8.4. Disconnected Satellite

In high security environments where hosts are required to function in a closed network disconnected from the Internet, Red Hat Satellite can provision systems with the latest security updates, errata, packages and other content. In such case, Satellite Server does not have direct access to the Internet, but the layout of other infrastructure components is not affected. For information about installing Satellite Server from a disconnected network, see Installing Satellite Server from a Disconnected Network. For information about upgrading a disconnected Satellite, see Upgrading a Disconnected Satellite Server in Upgrading and Updating Red Hat Satellite.

There are two options for importing content to a disconnected Satellite Server:

  • Disconnected Satellite with Content ISO – in this setup, you download ISO images with content from the Red Hat Customer Portal and extract them to Satellite Server or a local web server. The content on Satellite Server is then synchronized locally. This allows for complete network isolation of Satellite Server, however, the release frequency of content ISO images is around six weeks and not all product content is included. To see the products in your subscription for which content ISO images are available, log on to the Red Hat Customer Portal at https://access.redhat.com, navigate to Downloads > Red Hat Satellite, and click Content ISOs. For instructions on how to import content ISOs to a disconnected Satellite, see Configuring Satellite to Synchronize Content with a Local CDN Server in the Content Management Guide.
  • Disconnected Satellite with Inter-Satellite Synchronization – in this setup, you install a connected Satellite Server and export content from it to populate a disconnected Satellite using some storage device. This allows for exporting both Red Hat provided and custom content at the frequency you choose, but requires deploying an additional server with a separate subscription. For instructions on how to configure Inter-Satellite synchronization, see Synchronizing Content Between Satellite Servers in the Content Management Guide.

The above methods for importing content to a disconnected Satellite Server can also be used to speed up the initial population of a connected Satellite.