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Chapter 18. Configuring host collections

To group hosts and perform the same action on them at once, you can use host collections. Available actions include managing packages, applying errata, or assigning content view environments. Group hosts in a way that suits your workflow, such as by function, department, or business unit.

You can assign host collections to activation keys to ensure that newly provisioned or registered hosts become automatically part of your host collection during the registration to Satellite.

You can create a host collection from the Satellite web UI to group hosts and perform bulk actions such as package updates or errata installation.

Prerequisites

  • Your user account has a role that grants the create_host_collections permission.

Procedure

  1. In the Satellite web UI, navigate to Hosts > Host Collections.
  2. Click New Host Collection.
  3. Add the Name of the host collection.
  4. Clear Unlimited Hosts, and enter the desired maximum number of hosts in the Limit field.
  5. Add the Description of the host collection.
  6. Click Save.

You can create a host collection by using Hammer CLI to group hosts and perform bulk actions such as package updates or errata installation.

Procedure

  • Create a host collection: 

    $ hammer host-collection create \
--name "My_Host_Collection" \
--organization "My_Organization"

18.3. Cloning a host collection
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You can clone a host collection to create a new collection with the same settings and membership, then adjust it as needed.

Procedure

  1. In the Satellite web UI, navigate to Hosts > Host Collections.
  2. On the left hand panel, click the host collection you want to clone.
  3. Click Copy Collection.
  4. Specify a name for the cloned collection.
  5. Click Create.

18.4. Removing a host collection
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You can remove a host collection from Satellite when you no longer need that grouping. The hosts in the collection are not deleted.

Procedure

  1. In the Satellite web UI, navigate to Hosts > Host Collections.
  2. Select the host collection that you want to remove.
  3. Under Select Action, click Remove.
  4. Click Delete to remove the host collection.

You can add a host to a host collection from the Satellite web UI.

Note that if you add a host to a host collection, the Satellite auditing system does not log the change.

Prerequisites

Procedure

  1. In the Satellite web UI, navigate to Hosts > All Hosts.
  2. Click the name of the host you want to modify.
  3. In the Host collections card, open the options menu and select Add host to collections.
  4. Select the host collection.
  5. Click Add.

You can add a host to a host collection by using Hammer CLI.

Note that if you add a host to a host collection, the Satellite auditing system does not log the change.

Prerequisites

Procedure

  • Add a host to your host collection: 

    $ hammer host-collection add-host \
--host-ids My_Host_ID \
--id My_Host_Collection_ID

You can add multiple hosts to a host collection at once from the Satellite web UI.

Note that if you add a host to a host collection, the Satellite auditing system does not log the change.

Prerequisites

Procedure

  1. In the Satellite web UI, navigate to Hosts > Host Collections.
  2. Select the host collection where the host should be added.
  3. On the Hosts tab, select the Add subtab.
  4. Select the hosts to be added from the table and click Add Selected.

You can add multiple hosts to a host collection at once by using Hammer CLI.

Note that if you add a host to a host collection, the Satellite auditing system does not log the change.

Prerequisites

Procedure

  • Add multiple hosts to a host collection: 

    $ hammer host-collection add-host \
--host-ids My_Host_ID_1,My_Host_ID_2 \
--id My_Host_Collection_ID

18.9. Removing a host from a host collection
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Remove hosts from a host collection to update membership without deleting the host from Satellite.

Note that if you remove a host from a host collection, the host collection record in the database is not modified so the Satellite auditing system does not log the change.

Procedure

  1. In the Satellite web UI, navigate to Hosts > Host Collections.
  2. Choose the desired host collection.
  3. On the Hosts tab, select the List/Remove subtab.
  4. Select the hosts you want to remove from the host collection and click Remove Selected.

18.10. Managing host content with host collections
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You can use host collections in Satellite to install packages, apply errata, or manage other content across all hosts in the collection.

You can install packages on all hosts in a host collection in one action.

Prerequisites

  • The packages or package groups you want to install should be available in one of the existing repositories or added before this procedure.
  • Content should be promoted to the environment where the hosts are assigned.

