Getting started with Red Hat Lightspeed

Red Hat Lightspeed 1-latest

How to start using Red Hat Lightspeed

Red Hat Customer Content Services

Abstract

This document provides starting points and resources for registering and installing Red Hat Lightspeed on Red Hat Enterprise Linux, OpenShift Container Platform, and Ansible Automation Platform.

Chapter 1. About Red Hat Lightspeed

Red Hat Lightspeed is a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) application included with almost every subscription to Red Hat Enterprise Linux, OpenShift Container Platform, and Ansible Automation Platform.

Red Hat Lightspeed can discover relevant insights, recommend tailored, proactive next actions, and automate tasks. Using Red Hat Lightspeed, customers benefit from the experience and technical knowledge of Red Hat Certified Engineers, to identify, prioritize, and resolve issues for business operations.

As a SaaS offering, located at This content is not included.Red Hat Hybrid Cloud Console, Red Hat Lightspeed is regularly updated. Regular updates expand the Red Hat Lightspeed knowledge archive in real time to reflect new IT challenges that can impact the stability of mission-critical systems.

Chapter 2. How data and application security are handled in Red Hat Lightspeed

Red Hat Lightspeed implements security measures to protect data and applications throughout the collection and analysis process. Red Hat Lightspeed collects minimal system metadata, called system facts, from your systems to identify and resolve issues.

2.1. System facts for Red Hat Lightspeed

Data collectors gather system facts about your Red Hat Enterprise Linux systems to populate inventory data and enable system analysis in Red Hat Lightspeed.

A data collector is an application or service that regularly sends host information, updates, or system profile data to Red Hat Lightspeed inventory. The insights-client is a data collector for Red Hat Lightspeed.

System facts are the metadata that data collectors collect about your RHEL systems. These facts describe runtime configuration, system health, and system performance. The insights-client uses the system facts it collects to populate inventory data in Red Hat Lightspeed and to update existing data. Red Hat Lightspeed also uses system facts to analyze system performance and to create recommendations for services such as advisor or remediations.

2.2. Additional resources

Chapter 3. Install Red Hat Lightspeed on RHEL systems

Install the insights-client and register your RHEL systems with Red Hat Lightspeed using various supported installation methods.

3.1. Installation methods for Red Hat Lightspeed on RHEL

Multiple installation methods are available for Red Hat Lightspeed on RHEL depending on your system configuration and management approach.

You can use other supported methods to register and install Red Hat Lightspeed, too. A registration assistant is also available to guide you through the process of registering and installing Red Hat Lightspeed. You can also use the remote host configuration (RHC) tool. The installation method you choose depends on several factors, including whether:

  • You are connecting to Red Hat for the first time
  • You use a certain version of RHEL
  • You want to do an automated installation or a manual installation

3.2. Install Red Hat Lightspeed by using the Registration Assistant

Use the Registration Assistant as an interactive guide to register and install Red Hat Lightspeed on your systems.

You can use the Registration Assistant as a starting point to help you start using Red Hat Lightspeed. The Registration Assistant provides an interactive guide to help you register and install Red Hat Lightspeed.

Procedure

  1. Access the Registration Assistant by using the following link:

    This content is not included.Registration Assistant

  2. Follow the interactive guide to register and install Red Hat Lightspeed.

3.3. Registration and configuration information for Red Hat Lightspeed

The Registering RHEL systems and configuring client tools with Red Hat Lightspeed guide provides detailed step-by-step instructions for registering your systems and installing Red Hat Lightspeed client tools on RHEL systems.

The This content is not included.Registering RHEL systems and configuring client tools with Red Hat Lightspeed guide covers:

  • Registering your system with Red Hat
  • Installing the Red Hat Lightspeed client package (insights-client)
  • Configuring the client to connect to Red Hat Lightspeed
  • Verifying the installation and connection

3.4. Red Hat Satellite integration resources for Red Hat Lightspeed

Red Hat Satellite documentation resources provide guidance for installing and configuring Red Hat Lightspeed on RHEL hosts managed by Satellite Server.

3.5. Install Red Hat Lightspeed on systems managed by RHSM, Satellite Server, or Cloud Access

Install Red Hat Lightspeed on RHEL systems that are already managed through Red Hat Subscription Manager, Satellite Server, or Red Hat Cloud Access.

