Installing Capsule Server

Red Hat Satellite 6.18

Install and configure Capsule

Abstract

This guide describes how to install Red Hat Satellite Capsule Server, perform initial configuration, and configure external services.

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Chapter 1. Red Hat Satellite Installation Helper app

You can use the Red Hat Satellite Installation Helper app to obtain customized upgrade instructions.

For interactive instructions for performing the installation, you can use the Red Hat Satellite Installation Helper on the Red Hat Customer Portal. This application provides you with an interactive way to prepare installation instructions customized for your required Satellite version number and configuration. For more information, see This content is not included.Red Hat Satellite Installation Helper on the Red Hat Customer Portal.

Chapter 2. Preparing your environment for installation

Review the following prerequisites before you install Capsule Server.

2.1. Operating system requirements

Your operating system and installation method must meet the following requirements before you can install Satellite.

The following operating system is supported for deploying Satellite:

  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 (x86_64)

You can install the operating system from a disc, local ISO image, Kickstart, or any other method that Red Hat supports.

Red Hat Capsule Server is supported on the latest version of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 available at the time of installation. Previous versions of Red Hat Enterprise Linux including EUS or z-stream are not supported.

Red Hat Capsule Server requires a Red Hat Enterprise Linux installation with the @Base package group with no other package-set modifications, and without third-party configurations or software not directly necessary for the direct operation of the server. This restriction includes hardening and other non-Red Hat security software. If you require such software in your infrastructure, install and verify a complete working Capsule Server first, then create a backup of the system before adding any non-Red Hat software.

Do not register Capsule Server to the Red Hat Content Delivery Network (CDN).

2.2. System requirements

Your system must meet the following general requirements before you can install Capsule Server.

Capsule Server is fully supported on both physical systems and virtual machines that run on hypervisors that are supported to run Red Hat Enterprise Linux. For more information about certified hypervisors, see Certified Guest Operating Systems in Red Hat OpenStack Platform, Red Hat Virtualization, Red Hat OpenShift Virtualization and Red Hat Enterprise Linux with KVM.

Follow these system requirements when installing Capsule Server:

  • Install Capsule Server on a freshly provisioned system that serves no other function except to run Capsule Server. Do not use an existing system because the Satellite installer will affect the configuration of several components.
  • Ensure you have administrative user (root) access to the system.

  • Ensure the system meets the following requirements:

    • 4 CPU cores
    • 12 GB or higher
    • 4 GB RAM of swap space or higher
    • A unique host name, which can contain lower-case letters, numbers, dots (.) and hyphens (-)
  • If you use custom certificates, ensure that the Common Name (CN) of the custom certificate is a fully qualified domain name (FQDN). Satellite Server and Capsule Server do not support shortnames in the hostnames.
  • Ensure SELinux is enabled, either in enforcing or permissive mode. Installation with disabled SELinux is not supported. For more information, see Security considerations in Overview, concepts, and deployment considerations.
  • Ensure the system clock on the system is synchronized across the network. If the system clock is not synchronized, SSL certificate verification might fail. For example, you can use the Chrony suite for timekeeping. For more information, see Configuring time synchronization in Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 Configuring basic system settings
  • Ensure the system uses the UTF-8 encoding. If your territory is USA and your language is English, set en_US.utf-8 as the system-wide locale settings. For more information about configuring system locale in Red Hat Enterprise Linux, see Configuring the system locale in Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 Configuring basic system settings.

  • If you use an external identity provider in your deployment, ensure the provider did not create the following user accounts on the system. These user accounts can cause conflicts with the local users that Capsule Server creates:

    • apache
    • foreman-proxy
    • postgres
    • pulp
    • puppet
    • redis
Warning

The version of Capsule must match the version of Satellite installed. For example, the Capsule version 6.18 cannot be registered with the Satellite version 6.17.

For more information on scaling your Capsule Servers, see Capsule Server scalability considerations.

2.3. Storage requirements

The following table details storage requirements for specific directories. These values are based on expected use case scenarios and can vary according to individual environments.

The runtime size was measured with Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7, 8, and 9 repositories synchronized.