Procedure

  1. In the Satellite web UI, navigate to Hosts > Host Collections.
  2. Select the host collection on which you want to install the package.
  3. On the Collection Actions tab, click Package Installation, Removal, and Update.
  4. To update all packages, click Update All Packages to use the default method. Alternatively, select the drop-down icon to the right of the button to select a method to use. Selecting the via remote execution – customize first menu entry will take you to the Job invocation page where you can customize the action.
  5. Select the Package or Package Group radio button as required.

  6. In the field provided, specify the package or package group name. Then click:

    • Install – to install a new package using the default method. Alternatively, select the drop-down icon to the right of the button and select a method to use. Selecting the via remote execution – customize first menu entry will take you to the Job invocation page where you can customize the action.
    • Update – to update an existing package in the host collection using the default method. Alternatively, select the drop-down icon to the right of the button and select a method to use. Selecting the via remote execution – customize first menu entry will take you to the Job invocation page where you can customize the action.

18.10.2. Viewing installed packages
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You can view the installed packages on a host to see what is present or to plan package or errata actions.

Procedure

  1. In the Satellite web UI, navigate to Hosts > All Hosts.
  2. Select the name of the host.
  3. On the Content tab, Packages displays a list of installed packages.

  4. To see details of a package, select that package.

    • The Details tab displays details of the selected package.
    • The Files tab lists the files contained in the package.
    • The Dependencies tab lists the dependencies of the package.
    • The Repositories tab lists the repositories that contain the selected package.
  5. You can filter these by Library or Default organization.

18.10.3. Upgrading a package
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You can upgrade an installed package on a host to a newer version from the Satellite web UI to get bug fixes or new features.

Procedure

  1. In the Satellite web UI, navigate to Hosts > All Hosts and select the name of the host that contains the package you want to upgrade.

  2. On the Content tab, select Packages.

    The Status column displays whether the package is upgradeable or Up-to date. You cannot update an up-to-date package.

  3. From the list of packages, choose the package you want to upgrade and click the options icon at the end of the line.
  4. Choose the Apply via Remote Execution to use Remote Execution, or Apply via customized remote execution if you want to customize the remote execution, for example, to set a time when it should be applied.
  5. Click Submit to upgrade the package.

18.10.4. Removing a package from a host
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To uninstall software or resolve dependency issues, you can remove a package from a host.

Procedure

  1. In the Satellite web UI, navigate to Hosts > All Hosts.
  2. Select the host containing the package you want to remove.
  3. On the Content tab, select Packages.
  4. Click the options icon at the end of the line for the package you want to remove, and click Remove.
  5. Click Submit.

You can install errata on all hosts in a host collection in one action using remote execution.

Prerequisites

Procedure

  1. In the Satellite web UI, navigate to Hosts > Host Collections.
  2. Select the host collection where the errata should be installed.
  3. On the Collection Actions tab, click Errata Installation.
  4. Select the errata you want to install on the hosts in the collection and click Install Selected to use the default method. Alternatively, select the drop-down icon to the right of the button to select a method to use. Selecting the via remote execution – customize first menu entry takes you to the Job invocation page where you can customize the action.

Additional resources

Remove packages or package groups from hosts in a host collection to keep collection content in sync with your requirements.

Procedure

  1. Click Hosts > Host Collections.
  2. Click the host collection where the package should be removed.
  3. On the Collection Actions tab, click Package Installation, Removal, and Update.
  4. Select the Package or Package Group radio button as required.
  5. In the field provided, specify the package or package group name.
  6. Click Remove to remove the package or package group using the default method. Alternatively, select the drop-down icon to the right of the button and select a method to use. Selecting the via remote execution - customize first menu entry will take you to the Job invocation page where you can customize the action.

You can change the lifecycle environment or content view assigned to a host collection so that all hosts in the host collection consume content from the new lifecycle environment or content view.

Procedure

  1. In the Satellite web UI, navigate to Hosts > Host Collection.
  2. Selection the host collection where the lifecycle environment or content view should be changed.
  3. On the Collection Actions tab, click Change assigned Lifecycle Environment or Content View.
  4. Select the lifecycle environment to be assigned to the host collection.
  5. Select the required content view from the list.

  6. Click Assign.

    Note

    The changes take effect in approximately 4 hours. To make the changes take effect immediately, on the host, enter the following command: 

    # subscription-manager refresh

    You can use remote execution to run this command on multiple hosts at the same time.

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