After we picked the mode in which we wanted to run the RHN service, we selected the functionality we wanted included--for an additional cost, of course! The update module, which is included with every RHEL subscription, lets users update their installations on a yearly subscription model and provides priority errata notification via e-mail, an auto-updating ability and simple point-and-click installation with dependency checking. Most RHN users will be familiar with this mode.
The management module is an add-on to the update module, and its functionality differs depending on whether you're running hosted, proxy or satellite RHN service. In hosted mode, we found helpful system grouping, system permissions and scheduled actions capabilities. We were able to group systems into custom-created classes, and single systems could be members of many groups. This is especially useful if you want to group items by location but also need them grouped by application service. Once the management module was enabled in RHN, we could create users and give them specific permissions to groups or single systems. You also can perform scheduled tasks, like reboots, from the RHN service without having to connect to the machine.
This module also let us create custom channels and cache packages locally for delivery to managed hosts in proxy mode. With custom channels, administrators can distribute third-party RPM applications, for example, to hosts and system-management scripts. We created a custom channel, based on RHEL AS 3.0, then removed the ability to update and install office-productivity software, but your options are almost limitless. Feel the power.
In satellite mode, the management offering gave us even finer control. In addition to the hosted and proxy RHN offering, we could clone channels and create permissions based on channels instead of systems. This would be very useful in a staged environment, where you could create a channel for test machines. Once the software has been tested and validated, you could then clone it to your QA servers participating in the QA channel and eventually to the production machines.
We were given access to the management module and the proxy service offering, which was installed on top of RHEL 2.1 (currently, the proxy software is certified to run only on RHEL 2.1, which is included in the proxy option). Creating system groups and permissions for users was a snap. The software let us search the system database by item--installed software, installed hardware, IP address and location, for example. Creating custom channels was straightforward using a simple Web-based interface. The software is powerful, giving administrators an unlimited amount of customization.
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