Overview - How to migrate client systems to the new RHEL 6 Flex Entitlement Model
With the launch of Red Hat Enterprise 6 we have introduced "Smart Management" subscriptions which provide a new virtualization entitlement model called Flex guest entitlements, discontinuing Red Hat Enterprise Linux Advanced Platform, introduced with Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5, which provided both virtualization and storage entitlements. Currently, when a RHEL Advanced Platform subscription is due for renewal, it is renewed with "Smart Management" which gives flex entitlements towards the account instead of Virtualization/Virtualization Platform entitlements.
Entitlement Types
- RHEL 6 Virtualization Entitlements
With the launch of RHEL 6 products we made widely available a new virtualization entitlement model called Flex guest entitlements (commonly called just Flex or Flex entitlements). RHN Classic (also known as Hosted) has supported this since late 2009. Red Hat Satellite has supported Flex entitlements since the 5.4.0 release in late 2010. The Flex entitlement model allows Red Hat to correctly recognize and entitle a much broader range of RHEL guests running on both Red Hat and non-Red Hat virtualization technologies, including Hyper-V and VMware. Any RHEL guests running a supported virtualization technology can consume Flex entitlements. Please see for further details: https://access.redhat.com/site/solutions/17397
- RHEL 5 Virtualization Entitlements
With the launch of RHEL 5 products we released RHEL 5 Server / RHEL 5 Advanced Platform and introduced a virtualization entitlement model.
- RHEL 5 Server (Discontinued)
RHEL-Server + Virtualization Entitlement
- RHEL 5 Advanced Platform (Discontinued)
RHEL-Server + Virtualization Platform Entitlement
Red Hat Satellite 5.0 supported this virtualized entitlement model, which allowed for Red Hat Virtualized (Xen or KVM based) guests of known and entitled Host systems to consume entitlements for free.
Subscription Management Tools
Red Hat Network (RHN) Classic
Red Hat has used a "pool model" for counting subscriptions, in which we track the total number of subscriptions a customer has purchased, the total number of the customer's systems that are using subscriptions, and the difference between the two numbers. This model, which will now be called RHN Classic Subscription Management, is simple and effective, but has limitations, including an inability to link a specific subscription with a specific system.
RHN Classic - also known as Hosted - will continue to provide subscription management functionality for as long as systems that cannot be managed by Certificate Based Subscription Management are still supported. This includes RHEL 4 Extended Lifecycle Support (ELS).
Overview - How to migrate RHEL systems to new RHEL 6 Flex Entitlement Model using RHN Classic
Red Hat Satellite
Red Hat Satellite provides systems management and software delivery services for Red Hat enterprise technologies. Built on open standards, Satellite provides powerful systems administration capabilities such as management, provisioning and monitoring for large deployments. Satellite allows you to manage many servers as easily as you would one.
Overview - How to migrate RHEL systems to new RHEL 6 Flex Entitlement Model using Red Hat Satellite
Certificate Based Subscription Management (RHSM)
The new Entitlement services support Flex entitlements. This new entitlement service was introduced with RHEL 6.1 Beta and is available via access.redhat.com/management for clients using RHEL 6.1, RHEL 5.7 and newer versions of RHEL. The Virtualization/Virtualization Platform entitlements can only be used within RHN Classic or Red Hat Satellite 5.x.
Selected legacy subscriptions work with the new entitlement model. These subscriptions, even if they have Virtualization/Virtualization Platform, work within the new model. Red Hat Satellite 5.x does not work with the new Certificate Based Subscription Management service released with RHEL 6.1 and RHEL 5.7.
Subscription Asset Manager (SAM)
Red Hat Subscription Asset Manager is a light weight, on-premise, subscription management which is not tied to RHN Hosted. Since the product will be on premise, it can include improved gathering techniques, such as robust client agents, which will enable improved compliance models.
Additional Information
* What's the difference between RHN Classic and Red Hat Subscription Management?