Table 2.1. Storage requirements for Capsule Server installation

DirectoryInstallation SizeRuntime Size

/var/lib/pulp

1 MB

300 GB

/var/lib/pgsql

100 MB

20 GB

/usr

3 GB

Not Applicable

/opt/puppetlabs

500 MB

Not Applicable

The size of the PostgreSQL database on your Capsule Server can grow significantly with an increasing number of lifecycle environments, content views, or repositories that are synchronized from your Satellite Server. In the largest Satellite environments, the size of /var/lib/pgsql on Capsule Server can grow to double or triple the size of /var/lib/pgsql on your Satellite Server.

2.4. Best practices for optimizing storage

Consider the following storage guidelines for increased storage efficiency.

  • The exact amount of storage you require for log messages depends on your installation and setup. You can manage the size of the log files by using logrotate.
  • Consider mounting /var on LVM storage. This can help the system to scale because most Capsule Server data is stored in the /var directory.
  • Use high-bandwidth, low-latency storage for the /var/lib/pulp/ and /var/lib/pgsql directories. Using high latency, low-bandwidth storage causes performance degradation because Red Hat Satellite has many operations that are I/O intensive.
  • Use a file system with low input-output latency. Do not use the GFS2 file system because the input-output latency is too high.

Additional resources

2.5. Opening required ports

By opening the required ports, you ensure that the components of Satellite architecture can communicate. You must also ensure that the required network ports are open on any network-based firewalls.

Note

Some cloud solutions must be specifically configured to allow communications between machines because they isolate machines similarly to network-based firewalls. If you use an application-based firewall, ensure that the application-based firewall permits all applications that are listed in the tables and known to your firewall. If possible, disable the application checking and allow open port communication based on the protocol.

Procedure

  1. Open the ports for clients on Capsule Server: 

    # firewall-cmd \
--add-port="8000/tcp" \
--add-port="9090/tcp"

  2. Allow access to services on Capsule Server: 

    # firewall-cmd \
--add-service=dns \
--add-service=dhcp \
--add-service=tftp \
--add-service=http \
--add-service=https \
--add-service=puppetmaster

  3. Make the changes persistent: 

    # firewall-cmd --runtime-to-permanent

Verification

  • View all firewall zones and allowed services: 

    # firewall-cmd --list-all

Additional resources

Chapter 3. Installing Capsule Server

Before you install Capsule Server, you must ensure that your environment meets the requirements for installation. For more information, see Preparing your Environment for Installation.

3.1. Registering to Satellite Server

Register the base operating system on which you want to install Capsule Server to Satellite Server. This enables you to download the installation packages from your synchronized repositories.

3.1.1. Prerequisites for registering Capsule Server to Satellite Server

Your environment must meet the following requirements before you can register your Capsule Server to your Satellite Server.

  • Prerequisites for Red Hat subscription manifest:

    • On Satellite Server, a manifest must be installed and it must contain the appropriate repositories for the organization you want Capsule to belong to.
    • The manifest must contain repositories for the base operating system on which you want to install Capsule, as well as any clients that you want to connect to Capsule.

    • The repositories must be synchronized.

      For more information on manifests and repositories, see Managing Red Hat Subscriptions in Managing content.

  • Prerequisites for HTTP proxy and network:

    • The Satellite Server base operating system must be able to resolve the host name of the Capsule base operating system and vice versa.
    • Ensure HTTPS connection using client certificate authentication is possible between Capsule Server and Satellite Server. HTTP proxies between Capsule Server and Satellite Server are not supported.
    • You must configure the host and network-based firewalls accordingly.

3.1.2. Registering a host to Satellite by using Satellite web UI

You can register hosts with Satellite using the host registration feature in the Satellite web UI. For more information, see Registering hosts and setting up host integration in Managing hosts.

Procedure

  1. In the Satellite web UI, navigate to Hosts > Register Host.
  2. From the Activation Keys list, select the activation keys to assign to your host.
  3. Click Generate to create the registration command.
  4. Click on the files icon to copy the command to your clipboard.
  5. Connect to your host using SSH and run the registration command.
  6. Check the /etc/yum.repos.d/redhat.repo file and ensure that the appropriate repositories have been enabled.

3.1.3. Registering a host to Satellite by using Hammer CLI

You can register hosts with Satellite using the host registration feature in Hammer CLI. For more information, see Registering hosts and setting up host integration in Managing hosts.

Procedure

  1. Generate the host registration command: 

    $ hammer host-registration generate-command \
--activation-keys "My_Activation_Key"

    If your hosts do not trust the SSL certificate of Satellite Server, you can disable SSL validation by adding the --insecure flag to the registration command. 