Procedure

  1. Ensure your system is registered with Red Hat Subscription Manager, Red Hat Satellite, or Red Hat Cloud Access.
  2. Install the insights-client package on the system.

  3. Configure the client to connect to Red Hat Lightspeed.
  4. Register the system with Red Hat Lightspeed.

Verification

  • Verify the connection by checking that the system is displayed in the Red Hat Lightspeed inventory.

Additional resources

3.6. Install Red Hat Lightspeed on marketplace systems with Red Hat Cloud Access

Install Red Hat Lightspeed on RHEL systems purchased from cloud marketplaces and managed through Red Hat Cloud Access.

Procedure

  1. Verify your system is managed by Red Hat Cloud Access and properly registered.
  2. Install the insights-client package on the system.

    Tip
  3. Configure the client to connect to Red Hat Lightspeed.

Verification

  • Verify the installation by checking that the system is displayed in the Red Hat Lightspeed inventory.

3.7. Install Red Hat Lightspeed on marketplace systems managed by RHUI

Install Red Hat Lightspeed on RHEL systems purchased from cloud marketplaces and managed through Red Hat Update Infrastructure (RHUI).

Procedure

  1. Verify your system is using Red Hat Update Infrastructure (RHUI) for package management.
  2. Install the insights-client package from the RHUI repository.

  3. Configure the client to connect to Red Hat Lightspeed.

Verification

  • Verify the installation by checking that the system is displayed in the Red Hat Lightspeed inventory.

Chapter 4. Enable Red Hat Lightspeed services on OpenShift Container Platform clusters

You can also monitor your Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform clusters and receive recommendations from Red Hat Lightspeed. by enabling the remote health monitoring feature.

4.1. Remote health monitoring on OpenShift Container Platform

OpenShift Container Platform uses built-in remote health monitoring tools instead of requiring a separate Red Hat Lightspeed client installation.

Unlike Red Hat Enterprise Linux, OpenShift Container Platform does not require a separate installation of the Red Hat Lightspeed insights-client. Instead, the platform uses built-in remote health monitoring tools to report telemetry and configuration data to Red Hat. Red Hat Lightspeed analyzes this data to identify potential issues proactively and provide recommendations.

Red Hat Lightspeed relies on data collected by the following components, which are installed and enabled by default in OpenShift Container Platform:

  • Telemeter Client: Gathers and uploads metric values to Red Hat every four minutes and thirty seconds.
  • Insights Operator: Reports configuration data and component failure status every two hours.

4.2. Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform cluster requirements

To use Red Hat Lightspeed services, your OpenShift Container Platform cluster must be enabled and configured to report health and telemetry data to Red Hat.

Before enabling Red Hat Lightspeed, verify that your OpenShift Container Platform cluster meets the following requirements:

  • Remote health reporting is enabled and configured on your cluster.
  • Optional: Cost management is configured for your cluster. This step is required only if you intend to use cost optimization features.

4.2.1. Additional resources

Chapter 5. Red Hat Lightspeed integration with Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform

You can integrate your Ansible Automation Platform systems with Red Hat Lightspeed to monitor automation performance, identify risks, and receive optimization and remediation recommendations.

Integrating Ansible Automation Platform with Red Hat Lightspeed provides the following benefits:

  • Monitor overall automation health and performance.
  • Identify configuration risks and security vulnerabilities.
  • Receive proactive, tailored recommendations to help optimize your playbooks.

For detailed information about how to integrate Red Hat Lightspeed with Ansible Automation Platform, see the Additional resources.

5.1. Additional resources

Chapter 6. Connect your systems to Red Hat Lightspeed

Configure connectivity between your systems and Red Hat Lightspeed through direct connection, Satellite, or proxy servers depending on your network security requirements.

6.1. Connection methods for Red Hat Lightspeed

You can connect your systems to Red Hat Lightspeed using several methods depending on your network configuration and security requirements.

A system can connect to Red Hat Lightspeed in the following ways:

  • Directly
  • Through Red Hat Satellite
  • Through Red Hat Lightspeed proxy
  • Through your own proxy server

6.2. Connect to Red Hat Lightspeed through Red Hat Satellite

Red Hat Satellite acts as the single connection point between your hosts and Red Hat Lightspeed, automatically handling all communications.

