Red Hat NETWORK WORKGROUP, User Reference Manual

Page: 12 / 84

12 Chapter 1. What is Red Hat Network?
1.1. Basic
The first subscription service offered through Red Hat Network was called Software Man-
ager. This subscription service, now known as RHN Basic, has all the same features that
Software Manager offered, plus more new features. All existing Software Manager subscrip-
tions were automatically transfered to Basic subscriptions. Registering a system with Red
Hat Network is free, as is your first RHN Basic subscription. Additional subscription to Ba-
sic can be purchased at http://rhn.redhat.com/purchase_info.pxt.
With each Basic subscription, you receive:
•
Errata Alerts — learn when Security Alerts, Bug Fix Alerts, and Enhancement Alerts are
issued for all the systems in your network through the Basic interface
•
Automatic email notifications — receive an email notification when an Errata Alert is is-
sued for your system
•
Scheduled Errata Updates — schedule delivery of Errata Updates with optional automatic
installation
•
Package installation — Schedule package installation on one or more systems with the
click of a button
•
Red Hat Update Agent — use the Red Hat Update Agent to download the lastest software
packages for your system with optional package installation
•
Access to the Red Hat Network website to manage multiple systems, downloaded indi-
vidual packages, and schedule actions such as Errata Updates.
1.2. Workgroup
In addition to the features offered in the RHN Basic subscription service, the RHN Work-
group subscription service allows you to manage your network of Red Hat Linux systems
manage users, and manage system groups through its System Set Manager interface.
Workgroup is based around the concept of an organization. Each enterprise level Red Hat
customer is assigned a Red Hat Customer Number. A Red Hat Network organization can
be established for each Red Hat Customer Number. Each Red Hat Network organization
contains users who have administration privileges to system groups. An Organization Ad-
ministrator has overall control over each Red Hat Network organization with the ability to
add and remove systems and users. When users other than the Organization Administrators
log into Red Hat Network Workgroup, they only see the systems they have permission to
administer.
To create a corporate account that can be used to entitle systems to the RHN Workgroup,
go to http://rhn.redhat.com/ and click on the Create Account link under the Your RHN
category. On the Sign Up for Red Hat Network page, click Create a Corporate Account . After
creating a corporate account, users within your organization need to click the Join a Cor-
porate Account link to create an RHN user account. In the Corporate Account Information
section, they should enter the customer number and password configured when you created
the corporate account. Before the new corporate user can log in, an existing Organization
Administrator for the corporation must approve the addition of the user and configure the
new user’s roles and permissions. Refer to Section 5.3 for more information on approving
new users.
The Red Hat Network features available to you depends on the subscription level for each
Red Hat Linux system.