    $ hammer host-registration generate-command \
--activation-keys "My_Activation_Key" \
--insecure true
  2. Connect to your host using SSH and run the registration command.
  3. Check the /etc/yum.repos.d/redhat.repo file and ensure that the appropriate repositories have been enabled.

3.1.4. Registering a host to Satellite by using Satellite API

You can register hosts with Satellite using the host registration feature in the Satellite API. For more information, see Registering hosts and setting up host integration in Managing hosts.

Procedure

  1. Generate the host registration command using the Satellite API: 

    # curl -X POST https://satellite.example.com/api/registration_commands \
--user "My_User_Name" \
-H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
-d '{ "registration_command": { "activation_keys": ["My_Activation_Key_1, My_Activation_Key_2"] }}'

    If your hosts do not trust the SSL certificate of Satellite Server, you can disable SSL validation by adding the --insecure flag to the registration command. 

    # curl -X POST https://satellite.example.com/api/registration_commands \
--user "My_User_Name" \
-H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
-d '{ "registration_command": { "activation_keys": ["My_Activation_Key_1, My_Activation_Key_2"], "insecure": true }}'

    Use an activation key to simplify specifying the environments. For more information, see Managing Activation Keys in Managing content.

    To enter a password as a command line argument, use username:password syntax. Keep in mind this can save the password in the shell history. Alternatively, you can use a temporary personal access token instead of a password. To generate a token in the Satellite web UI, navigate to My Account > Personal Access Tokens.

  2. Connect to your host using SSH and run the registration command.
  3. Check the /etc/yum.repos.d/redhat.repo file and ensure that the appropriate repositories have been enabled.

3.2. Configuring repositories

Configure repositories to install your Capsule Server.

Procedure

  1. Disable all repositories: 

    # subscription-manager repos --disable "*"

  2. Enable the following repositories: 

    # subscription-manager repos \
--enable=rhel-9-for-x86_64-baseos-rpms \
--enable=rhel-9-for-x86_64-appstream-rpms \
--enable=satellite-capsule-6.18-for-rhel-9-x86_64-rpms \
--enable=satellite-maintenance-6.18-for-rhel-9-x86_64-rpms

Verification

  • Verify that the required repositories are enabled: 

    # dnf repolist enabled

3.3. Installing Capsule Server packages

Before installing Capsule Server packages, you must upgrade all packages that are installed on the base operating system.

Procedure

  1. Upgrade all packages: 

    # dnf upgrade

  2. Install the packages: 

    # dnf install satellite-capsule

3.4. Configuring Capsule Server with SSL certificates

Red Hat Satellite uses SSL certificates to enable encrypted communications between Satellite Server, Capsule Servers, and all hosts. Depending on the requirements of your organization, you must configure your Capsule Server with a default or custom certificate.

3.4.1. Configuring Capsule Server with a default SSL certificate

Use this section to configure Capsule Server with an SSL certificate that is signed by Satellite Server default Certificate Authority (CA).

Prerequisites

Procedure

  1. On Satellite Server, to store all the source certificate files for your Capsule Server, create a directory that is accessible only to the root user, for example /root/capsule_cert: 

    # mkdir /root/capsule_cert

  2. On Satellite Server, generate the /root/capsule_cert/capsule.example.com-certs.tar certificate archive for your Capsule Server: 

    # capsule-certs-generate \
--foreman-proxy-fqdn capsule.example.com \
--certs-tar /root/capsule_cert/capsule.example.com-certs.tar

    Retain a copy of the satellite-installer command that the capsule-certs-generate command returns for deploying the certificate to your Capsule Server.

    Example output of capsule-certs-generate

    output omitted
satellite-installer --scenario capsule \
--certs-tar-file "/root/capsule_cert/capsule.example.com-certs.tar" \
--foreman-proxy-foreman-base-url "https://satellite.example.com" \
--foreman-proxy-trusted-hosts "satellite.example.com" \
--foreman-proxy-trusted-hosts "capsule.example.com" \
--foreman-proxy-oauth-consumer-key "s97QxvUAgFNAQZNGg4F9zLq2biDsxM7f" \
--foreman-proxy-oauth-consumer-secret "6bpzAdMpRAfYaVZtaepYetomgBVQ6ehY"

  3. On Satellite Server, copy the certificate archive file to your Capsule Server: 

    # scp /root/capsule_cert/capsule.example.com-certs.tar \
root@capsule.example.com:/root/capsule.example.com-certs.tar

  4. On Capsule Server, to deploy the certificate, enter the satellite-installer command that the capsule-certs-generate command returns.

