Satellite (software)
| Company type | Software product |
|---|---|
| Industry | Computer software |
| Predecessor | Red Hat Satellite 5 (based on Spacewalk) |
| Founded | 2005 |
| Headquarters | Raleigh , United States |
| Products | Systems management solution for Red Hat Enterprise Linux |
| Owner | Red Hat, Inc. |
| Website | www |
In the realm of computing, Red Hat Satellite serves as a comprehensive systems management solution designed to assist administrators in the efficient deployment and oversight of Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) systems.
A Satellite server connects with Red Hat Subscription Management to synchronize pertinent software, including security updates and bug fixes. It subsequently distributes these, along with locally integrated software and configuration settings, to the managed endpoints.
Client systems register with the local Satellite server to retrieve software packages, patches, and configurations, while also providing status reports regarding their operational health back to the Satellite infrastructure.
As of March 2017:
- The latest iteration is Red Hat Satellite 6, which leverages Foreman as its foundation, enhancing both server and cloud management functionalities.
- Its predecessor, Red Hat Satellite 5, built upon Spacewalk, continues to be widely deployed despite approaching its end-of-life phase.
Red Hat Satellite Server
The core Red Hat Satellite Server oversees content lifecycle management and orchestrates Capsule Servers and managed hosts through multiple interfaces such as a graphical user interface (GUI), command-line interface (Hammer), or RESTful API.
Capsule Servers
Capsule Servers act as content mirrors for the Satellite Server, delivering localized repositories akin to the Proxy Server functionality found in Red Hat Satellite 5.
Managed Client Systems
While primarily supporting designated managed hosts, Red Hat Satellite 6 extends limited deployment and management capabilities to other systems that receive constrained support from Red Hat.
Integration with Red Hat Customer Portal and External Content Sources
Satellite predominantly functions in a "connected" mode by registering with the RHN to download software into internal channels. Managed systems then register with the local Satellite instance rather than directly interfacing with RHN.
For environments requiring isolation, "Disconnected" mode is available where updates are fetched externally and manually imported into Satellite or an offline RHN proxy. Both operational modes empower organizations to govern software versions and distribute supplementary applications within their controlled network environment.
Red Hat Satellite 6 components
| Component | Description |
|---|---|
| The Foreman | Manages provisioning and lifecycle operations for physical and virtual machines |
| Katello | A Foreman extension that handles subscription and repository administration |
| Candlepin | Subscription management service integrated within Katello |
| Pulp | Manages repositories and content within Katello |
| Hammer | Command-line interface enabling access to most web UI features |
| REST API | RESTful interface facilitating custom automation and third-party tool integration |
| Apache Tomcat | Embedded application server supporting Web UI and API communications |
| Puppet | Included Puppet Master server on Satellite Master or Capsule nodes |
| Hiera | Key-value store within Puppet used for separating site-specific data |
Provision
Satellite accommodates various host deployment techniques, such as kickstart, bare metal installation, and re-imaging. It utilizes Cobbler for kickstart processes and employs PXE Boot alongside Koan to manage bare metal installations and re-imaging tasks.
Manage
With Satellite, remote host administration is streamlined across software management, operational tasks, and configuration through three primary components:
- Software Channel
- Configuration Channels
- Activation Keys
Monitor
Satellite conducts system and software surveillance by employing probes that intermittently assess target hosts, issuing alerts when responses are missing or deviate from expected behavior.
History and Lifecycle
Early editions of Satellite enabled organizations to access Red Hat Network (RHN) functionalities without the necessity of public Internet connectivity for their servers. Over time, newer versions introduced substantial enhancements.
