Introduction To Rhn Channels; Base Channels And Child Channels; Subscribing To Channels - Red Hat NETWORK SATELLITE 5.3.0 - CHANNEL MANAGEMENT Management Manual

Chapter 2.

Introduction to RHN Channels

A Red Hat Network channel is a collection of software packages. Channels help you segregate
packages by sensible rules: a channel may contain packages from a specific Red Hat distribution,
for instance. A channel may contain packages for an application or family of applications. Users may
also define channels for their own particular needs; a company may create a channel that contains
packages for all of the organization's laptops, for example.

2.1. Base Channels and Child Channels

There are two types of channels: base channels and child channels. A base channel consists of
packages based on a specific architecture and Red Hat Enterprise Linux release. A child channel is a
channel associated with a base channel that contains extra packages.
A system must be subscribed to only one base channel. A system can be subscribed to multiple child
channels of its base channel. A subscribed system can only install or update packages available
through its Red Hat Network channels.
When a system is registered with Red Hat Network, it is assigned to the base channel that
corresponds to the system's version of Red Hat Enterprise Linux. Once a system is registered, its
default base channel may be changed to a private base channel on a per-system basis via the RHN
website. Alternately, you can have activation keys associated with a custom channel so that systems
registering with those keys are automatically associated with the custom channel.
On the Red Hat Network website, the Channels page (located under the Channels tab on the top
navigation bar) provides a list of all base channels and their child channels. Clicking on the name
of a channel displays the Channel Details page, which provides a list of all of the packages in that
channel, its errata, and any associated systems.

2.2. Subscribing to Channels

Subscribe systems to channels in the following ways:
• Registration through activation keys — Because of the simplicity and speed of activation keys,
this is the preferred method for registering systems as clients of either RHN Proxy Server or
RHN Satellite Server. Systems registered using an activation key are subscribed to all channels
associated with that activation key. For more information on activation keys, consult the Red Hat
Network Client Configuration Guide and the Red Hat Network Reference Guide.
• Install registration — When a system is initially registered through either the Red Hat Update Agent
or the Red Hat Network Registration Client, it is automatically assigned to the base channel that
corresponds to the version of Red Hat Enterprise Linux on the system. Once a system is registered,
its default base channel may be changed to a private base channel on a per-system basis via the
RHN website. Alternately, you can have activation keys associated with a custom channel so that
systems registering with those keys are automatically associated with the custom channel. For more
information on using these applications, refer to the respective chapter of the RHN Reference Guide
for your entitlement level (Management or Provisioning).
• Website subscription — Various specific child channels are available for subscription, depending on
the system's base channel. The system may be subscribed to the child channel through the RHN
website. If you have created your own base channels, you may also reassign systems to these
custom channels through the website. For more information on subscribing to channels online, refer
to the Red Hat Network Website chapter of the RHN Reference Guide.
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