    Important

    Do not delete the certificate archive file after you deploy the certificate. It is required, for example, when upgrading Capsule Server.

3.4.2. Configuring Capsule Server with a custom SSL certificate

If you configure Satellite Server to use a custom SSL certificate, you must also configure each of your Capsule Servers with a distinct custom SSL certificate.

To configure your Capsule Server with a custom certificate, complete the following procedures on each Capsule Server:

  1. Section 3.4.2.1, “Creating a custom SSL certificate for Capsule Server”
  2. Section 3.4.2.2, “Deploying a custom SSL certificate to Capsule Server”
  3. Section 3.4.2.3, “Deploying a custom SSL certificate to hosts”

3.4.2.1. Creating a custom SSL certificate for Capsule Server

On Satellite Server, create a custom certificate for your Capsule Server. If you already have a custom SSL certificate for Capsule Server, skip this procedure.

Procedure

  1. To store all the source certificate files, create a directory that is accessible only to the root user: 

    # mkdir /root/capsule_cert

  2. Create a private key with which to sign the certificate signing request (CSR). The private key must be unencrypted: 

    # openssl genrsa -out /root/capsule_cert/capsule_cert_key.pem 4096

    If you already have a private key, skip this step.

  3. Optional: Verify that the key is unencrypted: 

    # openssl pkey -noout -in /root/capsule_cert/capsule_cert_key.pem

    If the command does not ask for a password, the key is unencrypted. If your private key is password-protected, remove the password.

  4. Create the /root/capsule_cert/openssl.cnf configuration file for the CSR and include the following content: 

    [ req ]
req_extensions = v3_req
distinguished_name = req_distinguished_name
prompt = no

[ req_distinguished_name ]
commonName = capsule.example.com

[ v3_req ]
basicConstraints = CA:FALSE
keyUsage = digitalSignature, keyEncipherment
extendedKeyUsage = serverAuth, clientAuth
subjectAltName = @alt_names

[ alt_names ]
DNS.1 = capsule.example.com

    For more information about the [ v3_req ] parameters and their purpose, see Content from www.rfc-editor.org is not included.RFC 5280: Internet X.509 Public Key Infrastructure Certificate and Certificate Revocation List (CRL) Profile.

  5. Optional: If you want to add Distinguished Name (DN) details to the CSR, add the following information to the [ req_distinguished_name ] section: 

    [req_distinguished_name]
CN = capsule.example.com
countryName = My_Country_Name
stateOrProvinceName = My_State_Or_Province_Name
localityName = My_Locality_Name
organizationName = My_Organization_Or_Company_Name
organizationalUnitName = My_Organizational_Unit_Name

    The options used in the configuration file include the following:

    countryName
    The country represented by a two-letter code
    stateOrProvinceName
    Full name of the state or province
    localityName
    Full name of the locality (example: New York)
    organizationalUnitName
    Division responsible for the certificate (example: IT department)

  6. Generate CSR: 

    # openssl req -new \
-key /root/capsule_cert/capsule_cert_key.pem \
-config /root/capsule_cert/openssl.cnf \
-out /root/capsule_cert/capsule_cert_csr.pem

    The options used in the configuration file include the following:

    -key
    Path to the private key
    -config
    Path to the configuration file
    -out
    Path to the CSR to generate

  7. Send the certificate signing request to the certificate authority (CA). The same CA must sign certificates for Satellite Server and Capsule Server.

    When you submit the request, specify the lifespan of the certificate. The method for sending the certificate request varies, so consult the CA for the preferred method. In response to the request, you can expect to receive a CA bundle and a signed certificate, in separate files.

3.4.2.2. Deploying a custom SSL certificate to Capsule Server

Use this procedure to configure your Capsule Server with a custom SSL certificate signed by a Certificate Authority.

The satellite-installer command, which the capsule-certs-generate command returns, is unique to each Capsule Server. Do not use the same command on more than one Capsule Server.

