Online mode of patch management for SUSE Linux

In versions earlier than BMC Server Automation version 8.2, only the Offline mode of patch management for the SUSE Linux Enterprise OS was supported. In Offline mode, all patches are downloaded to a local repository and applied to target servers from that repository. Offline mode works well for customers in air-gapped environments in which the BMC Server Automation Application Server lacks external Internet access. However, even customers working in environments with Internet access had to download and apply patches from a local repository.

BMC Server Automation version 8.2 supports the Online mode of patch management, in addition to the Offline mode, for the SUSE Linux Enterprise OS. Online mode enables customers working in environments with Internet access to download and apply patches directly from the product site. The following sections describe how to use Online mode for SUSE Linux Enterprise. For details about patch management, see the BMC Server Automation User Guide.

SUSE Linux patch catalog changes for Online mode

The SUSE Linux Catalog tab defines a number of options including locations (such as locations of the source files, the repository, and the signature file), filters, and whether local copies of the files are created on the target server or downloaded directly during deployment.

Catalog Mode

In BMC Server Automation version 8.2, the Catalog Mode contains the Source from Vendor (Online Mode) option. Use this option if the BMC  Server Automation Application Server is installed on a server with Internet access.

The following figure shows the Catalog Mode options on the BMC Server Automation Console. The sections following the figure describe the options for Online mode.

Novell network credentials

If you select Source from Vendor (Online Mode), you must enter the user name and password used to access the vendor website. Select one or both of the following options:

• Novell Credentials: Set these credentials to connect to SUSE Linux Enterprise 9 URLs.
• Novell Mirror Credentials: Set these credentials to connect to SUSE Linux Enterprise 10 and SUSE Linux Enterprise 11 mirror URLs.

Repository options for Online mode

You enter the NSH path to the patch repository in the Repository Location (NSH Path) text box. This location must be on a Linux platform (Red Hat Enterprise Linux, SUSE Linux Enterprise, or Oracle Enterprise Linux). BMC recommends that this location have ample free space. Repositories typically contain many files, usually totaling gigabytes of data.

Depot Object Options for Online mode

The Depot Object Options for Online mode are similar to the Depot Object options for Offline mode.

RBAC Policy for Online mode

The RBAC Policy for Online mode is similar to the RBAC Policy for Offline mode.

Filters for Online mode

Filters limit the amount of information brought into the catalog. Use the following fields to re-create the same filters defined in the SUSE Linux filter XML configuration file. You can define a filter during catalog creation or later, when you are editing the catalog.

There is no limit to the number of filter combinations that you can create, but you must create at least one. Only those RPMs that match the combinations that you define (and their dependent RPMs) are added to the catalog.

To begin, you click Add Filter, and then you provide values for the following options:

• In the OS Flavor list, select the combination of operating system and architecture from the list provided.
  • The operating system, based on your selection in the OS Flavor box, is supplied automatically in the read-only OS box.
  • The architecture, based on your selection in the OS Flavor box, is supplied automatically in the read-only Architecture box.

• In Online mode, the SUSE filter XML file contains the following URLs for a combination of OS and architecture: Update, Online, and Pool. Depending on which updates need to be downloaded, select one or more of the following options:
  • Update: The latest updates for the specified OS level. If you select this option, you must ensure that your target is at the OS level for which you require the updates. For example, if you select this option for SUSE Linux Enterprise 10 SP1, you must upgrade your target to SUSE Linux Enterprise 10 SP1 before applying the updates.
  • Online: Updates from the previous OS level to the specified OS level. Use this option only when you want to bring your target from the existing OS level to the next OS level. For example, you must use this option if you want to bring your target from SUSE Linux Enterprise 10 SP2 to SUSE Linux Enterprise 10 SP3.
  • Pool: All the updates until the specified OS level. For an OS-architecture combination, if you require the updates from an OS level to the next level or the latest OS level, you must use this option. For example, you must use this option if you want to bring your target from SUSE Linux Enterprise 10 SP1 to SUSE Linux Enterprise 10 SP4.