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9.2. Setting Up a Self-Subscribed Red Hat Satellite

A self-subscribed Red Satellite 5 Server is registered to itself rather than the Red Hat Content Delivery Network (CDN). A Satellite server that is not registered to itself is registered to Red Hat CDN, then activated as a Satellite server. The Satellite can then use the cdn-sync command get new packages and content from the Red Hat CDN.
Once a self-subscribed Satellite server is set up, it gets content in the same way but through a base channel hosted on the Satellite server itself rather than through the Red Hat CDN. This process allows control of the Red Hat Enterprise Linux packages on the Satellite server, in the same manner as clients registered to the Satellite.

Important

Self-subscribed Satellites have several limitations. These are:
  • A self-subscribed Satellite treats the self-registration as it does any other client system registration. To prevent accidental changes to your self-subscribed Satellite lock the self-subscribed Satellite's system profile using Lock system in the system profile.
  • A self-subscribed Satellite cannot use osad. Installing the client-side osad package will break the provisioning feature of Satellite.

9.2.1. Installing and Configuring a Self-Subscribed Satellite

Procedure 9.3. Installing and Configuring a Self-Subscribed Satellite

  1. Install Red Hat Enterprise Linux following the instructions provided in Scenario 1: Installing Satellite with Embedded Database in the Red Hat Satellite 5 Installation Guide. The installation has to be run in disconnected mode.
  2. After the installation, change the value of the disconnected parameter back to 0 in the /etc/rhn/rhn.conf configuration file so that you are able to use the cdn-sync command in the next step.
    disconnected=0
    
  3. Use the cdn-sync command to download and import the base channel that matches the version of Red Hat Enterprise Linux installed on the Satellite server. The cdn-sync command can import the necessary files from the Red Hat CDN. Optionally, use the satellite-sync command to import the base channel content ISOs available for download.
  4. Use the Satellite 5 web interface to create a cloned channel of the imported base channel. See Chapter 5, Cloning Software Channels and Errata for more information.
  5. Install the client side Satellite SSL certificate onto the Satellite server using the following command.
    # rpm -Uvh /var/www/html/pub/rhn-org-trusted-ssl-cert-1.0-1.noarch.rpm
  6. Reconfigure Red Hat Update Agent to use the Satellite hostname and SSL certificate by editing the /etc/sysconfig/rhn/up2date. Change the following options:
    sslCACert=/usr/share/rhn/RHN-ORG-TRUSTED-SSL-CERT
    noSSLServerURL=http://satellite-server-hostname/XMLRPC
    serverURL=https://satellite-server-hostname/XMLRPC
  7. Register the Satellite server:
    # rhnreg_ks --username satellite_username --password satellite_password
  8. Log into the Satellite web interface. Go to System DetailsChannels then select the cloned base channel from the drop-down menu. Click Modify Base Channel.

9.2.2. Testing Self-Subscribed Satellite Functionality

Procedure 9.4. Testing Self-Subscribed Satellite Functionality

  1. Verify that synchronization from the Red Hat CDN is working.
    # cdn-sync -l
    
    Running the cdn-sync command should list all the channels available to be synchronized. The output should resemble the following:
    17:34:02 p = previously imported/synced channel
    17:34:02 . = channel not yet imported/synced
    
  2. Verify the source of package updates.
    • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6:
      yum check-update
    This should display information indicating that packages are downloaded from the Satellite rather than from the Red Hat CDN.

9.2.3. Client-Side Application Functionality with a Self-Subscribed Satellite

Red Hat provides various client-side tools for interaction with various aspects of a Red Hat Satellite. The list below outlines whether or not a client-side application functions on a Self-Subscribed Satellite server.

Important

There are several important things to note about a self-subscribed Satellite:
  • If a client-side application is not listed here it has not been tested.
  • Red Hat recommends that Administrators lock the registered Self-Subscribed Satellite within the Satellite web interface. This prevents any scheduled event from executing. Before unlocking the Satellite review the pending events and delete those you do not want to run.
  • Red Hat recommends Administrators entitle the Self-Subscribed Satellite to the Management level but not with the Provisioning entitlement. This helps to avoid possible harmful or accidental changes to the Satellite server.
  • If the self-subscribed Satellite has been granted a Provisioning entitlement do not attempt to use the Satellite to re-provision itself. The Satellite will attempt to perform the re-installation of the Red Hat Enterprise Linux operating system but on reboot the Red Hat installation program will be unable to download the necessary packages from the Satellite to perform the installation. There is a high risk of data loss and service interruption for your Satellite, especially if external kickstart trees are used.
  • Red Hat Update Agent Tools
    The rhn_check, rhnsd and, yum packages will all function normally on a self-subscribed Satellite.
  • Push
    The osad package will not install. The osad package is used to push packages to client systems but it conflicts with the server-side osa-dispatcher package. Do not attempt to force the installation of osad on a self-subscribed Satellite.
  • Configuration Client Tool
    The rhncfg-client package will function normally.
  • Configuration Management Tool
    The rhncfg-manager package will function normally.
  • Custom Info
    The rhn-custom-info package will function normally.