Chapter 9. Content and Synchronization
Your Red Hat Satellite Server installation is complete. The next step is to provide it with packages and channels for use with client systems. This chapter explains how to import content and keep it up-to-date.
Ensure to meet the following prerequisites before performing a Red Hat Satellite synchronization:
- A successful Red Hat Satellite installation.
- The Red Hat Satellite requires access to one of the following content sources:
- The Red Hat Network website over the Internet.
- Red Hat Network Channel Content ISOs.
- Red Hat Satellite Exporter data.
The sections in this chapter explain the use of the Red Hat Satellite Synchronization Tool and its use with each content source type.
9.1. Red Hat Satellite Synchronization Tool
The Red Hat Satellite Synchronization Tool (
satellite-sync) enables an Red Hat Satellite to update its database metadata and RPM packages with various sources.
Important
satellite-sync imports a large amount of data, especially on newly installed Red Hat Satellite servers. If your database has performance issues after a significant amount of data changes, consider gathering statistics on the database.
To launch the Red Hat Satellite Synchronization Tool, execute the following command as root:
# satellite-sync
The Red Hat Satellite Synchronization Tool works incrementally. To obtain errata information, it first requires information about the packages contained. For the packages to be updated, the tool first identifies the associated channel(s). For this reason, the Red Hat Satellite Synchronization Tool performs the following actions in order:
channel-families- Import/synchronize channel family (architecture) data.channels- Import/synchronize channel data.rpms- Import/synchronize RPMs.packages- Import/synchronize full package data for those RPMs retrieved successfully.errata- Import/synchronize errata information.
Users can perform each of these steps individually for testing purposes with the effect of forcing the tool to stop when a step completes. All preceding steps, however, will execute. For example, calling the
rpms step automatically ensures the channels and channel-families steps execute first. To initiate an individual step, use the --step option.
# satellite-sync --step=rpms
In addition to
--step, the Red Hat Satellite Synchronization Tool provides other command line options. To use them, insert the option and the appropriate value after the satellite-sync command when launching import/synchronization.
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
-h, --help | Display this list of options and exit. |
-d=, --db=DB | Include alternate database connect string: username/password@SID. |
-m=, --mount-point=MOUNT_POINT | Import/synchronization from local media mounted to the Red Hat Satellite server. Use in closed environments (such as those created during disconnected installs). |
--list-channels | List all available channels and exit. |
-c CHANNEL, --channel=CHANNEL_LABEL | Process data for this channel only. Multiple channels can be included by repeating the option. If no channels are specified, Red Hat Satellite updates all channels. |
-p, --print-configuration | Print the current configuration and exit. |
--no-ssl | Not Advisable - Turn off SSL. |
--step=STEP_NAME | Perform the synchronization process only to the step specified. Typically used in testing. |
--no-rpms | Do not retrieve actual RPMs. |
--no-packages | Do not process full package data. |
--no-errata | Do not process errata information. |
--no-kickstarts | Do not process kickstart data (provisioning only). |
--force-all-packages | Forcibly process all package data without conducting a diff. |
--debug-level=LEVEL_NUMBER | Override the amount of messaging sent to log files and generated on the screen set in /etc/rhn/rhn.conf, 0-6 (2 is default). |
--email | Email a report of what was imported/synchronized to the designated recipient of traceback email. |
--traceback-mail=TRACEBACK_MAIL | Direct synchronization output (from --email) to this email address. |
-s=, --server=SERVER | Include the host name of an alternative server to which to connect for synchronization. |
--http-proxy=HTTP_PROXY | Add an alternative HTTP proxy server in the form hostname:port. |
--http-proxy-username=PROXY_USERNAME | Include the username for the alternative HTTP proxy server. |
--http-proxy-password=PROXY_PASSWORD | Include the password for the alternative HTTP proxy server. |
--ca-cert=CA_CERT | Use an alternative SSL CA certificate by including the full path and filename. |
--systemid=SYSTEM_ID | For debugging only - Include path to alternative digital system ID. |
--batch-size=BATCH_SIZE | For debugging only - Set maximum batch size in percent for XML/database-import processing. Open man satellite-sync for more information. |
