FAQ for Changes to Subscription Management starting with RHEL 6.1 and 5.7

Updated 4 Oct 2017

Q: What changes happened to Red Hat Network (RHN) Classic?
Q: What are the changes in Red Hat Subscription Management?
Q: Will using Subscription Manager improve my understanding of what is on my system?
Q: What are the technical components of Red Hat Subscription Management?
Q: Will Red Hat Subscription Management improve my ability to get updates?
Q: Why are these changes happening?
Q: When did these changes happen?
Q: Which products are affected?
Q: Is this a form of Digital Rights Management (DRM)?
Q: How does this work benefit me?
Q: Where do I get more information?
- - RHEL 6 Documentation
- RHEL 5 Documentation

Q: What changes happened to Red Hat Network (RHN) Classic?

A: Red Hat Network has been decommissioned. To continue receiving updates to your systems, please migrate to Red Hat Subscription Management as soon as possible.

Q: What are the changes in Red Hat Subscription Management?

A: Red Hat Subscription Management delivers Red Hat subscriptions and software services in a flexible, scalable and secure way. It uses certificates to track the subscriptions that are assigned to a system.

Q: Will using Subscription Manager improve my understanding of what is on my system?

A: Yes. The Subscription Manager tool is included in Red Hat Enterprise Linux starting with RHEL 6.1 and 5.7. Unlike RHN Classic, the new tool enables system administrators to see the subscriptions their systems are using.

This makes it easy for an admin to understand what products they have access to, the support level they are covered by, the date that their system will no longer be covered (subscription expiration date), their account number and contract number among other information.

Q: What are the technical components of Red Hat Subscription Management?

A: The Red Hat Subscription Management encompasses three different tools:

Subscription Management in the Customer Portal for organizational, multi-system views of the subscriptions and systems.
Subscription Manager GUI-based client on the local system.
Subscription Manager CLI, a client on the local system, which can be tied into other applications and actions, like kickstarting systems.

All of these tools allow administrators to perform three major tasks directly related to managing subscriptions: registering systems, assigning subscriptions to systems, and getting content for a system. Some minor operations, like updating system facts, are available to help display and track what subscriptions are available.

Q: Will Red Hat Subscription Management improve my ability to get updates?

A: Yes. Red Hat Subscription Management allows systems to authenticate with the Red Hat Content Delivery Network (CDN) directly. The system will no longer have to communicate with Red Hat corporate data centers meaning that updates are not disrupted if Red Hat systems are unavailable. Users outside of North America should also see improved download speeds.

Q: Why are these changes happening?

A: As our product offerings have changed, it has become necessary to change the way we track the subscriptions that our customers purchase and use. Red Hat Subscription Management keeps track of specific subscriptions assigned to specific systems. This change has been requested by our customers for a long time and makes it much easier to track which systems are using which subscriptions at all times. In addition, it also makes it easier to verify that your systems have all the subscriptions that they need.

Q: When did these changes happen?

A: Full transition from RHN Classic to Red Hat Subscription Management will take place over time. Red Hat Subscription Management was introduced with RHEL 6.1 and 5.7. Older versions will continue to use RHN Classic. Our commitment to you during this changeover is to keep disruption to a minimum.

Q: Which products are affected?

A: Red Hat Subscription Management is made available for Red Hat Enterprise Linux products beginning with versions 6.1 and 5.7 and would also affect many Red Hat products used in combination with those versions of the operating system.

Q: Is this a form of Digital Rights Management (DRM)?

A: No. The tool will not disable a system if it is not covered by a subscription. The enhanced subscription information will provide users with the understanding of which exact subscription each system uses. This allows enterprise system administrators to create reports that let them know what is being used and which additional subscriptions they may need.

Q: How does this work benefit me?

A: Red Hat Subscription Management will assist our customers in tracking what they have purchased, what each system is running and increase visibility of renewals while at the same time being easier to use.

You can also contact Red Hat Support for more information.

Tags

Article Type

General