Prerequisites

Procedure

  1. On your Satellite Server, generate a certificate bundle: 

    # capsule-certs-generate \
--foreman-proxy-fqdn capsule.example.com \
--certs-tar ~/capsule.example.com-certs.tar \
--server-cert /root/capsule_cert/capsule_cert.pem \
--server-key /root/capsule_cert/capsule_cert_key.pem \
--server-ca-cert /root/capsule_cert/ca_cert_bundle.pem

    The options specified in the command include the following:

    --server-cert
    Path to Capsule Server certificate file that is signed by a Certificate Authority
    --server-key
    Path to the private key that was used to sign Capsule Server certificate
    --server-ca-cert
    Path to the Certificate Authority bundle

  2. Retain a copy of the satellite-installer command that the capsule-certs-generate command returns for deploying the certificate to your Capsule Server.

    Example output of capsule-certs-generate

    output omitted
satellite-installer --scenario capsule \
--certs-tar-file "/root/capsule.example.com-certs.tar" \
--foreman-proxy-foreman-base-url "https://satellite.example.com" \
--foreman-proxy-trusted-hosts "satellite.example.com" \
--foreman-proxy-trusted-hosts "capsule.example.com" \
--foreman-proxy-oauth-consumer-key "My_OAuth_Consumer_Key" \
--foreman-proxy-oauth-consumer-secret "My_OAuth_Consumer_Secret"

  3. On your Satellite Server, copy the certificate archive file to your Capsule Server: 

    # scp ~/capsule.example.com-certs.tar \
root@capsule.example.com:/root/capsule.example.com-certs.tar

  4. On your Capsule Server, to deploy the certificate, enter the satellite-installer command that the capsule-certs-generate command returns.

    Important

    Do not delete the certificate archive file after you deploy the certificate. It is required, for example, when upgrading Capsule Server.

3.4.2.3. Deploying a custom SSL certificate to hosts

After you configure Satellite to use a custom SSL certificate, you must deploy the certificate to hosts registered to Satellite.

Procedure

  • Update the SSL certificate on each host: 

    # dnf install http://capsule.example.com/pub/katello-ca-consumer-latest.noarch.rpm

3.5. Resetting custom SSL certificate to default self-signed certificate on Capsule Server

If you want to revert to the default certificate configuration, you can reset a custom SSL certificate to the default self-signed certificate on your Capsule Server by re-registering your Capsule Server to Satellite.

Procedure

  • To reset the custom SSL certificate to default self-signed certificate on your Capsule Server, you must re-register your Capsule Server through Global Registration. For more information, see Registering hosts by using global registration in Managing hosts.

Verification

  1. In the Satellite web UI, navigate to Infrastructure > Capsules and select any Capsule Server.
  2. On the Overview tab, click Refresh features.

Additional resources

3.6. Assigning the correct organization and location to Capsule Server in the Satellite web UI

After installing Capsule Server packages, if there is more than one organization or location, you must assign the correct organization and location to Capsule to make Capsule visible in the Satellite web UI.

Note

Assigning a Capsule to the same location as your Satellite Server with an embedded Capsule prevents Red Hat Lightspeed from uploading the Red Hat Lightspeed inventory. To enable the inventory upload, synchronize SSH keys for both Capsules.

Procedure

  1. Log into the Satellite web UI.
  2. From the Organization list in the upper-left of the screen, select Any Organization.
  3. From the Location list in the upper-left of the screen, select Any Location.
  4. In the Satellite web UI, navigate to Hosts > All Hosts and select Capsule Server.
  5. From the Select Actions list, select Assign Organization.
  6. From the Organization list, select the organization where you want to assign this Capsule.
  7. Click Fix Organization on Mismatch.
  8. Click Submit.
  9. Select Capsule Server. From the Select Actions list, select Assign Location.
  10. From the Location list, select the location where you want to assign this Capsule.
  11. Click Fix Location on Mismatch.
  12. Click Submit.
  13. In the Satellite web UI, navigate to Administer > Organizations and click the organization to which you have assigned Capsule.
  14. Click Capsules tab and ensure that Capsule Server is listed under the Selected items list, then click Submit.
  15. In the Satellite web UI, navigate to Administer > Locations and click the location to which you have assigned Capsule.
  16. Click Capsules tab and ensure that Capsule Server is listed under the Selected items list, then click Submit.

Verification

Optionally, you can verify if Capsule Server is correctly listed in the Satellite web UI.

