Red Hat Network is the
environment for system-level support and management of Red Hat systems and
networks of systems. Red Hat Network brings together tools, services, and
information repositories needed to maximize the reliability, security, and
performance of their systems. System administrators use Red Hat Network to
register software and hardware profiles for their client systems. These
hardware and software profiles are called system profiles. When a client
system requests package updates, Red Hat Network returns only the applicable
packages for the client based upon the profile stored on the Red Hat Network
Servers.
Red Hat Network Satellite
provides organizations with the benefits of Red Hat Network without the need
for public Internet access for servers or client systems. In addition, users of
Red Hat Network Satellite can:
- Maintain complete control and privacy over package management and server maintenance within their own networks;
- Store System Profiles on a Satellite server, which connect to the Red Hat Network website via a local web server; and,
- Perform package management tasks, including errata updates, through the local area network.
This gives Red Hat Network
customers the greatest flexibility and power to keep servers secure and
up-to-date.
Two types of Red Hat
Network Satellite are available:
- Stand-Alone Database — One with a stand-alone database on a separate machine; and
- Embedded Database — One with an embedded database installed on the same machine as the Satellite.
Although the two types of Red Hat Network
Satellite are functionally similar, some differences do exist. These variations
are primarily limited to hardware requirements, installation steps, maintenance
activities, and some troubleshooting steps. This guide identifies distinctions
between the Satellite types by marking the differing instructions as either Stand-Alone
Database or Embedded Database.
System Overview
Satellite functions using
two database types:
- Stand-Alone Database — An organization's existing database or, preferably, a separate machine. Satellite supports Oracle Database 11g Release 2, Standard or Enterprise Edition for the stand-alone database.
- Embedded Database — The database comes bundled with Satellite and is installed on the same machine as the Satellite during the installation process. The included database is Oracle Database 10g Release 2.
Satellite Core
The core system and entry
point for Red Hat Update Agent running on client systems. Satellite
also includes an Apache HTTP Server, which serves XML-RPC requests.
Satellite Web Interface
A user interface for
advanced system, system group, user, and channel management. The organization
configures access to the Satellite web interface from the local area network
only or from both the local area network and the Internet. The Satellite's version
of the Red Hat Network website allows full control over client systems, system
groups, and users.
RPM Repository
Package repository for Red
Hat RPM packages and custom RPM packages identified by the organization.
Management Tools
The Satellite Management
Tools are used to synchronize the Satellite database and package repository
with Red Hat Network. Satellite also includes management tools for:
- Database and file system synchronization;
- Custom RPM and repository imports;
- Channel maintenance (Web-based);
- Errata management (Web-based);
- User management (Web-based); and
- Client system and system grouping (Web-based).
Red Hat Update Agent
Reconfigure Red Hat
Update Agent on client systems to retrieve updates from the organization's
internal Satellite instead of the central Red Hat Network Servers. After this
one-time reconfiguration, client systems retrieve updates locally using the Red
Hat Update Agent. System administrators also schedule actions through the
Satellite Web Interface.
When a client requests
updates, the organization's internal 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. The
client also installs the packages if set in preferences. If the packages are
installed, the client system sends an updated package profile to the database
on the Satellite. Those packages are removed from the list of outdated packages
for the client.
Satellite can be used in
conjunction with Red Hat Network Proxy Server to deliver a distributed,
self-contained Red Hat Network deployment for the organization. For example, an
organization can maintain one Satellite in a secure location and Red Hat systems
connect to it via local network access connect. Other remote offices maintain
Red Hat Network Proxy Server installations that connect to the Satellite. The
different locations inside the organization require a networked connection, but
this can be a private network;