Important

If you are a Red Hat Satellite user, then Satellite is used as the single point of connection in your network, with all communications going from the host to the Satellite to Red Hat Lightspeed.

If you are not a Satellite user, then you need to either directly communicate with Red Hat Lightspeed or set up a web proxy.

6.3. Connect your RHEL systems through the Red Hat Lightspeed proxy

Red Hat Lightspeed proxy provides encrypted connectivity for your systems and is included with your RHEL subscription.

Use Red Hat Lightspeed proxy to connect internet-restricted systems to Red Hat Lightspeed through encrypted channels. The proxy service (rhproxy) routes all Red Hat traffic through a centralized proxy server.

To get started with Red Hat Lightspeed proxy, you configure the subscription manager repository on each client system, install the rhproxy package, and configure firewall settings. You then enable proxy communication by running the configure-client.sh script.

For more detailed setup and configuration instructions, see the Connecting your RHEL systems through the Red Hat Lightspeed proxy guide.

6.4. Connect to Red Hat Lightspeed through your own proxy

You can use your own web proxy to act as a gateway between the public internet and your private network for enhanced security.

Configure a web configuration file on each host to control internet access while connecting to Red Hat Lightspeed. You must add hostnames, ports, and allow additional URLs to connect your systems to Red Hat Lightspeed through your own proxy.

6.5. Additional resources

Chapter 7. Manage user permissions for Red Hat Lightspeed services

Manage user permissions to control access to Red Hat Lightspeed applications. Use the User Access feature to apply role-based access control (RBAC). Red Hat provides predefined groups and roles to help Organization Administrators manage user permissions.

7.1. User Access overview

You can simplify access management in the Red Hat Hybrid Cloud Console by using role-based access control (RBAC). The User Access feature assigns specific permissions to roles instead of individual users, which are then inherited when roles are assigned to user groups.

You can also create custom groups and roles to provide more fine-tuned control over specific features of Red Hat Lightspeed to suit the needs of your organization.

If you are an Organization Administrator, you can use the User Access feature under Identity & Access ManagementUser Access in the Hybrid Cloud Console to:

  • Control user permissions and organize roles.
  • Create groups that include roles and their corresponding permissions.
  • Assign users to these groups, allowing them to inherit the permissions associated with their group’s roles.

7.2. Predefined groups in User Access

The two predefined groups available in User Access, Default access and Default admin access provide different baseline privilege levels for users in your organization. You can also create custom groups to align permissions with specific personas, job functions, or teams in your organization.

The Default access group
By default, the Default access group is assigned many granular predefined roles, so that group members have basic visibility. Because all users in your organization are members of the Default access group, they inherit all permissions assigned to that group. The Default access group is automatically updated by Red Hat.
Important

If your Organization Administrator modifies the Default access group, for example, by removing roles to restrict access to specific applications or to use the consolidated roles, the group is automatically renamed to Custom default access. Once converted, this group is no longer automatically updated by Red Hat.

The Default admin access group
The Default admin access group contains only users who have Organization Administrator permissions. This group is automatically maintained, and users and roles in this group cannot be changed.

The Default admin access group includes many (but not all) predefined roles that provide update and delete permissions. The roles in this group usually include administrator in their names.

Tip

To view the roles included in the Default access or Default admin access group, log in to the Hybrid Cloud Console, navigate to Groups in User Access, and select the group.

7.3. Predefined roles assigned to groups

Understand how predefined roles in Red Hat Hybrid Cloud Console bundle permissions across multiple Red Hat Lightspeed applications to align with common user personas. Use predefined roles to reduce administrative effort, or create custom roles for more fine-tuned control over specific features.

The predefined roles are a starting point to help you control and manage user permissions. You can then use these roles to create custom roles that are tailored to your specific use cases and organization. For example, you can use the predefined granular roles to create custom roles that provide more fine-tuned control over specific features of Red Hat Lightspeed.

By default, Red Hat provides a set of consolidated roles and a set of granular roles in the Red Hat Hybrid Cloud Console User Access UI. The consolidated roles significantly reduce the administrative effort required to manage user permissions, while the granular roles provide more fine-tuned control over specific features of Red Hat Lightspeed.

You can use the predefined consolidated and granular roles in User Access simultaneously, but using consolidated roles can significantly reduce the administrative effort.