  1. Select the organization from the Organization list.
  2. Select the location from the Location list.
  3. In the Satellite web UI, navigate to Hosts > All Hosts.
  4. In the Satellite web UI, navigate to Infrastructure > Capsules.

Chapter 4. Performing additional configuration on Capsule Server

After installation, you can configure additional settings on your Capsule Server.

4.1. Configuring Capsule for host registration and provisioning

Use this procedure to configure Capsule so that you can register and provision hosts using your Capsule Server instead of your Satellite Server.

Procedure

  • On Satellite Server, add the Capsule to the list of trusted proxies.

    This is required for Satellite to recognize hosts' IP addresses forwarded over the X-Forwarded-For HTTP header set by Capsule. For security reasons, Satellite recognizes this HTTP header only from localhost by default. You can enter trusted proxies as valid IPv4 or IPv6 addresses of Capsules, or network ranges.

    Warning

    Do not use a network range that is too broad because that might cause a security risk.

    Enter the following command. Note that the command overwrites the list that is currently stored in Satellite. Therefore, if you have set any trusted proxies previously, you must include them in the command as well: 

    # satellite-installer \
--foreman-trusted-proxies "127.0.0.1/8" \
--foreman-trusted-proxies "::1" \
--foreman-trusted-proxies "My_IP_address" \
--foreman-trusted-proxies "My_IP_range"

    The localhost entries are required, do not omit them.

Verification

  1. List the current trusted proxies using the full help of Satellite installer: 

    # satellite-installer --full-help | grep -A 2 "trusted-proxies"
  2. The current listing contains all trusted proxies you require.

4.2. Configuring pull-based transport for remote execution

By default, remote execution uses push-based SSH as the transport mechanism for the Script provider. If your infrastructure prohibits outgoing connections from Capsule Server to hosts, you can use remote execution with pull-based transport instead, because the host initiates the connection to Capsule Server. The use of pull-based transport is not limited to those infrastructures.

The pull-based transport comprises pull-mqtt mode on Capsules in combination with a pull client running on hosts.

Note

The pull-mqtt mode works only with the Script provider. Ansible and other providers will continue to use their default transport settings.

The mode is configured per Capsule Server. Some Capsule Servers can be configured to use pull-mqtt mode while others use SSH. If this is the case, it is possible that one remote job on a given host will use the pull client and the next job on the same host will use SSH. If you want to avoid this scenario, configure all Capsule Servers to use the same mode.

Procedure

  1. Enable the pull-based transport on your Capsule Server: 

    # satellite-installer --foreman-proxy-plugin-remote-execution-script-mode pull-mqtt

  2. Configure the firewall to allow the MQTT service on port 1883: 

    # firewall-cmd --add-service=mqtt

  3. Make the changes persistent: 

    # firewall-cmd --runtime-to-permanent

  4. In pull-mqtt mode, hosts subscribe for job notifications to either your Satellite Server or any Capsule Server through which they are registered. Ensure that Satellite Server sends remote execution jobs to that same Satellite Server or Capsule Server: 

    $ hammer settings set \
--name remote_execution_prefer_registered_through_proxy \
--value true

Next steps

4.3. Adding lifecycle environments to Capsule Servers by using Satellite web UI

If your Capsule Server has the content functionality enabled, you must add an environment so that Capsule can synchronize content from Satellite Server and provide content to host systems.

Do not assign the Library lifecycle environment to your Capsule Server because it triggers an automated Capsule sync every time the CDN updates a repository. This might consume multiple system resources on Capsules, network bandwidth between Satellite and Capsules, and available disk space on Capsules.

You can add an environment from the Satellite web UI.

Procedure

  1. In the Satellite web UI, navigate to Infrastructure > Capsules.
  2. Select your Capsule Server that you want to add a lifecycle to.
  3. Click Edit and click the Lifecycle Environments tab.
  4. From the left menu, select the lifecycle environments that you want to add to your Capsule Server and click Submit.
  5. To synchronize the content to your Capsule Server, click the Overview tab and click Synchronize.

  6. Select either Optimized Sync or Complete Sync.

    For definitions of each synchronization type, see Advanced synchronization for repository recovery.

4.4. Adding lifecycle environments to Capsule Servers by using Hammer CLI

If your Capsule Server has the content functionality enabled, you must add an environment so that Capsule can synchronize content from Satellite Server and provide content to host systems.

