overview, Recent Events, and Configuration Actions.
Configuration Overview
This panel provides information about the numbers and types of configuration files that apply to this system. For centrally-managed files, the total number of central files and the number of files that are not overridden by local files are listed. The number of central (global) channels to which the system is subscribed is also displayed.
Recent Events
Recently scheduled configuration events appear here, along with their status. You can see the results of recent file comparisons by clicking the blue [View Details] link.
Configuration Actions
Any configuration actions scheduled from this page apply to this system only.
Deploy Files
Selecting one of the Deploy Files links allows you to deploy any of the configuration files to which this system has access. In each case, RHN allows you to select the time at which the deployment occurs. (Note that the deployed files will always be the latest revisions.) Press the Schedule Deploy button to confirm the action.
Compare Files
The Compare Files actions issue a diff command between the files stored with RHN and those on the system in question. As with deployed files, the files that are compared are the latests revisions only. Select the time at which the comparison should take place, then press the Schedule Compare button to confirm the action.
Add/Create Files
The Add/Create Files actions allow you to place files in the Sandbox channel for this system by either uploading a file, importing a file from another channel, or creating a file from scratch. A configuration file that is in a system's Sandbox channel is considered to be experimental or potentially unstable. Without intervention, a Sandbox file cannot be deployed to any system. This is to prevent accidental deployment of the file.

Note

If you wish to deploy and test a Sandbox file, you must first copy it to another channel. You can copy the file to the local (override) channel by selecting the Copy Latest to System Config Channel button, or to a central configuration channel using the Copy Latest to Central Config Channell button. Select the channels into which you want to import it, then selectg the Copy To Central Channel button.
The file is not deleted from the Sandbox when you copy it to another channel. When you copy a configuration file to other channels, you store multiple copies of the file. You can delete Sandbox files by selecting the box next to the file and then pressing the Delete Files button. This action only deletes the file from the Sandbox, not from any other channels.
6.4.2.9.3.2. System Details ⇒ Configuration ⇒ View/Modify Files
Via this page and its sub-tabs, you can view and modify files already in the configuration channels to which this system is subscribed. You can copy files from one channel to another, view the files, or compare the file stored via RHN with the file currently deployed to the system. Each of the types of configuration files is listed on a separate sub-tab, described below:
Centrally-Managed Files
From this page, you can examine the centrally-managed configuration files that apply to this system. If the are overridden by a local file, the Overridden By column displays the revision number of the local file that overrides it. This makes it easy to see if the local file is an older version of a configuration file, or if perhaps it has custom options.
You can choose to view the contents of each file, compare it to the file that exists on the system ,or view the contents of the channel form which if comes. You can also import a copy of the centrally-managed file to the local override channel or to the local Sandbox by selecting the file and pressing the appropriate button in the lower right.
Locally-Managed Files
This list is similar in layout to the Central and Local tables described above. You can copy files from the Sandbox to the Local Override channel or to a Centrally-Managed configuration channel by pressing the appropriate button in the lower right.
Local Sandbox
If this configuration file overrides another, the overridden file is listed in this column along with its host channel.
6.4.2.9.3.3. System Details ⇒ Configuration ⇒ Add Files
You can add files to the local Sandbox channel via one of three methods: upload files from your system, import files from another configuration channel, or create a file from scratch. You can only add them to the Sandbox. If you wish to place them in the local override channel (which allows you to deploy the file to this system), or to a central configuration channel, you can do so from the System Details ⇒ Configuration ⇒ View/Modify Files tab described above.
The Add Files sub-tab has three sub-tabs of its own, which allow you to Upload, Import, or Create configuration files to be included in the channel.
Upload File
To upload a file into the configuration channel, browse for the file on your local system, populate all fields, and click the Upload Configuration File button. The Filename/Path field is the absolute path where the file will be deployed. You can also indicate the ownership and permissions to be attached to the file when it is deployed. Finally, if the configuration file includes a macro, enter the symbol that marks the beginning and end of the macro.
Import Files
From this page you can import files from the system by entering the absolute path to any desired files in the Import New Files text box. You can also import files from other configuration channels. Check the box to the left of any file you wish to import and press the Import Configuration File(s) button.
Create File
From this page you can create a configuration file from scratch to be included in the configuration channel. Indicate the absolute path along which the file should be deployed, enter the ownership and permissions for the file, and enter the configuration file content in the appropriate fields. Finally, press the Create Configuration File button to create the new file.
6.4.2.9.3.4. System Details ⇒ Configuration ⇒ Deploy Files
This page lists the files that may be deployed to this system. If includes files from central configuration channels and local override channels. You may select to deploy one or all of the listed files by selecting the box to the left of the file and pressing the Deploy Files button.

Note

This action deploys configuration files to this system only. If you wish to deploy configuration files to a group of systems, use the System Set Manager to do so.
6.4.2.9.3.5. System Details ⇒ Configuration ⇒ Compare Files
This page allows you to select files to compare to the files that currently exist on this system. Select the box to the left of the desired files, press thee Compare Files button, choose a time to run the comparison, and finally press the Schedule Compare button to run the comparison on this system.
6.4.2.9.3.6. System Details ⇒ Configuration ⇒ Manage Configuration Channels
The three sub-tabs on this page allow you to alter the system's subscription to centrally-managed channels and to alter the precedence each channel takes for this system.
List/Unsubscribe from Channels
This page displays the various centrally-managed configuration channels to which the system is subscribed. You can choose to unsubscribe from any listed channels by selecting the box to the left of the channel and pressing the Unsubscribe button.
Subscribe to Channels
This page displays all centrally-managed configuration channels. Those channels to which the system is subscribed are marked with a check. You can subscribe the system to additional channels by checking the box to the left of them and pressing the Continue button.
View/Modify Rankings
It is possible for different global configuration channels to contain different versions of the same file. If a system is subscribed to two or more such channels, it is necessary to know which of the files will be deployed to the system. This is accomplished through ranking. On this page, you can select which of the centrally-managed configuration channels has the highest precedence. (Remember, however, that local overrides always take the very highest priority.) On this page, the various channels to which the system is subscribed are displayed. The channel that is highest on the list has the highest priority; a file contained in this channel will be deployed rather than a similar file in any other global channel. To re-order the channels, highlight the name of the channel you wish to move, then use the up and down arrows to reposition it. When finished, press the Update button to make the changes permanent.