4.2. Managing Software Updates with the YOU Server

SUSE LINUX Enterprise Server – Installation and Administration Chapter 4. Central Software Installation and Update / 4.2. Managing Software Updates with the YOU Server
	Chapter 4. Central Software Installation and Update		4.3. Booting from the Network

With the YaST ‘YOU server’ module, create a local update server, which can provide the current software updates to all YOU clients contained in the network. This centralizes the update of all systems contained in the network. The YOU server is compared manually or automatically with one of the update servers in the Internet authorized by SUSE. Depending on the product, these are the SUSE maintenance web (http://sdb.suse.de/download) or one of the mirrors of the SUSE FTP server (ftp://ftp.suse.com/pub/suse). The local clients download the updates via HTTP. Configure the YOU server to be recognized via SLP (service location protocol) and by all clients in the network.

4.2.1. Configuring the Local YOU Server

Start the ‘Software’+‘YOU Server Configuration’ module from the YaST control center. The dialog is divided into three areas: server control, product list, and synchronization.

Figure 4.3. The YOU Server

‘Server Control’ offers an overview of the status of the YOU server and the configuration of its basic properties. ‘Start Server’ starts the YOU server. This installs, configures, and starts the web server (apache2) that distributes the updates via HTTP. If ‘SLP Registration’ is activated, the YOU server registers its service on the local SLP server. ‘Change Name’ allows changing the name under which your local YOU server appears among the YOU clients.

The product list shows the names of all products for which the YOU server currently provides updates as well as the respective URLs used to synchronize the update data on your local YOU server. The product running on the machine on which the server is set up is displayed as the default. Use ‘Add’, ‘Change’, and ‘Delete’ to edit the product list. ‘Add’ and ‘Change’ open a dialog in which to enter the product name, hardware architecture, version, and URL of origin. In the case of update servers that require authentication (SUSE Maintenance Web), enter the user name and password in this dialog.

Product Data

	Product Data
The product name, version, and architectural designation of the hardware are used internally by YOU to form the path under which to search for the updates on the source server. Make sure the correct designations are used here, as otherwise YOU cannot find the required updates on the source server. Receive the data either via the YOU client dialog or by entering online_update `-c` on the command line.

The product name, version, and architectural designation of the hardware are used internally by YOU to form the path under which to search for the updates on the source server. Make sure the correct designations are used here, as otherwise YOU cannot find the required updates on the source server. Receive the data either via the YOU client dialog or by entering online_update -c on the command line.

The status of synchronization with the source server or the date of the last synchronization process is displayed in the synchronization area. ‘Synchronize Now’ activates a synchronization process. All updates for the listed products are downloaded and stored under /var/lib/YaST2/you/mnt. From here, the updates are made available to all associated YOU clients for installation purposes. ‘Configure Automatic Synchronization’ opens a dialog in which to automate synchronization with a cronjob.

4.2.2. Configuring the Clients

The local YOU clients (‘YaST Control Center’+‘Online Update’) should be configured manually to obtain the updates from your YOU server or use the SLP functionality of YaST to determine the server address automatically.

Manual Configuration: Enter the URL of the local server in the URL field of the YOU client: http://<servername>/YOU. Alternatively, add this path to /etc/youservers.
Searching for Servers via SLP: Activate the SLP search on your YOU client by setting the SLP_ENABLED variable to yes in the /etc/sysconfig/onlineupdate file.

Clients can be configured with a cronjob to search the local server regularly for updates. Alternatively, activate the update procedure manually. There is a description of the YOU client in Section 2.3.2. “YaST Online Update”.