Chapter 9. Installing the Satellite inventory upload plugin
When you are using Red Hat Satellite as a data collection tool for the subscriptions service, you must use the Satellite inventory upload plugin in combination with the virt-who tool for accurate reporting of hypervisor host-guest mapping information for Red Hat Enterprise Linux virtual data center (VDC) subscriptions and similar virtualized environments. The use of this plugin enables the uploading of host-based data from Satellite into the inventory service and enables the association of hosts with guests and with the Satellite instance that manages them. If the plugin is not enabled, the subscriptions service cannot accurately report usage for RHEL virtualized subscriptions.
The plugin is also required by other Hybrid Cloud Console applications. In addition to the requirement for the inventory service of Red Hat Insights to enable the uploading of host inventory information, the plugin is also required for the remediations service of Red Hat Insights to enable remediation actions from both Satellite and Red Hat Insights.
After the Satellite inventory upload plugin is enabled, it is active for every Satellite organization, including existing and newly created organizations.
Prerequisites
Red Hat Satellite 6.9 or later (versions that are under full support)
Procedure
For a new installation of Satellite
For a new installation of Satellite, the Satellite inventory upload plugin is installed and enabled by default. No action is required to enable it.
For upgraded Satellite
For Satellite that is upgraded to a currently supported version, the Satellite inventory upload plugin is installed. However, you might have to enable the plugin.
- If the plugin was previously enabled for Satellite before the upgrade, it remains enabled. No action is required to enable it.
- If the plugin was not enabled for Satellite before the upgrade, then you must enable it.
To enable the Satellite inventory upload plugin, use these steps:
- In the Satellite web interface, expand the Configure options and select Red Hat Inventory.
- Follow the instructions on the Red Hat Inventory page to enable the Automatic inventory upload option for Satellite.
Usage tips
When the Automatic inventory upload option is enabled, the Satellite inventory upload plugin automatically reports once per day by default. You can also manually send data and view the status of the extract and upload actions for individual Satellite organizations.
The Satellite inventory upload plugin includes reporting settings that you can use to address data privacy concerns. Use the options on the Red Hat Inventory page to configure the plugin to exclude certain packages, obfuscate host names, and obfuscate host addresses.