Template:Version /o/ 6.11Template:Version /o/ 6.12Template:Version /o/ /6.13Template:Version /o/ /6.14Template:Version /co/ /6.15Template:Version /c/ /6.16| Satellite version |
Release date | End of Full Support | Last minor | Notes release |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Template:Version | 31 August 2005 | The initial launch of Red Hat Satellite. | ||
| Template:Version | 31 August 2005 | Release of Red Hat Satellite 4. | ||
| Template:Version | 26 June 2007 | Introduction of Red Hat Satellite 5; subsequently contributed as open source upstream for Satellite 5.[1] | ||
| Template:Version | 31 January 2019 | |||
| Template:Version | 31 January 2019 | |||
| Template:Version | 20 June 2017 | 31 May 2020 | Final release based on Spacewalk. | |
| Template:Version | 10 September 2014 | 21 February 2018 | 6.0.8 | Transitioned to Open Source projects including Foreman (Web-GUI, Deployment), Foreman-Katello plugin (Content & Software Management), and Puppet (Configuration Management), marking the end of Spacewalk as upstream. |
| Template:Version | 12 August 2015 | 30 October 2018 | 6.1.12 | |
| Template:Version | 25 July 2016 | 31 May 2019 | 6.2.16 | |
| Template:Version | 21 February 2018 | 31 October 2019 | 6.3.5 | Integrated support for Ansible Tower. |
| Template:Version | 16 October 2018 | 30 April 2020 | 6.4.4 | Embedded Ansible Core and later added Puppet version 5 compatibility. |
| Template:Version | 14 May 2019 | Oct 2020 | 6.5.3 | |
| Template:Version | 22 October 2019 | 14 May 2021 | 6.6.3 | |
| Template:Version | 15 April 2020 | Oct 2021 | 6.7.5 | Added Azure provisioning capabilities, allowing compute resource creation and host deployment on Azure through UI, API, or CLI. |
| Template:Version | 27 October 2020 | Jun 2022 | 6.8.6 | |
| Template:Version | 21 April 2021 | Oct 2022 | 6.9.10 | |
| Template:Version | 16 November 2021 | "31 May 2023" | ||
| "5 July 2022" | "Jan 2024" | "Initially intended as version 7 after removing Puppet; renamed to 6.11 following feedback that led to Puppet integration being optional and disabled by default." | ||
| "16 November 2022" | "May 2024" | "Discontinued installation support for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7." | ||
| "3 May 2023" | "Nov 2024" | |||
| "8 November 2023" | "May 2024" | |||
| "3 April 2024" | "Nov 2024" | "Mandates RHEL 8; lacks RHEL 9 compatibility at this stage." | ||
| "5 November 2024" | "May 2025" | "Introduces support for RHEL 9." |
Prospects for Red Hat Satellite 6
The progression and support timeline of Red Hat Satellite 6 is maintained within the Red Hat Satellite and Proxy Server Life Cycle, which is periodically revised based on bona fide considerations. As of August 2019, no official end-of-support date had been declared by Red Hat.
Red Hat Satellite 5
Red Hat Satellite 5 was developed utilizing the open-source framework Project Spacewalk, which Red Hat made available under the GPLv2 License starting June 2008. The initial release to incorporate upstream Spacewalk code was Satellite 5.3.
Per the 2015 Spacewalk FAQ, Red Hat continued its sponsorship of Spacewalk as the upstream foundation for Satellite 5; however, support was anticipated to diminish as Satellite 5 neared its end-of-life stage. It is crucial to note that Spacewalk does not serve, nor can it serve, as the upstream project for Red Hat Satellite 6, which was entirely redesigned with a distinct toolset introduced in September 2014.
Prospects for Red Hat Satellite 5
The lifecycle details for Red Hat Satellite 5 are also recorded in the Red Hat Satellite and Proxy Server Life Cycle, which is updated on a regular bona fide basis. As of March 2017:
- Satellite 5 was undergoing its concluding Production 3 phase.
- Support for versions 5.6 and 5.7 extended through January 2019.
- A subsequent minor update, version 5.8, entered an Extended Life Phase from February 2019 until its designated end-of-life in May 2020.
By April 2017, a beta release of Satellite 5.8 had been made available.
See also
External links
- Knowledge Base for Red Hat Satellite
- Official Documentation for Red Hat Satellite
- Release Dates for Red Hat Satellite
- Red Hat Network (RHN)
- The Foreman – official site
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
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