72 Chapter 6. Red Hat Network Website
additional information you desire, and click the Create Profile button. These profiles are kept within
the Stored Profiles page linked from the left navigation bar.
— Once package profiles have been compared, Provisioning customers have the ability to syn-
chronize the packages of the selected system with the package manifest of the compared profile. Note
that this action may delete packages on the system not in the profile, as well as install packages from
the profile. To install specific packages, select the checkboxes of packages from the profile. To remove
specific packages already installed on the system itself, select the checkboxes of packages showing
a difference of "This system only." To synchronize the system’s packages with the compared profile
entirely, select the master checkbox at the top of the column. Then click the Sync Packages to but-
ton. On the confirmation screen, review the changes, select a time frame for the action, and click the
Schedule Sync button.
6.4.2.6.4. System Details Channels
Manage the channels associated with the system.
6.4.2.6.4.1. System Details Channels Software
Software channels provide a well-defined method to determine which packages should be available
to a system for installation or upgrade, based upon its operating systems, packages and, functionality.
Click a channel name to view its Channel Details page. To modify the child channels associated with
this system, use the checkboxes next to the channels and click the Change Subscriptions button. You
will receive a success message or benotified of any errors. To change the system’s base channel, select
the new one from the pulldown menu and click the Modify Base Channel button. Refer to Section
6.6.1 Software Channels for more information.
6.4.2.6.4.2. System Details
Channels Configuration —
Assists in managing the configuration of the system. This section is available to normal users with
access to systems that have configuration management enabled. Like software channels, configura-
tion channels store files to be installed on systems. While software updates are provided by RHN,
configuration files are managed solely by you. Also unlike software packages, various versions of
configuration files may prove useful to a system at any given time. Remember, only the latest version
can be deployed. If you want to distribute an older version through RHN, make it the latest version
first.
To manage the configuration of a system, it must have the latest rhncfg* packages installed and
the configfiles/ directory and associated files created on it. Refer to Section 6.6.6.1 Preparing
Systems for Config Management for instructions. Command line tools also exist for many of these
functions. Refer to Appendix A Command Line Config Management Tools for instructions.
Here are the options available within the system’s Configuration tab, each of which results in a
separate subtab:
• Managed Files — List all configuration files currently associated with the system. The Overrides
column identifies which config file from which channel will apply if the system is unsubscribed
from the config channel that provides the file now. For instance, if a system has ’/etc/foo’ from
channel ’bar’ and ’/etc/foo’ from channel ’baz’ is in the Overrides column, then unsubscribing
from channel ’bar’ will mean that the file from channel ’baz’ will be applicable. Also, if nothing
is in the ’Overrides’ column for a given file path, then unsubscribing from the channel providing
the file will mean that the file is no longer managed (though it will (not remove the file from the
system).