Do not assign the Library lifecycle environment to your Capsule Server because it triggers an automated Capsule sync every time the CDN updates a repository. This might consume multiple system resources on Capsules, network bandwidth between Satellite and Capsules, and available disk space on Capsules.

You can add an environment by using Hammer CLI.

Procedure

  1. To display a list of all Capsule Servers, on Satellite Server, enter the following command: 

    $ hammer capsule list

    Note the Capsule ID of the Capsule to which you want to add a lifecycle.

  2. Using the ID, verify the details of your Capsule: 

    $ hammer capsule info \
--id My_Capsule_ID

  3. To view the lifecycle environments available for your Capsule Server, enter the following command and note the ID and the organization name: 

    $ hammer capsule content available-lifecycle-environments \
--id My_Capsule_ID

  4. Add the lifecycle environment to your Capsule Server: 

    $ hammer capsule content add-lifecycle-environment \
--id My_Capsule_ID \
--lifecycle-environment-id My_Lifecycle_Environment_ID \
--organization "My_Organization"

    Repeat for each lifecycle environment you want to add to Capsule Server.

  5. Synchronize the content from Satellite to Capsule.

    • To synchronize all content from your Satellite Server environment to Capsule Server, enter the following command: 

      $ hammer capsule content synchronize \
--id My_Capsule_ID

    • To synchronize a specific lifecycle environment from your Satellite Server to Capsule Server, enter the following command: 

      $ hammer capsule content synchronize \
--id My_Capsule_ID \
--lifecycle-environment-id My_Lifecycle_Environment_ID

    • To synchronize all content from your Satellite Server to your Capsule Server without checking metadata: 

      $ hammer capsule content synchronize \
--id My_Capsule_ID \
--skip-metadata-check true

      This equals selecting Complete Sync in the Satellite web UI.

4.5. Enabling power management on hosts

To perform power management tasks on hosts using the intelligent platform management interface (IPMI) or a similar protocol, you must enable the baseboard management controller (BMC) module on Capsule Server.

Red Hat Satellite supports the following BMC providers:

  • freeipmi
  • ipmitool
  • redfish

Prerequisites

  • Your host has a network interface of the BMC type. Capsule Server uses this NIC to pass credentials to the host.

Procedure

  1. Enable the BMC module and select the default provider: 

    # satellite-installer \
--foreman-proxy-bmc "true" \
--foreman-proxy-bmc-default-provider "freeipmi"
  2. In the Satellite web UI, navigate to Infrastructure > Subnets.
  3. Select the subnet of your host.
  4. On the Capsules tab, select your Capsule Server as BMC Capsule.
  5. Click Submit.

Next steps

Appendix A. Capsule Server scalability considerations when managing Puppet clients

Capsule Server scalability when managing Puppet clients depends on the number of CPUs, the run-interval distribution, and the number of Puppet managed resources.

Capsule Server has a limitation of 100 concurrent Puppet agents running at any single point in time. Running more than 100 concurrent Puppet agents results in a 503 HTTP error.

For example, assuming that Puppet agent runs are evenly distributed with less than 100 concurrent Puppet agents running at any single point during a run-interval, a Capsule Server with 4 CPUs has a maximum of 1250 – 1600 Puppet clients with a moderate workload of 10 Puppet classes assigned to each Puppet client. Depending on the number of Puppet clients required, the Satellite installation can scale out the number of Capsule Servers to support them.

If you want to scale your Capsule Server when managing Puppet clients, the following assumptions are made:

  • There are no external Puppet clients reporting directly to your Satellite Server.
  • All other Puppet clients report directly to Capsule Servers.
  • There is an evenly distributed run-interval of all Puppet agents.
Note

Deviating from the even distribution increases the risk of overloading Satellite Server. The limit of 100 concurrent requests applies.

The following table describes the scalability limits using the recommended 4 CPUs.

Table A.1. Puppet scalability using 4 CPUs

Puppet Managed Resources per HostRun-Interval Distribution

1

3000 – 2500

10

2400 – 2000

20

1700 – 1400

The following table describes the scalability limits using the minimum 2 CPUs.

Table A.2. Puppet scalability using 2 CPUs

Puppet Managed Resources per HostRun-Interval Distribution

1

1700 – 1450

10

1500 – 1250

20

850 – 700

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