Select from the predefined consolidated roles library

The Red Hat Hybrid Cloud Console provides three predefined, consolidated User Access roles to help you manage user permissions to Red Hat Lightspeed applications and services that run on registered Red Hat Enterprise Linux systems. These roles help simplify how the Organization Administrator creates groups and permissions for various levels of access to the Red Hat Lightspeed services. If you want to reduce the administrative effort required to manage user permissions and your use case aligns with the permissions included in these roles, select from the consolidated roles library.

The consolidated roles are as follows:

RHEL viewer: The RHEL viewer role provides users visibility without the ability to make changes. It allows read-only access to Red Hat Lightspeed. You can view system configurations, compliance reports, inventory data, patch information, vulnerabilities, and overall resource states and activities. The only action permitted with this role is to generate activation keys.

RHEL operator: The RHEL operator role allows active management of your Red Hat Lightspeed environment. With this role, you can edit system configurations, inventory details, policies, and notification/integration settings. The RHEL operator role allows many of the RHEL administrator role functions, but it is restricted from editing compliance policies, content source templates, policies, or tasks. In addition, the RHEL operator role cannot execute remediation plans.

RHEL administrator: The RHEL administrator role provides comprehensive administrative privileges across your RHEL systems and Red Hat Lightspeed. With this role, you can manage system configurations, inventory, compliance policies, notifications, patch management, remediations, malware detection, and advisor recommendations. The role can also view and modify all vulnerability settings.

Important

To use the consolidated roles effectively, you might need to remove the granular RHEL roles from the Default access group to prevent permission conflicts. This action automatically changes the name of the predefined Default access group to Custom default access group, after which, it is no longer automatically updated by Red Hat.

See Predefined User Access roles for a list of the roles included in the Default admin access group and a reference table that lists most of the predefined groups and roles that are available in the Red Hat Hybrid Cloud Console and the permissions included in each role.

Granular roles
The granular roles are specific roles for individual services that allow for fine-tuned control over specific features of Red Hat Lightspeed, for example, Inventory Hosts administrator or Compliance viewer. If you want to have more control over specific features of Red Hat Lightspeed and your use case does not align with the permissions included in the consolidated roles, use the granular predefined roles.
Tip

Across the Red Hat Lightspeed product documentation, the Prerequisites section for each procedure lists which predefined roles provide the permissions needed to use the features in that procedure. For example, if a procedure requires permissions to create and view remediations, the Prerequisites section for that procedure lists the Remediations user or other valid role as a recommended predefined role to use for that procedure.

7.4. Check your permissions

Verify your current permissions and the roles or groups assigned to you in the Red Hat Hybrid Cloud Console. Check your permissions to troubleshoot access issues or understand your level of access to Red Hat Lightspeed applications.

Note

Only users with the Organization Administrator role can view the permissions of other users in the User Access settings and manage user permissions to Red Hat Lightspeed services. For more information, see the Configure user permissions section.

Prerequisites

  • You are logged in to the Red Hat Hybrid Cloud Console.

Procedure

  1. Click the Settings icon (⚙), then navigate to This content is not included.SettingsIdentity & Access ManagementMy User Access.
  2. Optional: If you require additional permissions, use the Red Hat Hybrid Cloud Console Virtual Assistant to ask "Contact my Organization Administrator". The assistant sends an email to the Organization Administrator on your behalf.

Verification

All of the applications that you have permissions to access are listed on this page and are grouped by product, for example, RHEL, OpenShift Container Platform, and Ansible Automation Platform.

You can also filter your permissions by application, for example, by advisor, cost management, inventory, and remediations.

7.5. Configure user permissions

If you are an Organization Administrator, you can view and manage user permissions for all users in your organization. Control access to Red Hat Lightspeed and other Red Hat Hybrid Cloud Console services through the User Access interface.

Important

If you are not an Organization Administrator, you are unable to complete this task. However, you can check your own permissions for different applications by navigating to This content is not included.SettingsIdentity & Access ManagementMy User Access. Contact your Organization Administrator to request more permissions.

Prerequisites

  • You have logged in to the Red Hat Hybrid Cloud Console as an Organization Administrator, or you have the required administrator User Access role permissions.

Procedure

  1. Click the Settings icon (⚙), then navigate to This content is not included.SettingsIdentity & Access ManagementUser Access.

Verification

From here, you can create and manage:

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