Contents:

• Introduction

• Problem

• System Environment

• Solution
  

  
  

• Prerequisite

• Steps

Introduction

In ZENworks Linux Management (ZLM), the zlmmirror utility allows you to mirror softwares in the form of bundles and catalogs from remote servers hosting different types of repositories like Novell Update (NU), Red Carpet Enterprise (RCE), YUM(RPM-MD), RedHat Network (RHN) and ZENworks (ZLM) to your local ZENworks Linux Management server or to a local directory . The zlmmirror utility requires a mirror configuration file containing necessary information about the repositories and its content to be downloaded.

Subscription is a similar feature in ZENworks 11 which lets you to replicate content from NU, RCE, RHN, RPM-MD (authenticated and unauthenticated) and ZLM repositories.

Problem

In ZENworks 11, the subscription feature is equivalent to zlmmirror utility of ZLM. Subscription provides an option to replicate the catalogs, bundles and its packages from the various supported repositories like NU, RHN, etc. If you have a predefined mirror configuration file to mirror updates on ZLM, there is currently no mechanism to use this configuration file directly within ZENworks 11 server.

ImportConfFromZLM utility allows you to convert the existing zlmmirror configuration file to an equivalent subscription in ZENworks 11 and use it to perform replication.

System Environment

• ZENworks 11.x Server

Solution

ImportConfFromZLM utility helps you to import a ZLM mirror configuration file which is compatible for the ZENworks 11 subscription configuration file. This utility is developed by using Python which can run on both Windows and Linux.

• Prerequisite

• Steps

Prerequisite:

• Python 2.x (Supports both Windows and Linux operating system)
  
  Note: Python 3.x is not supported
  

• XML configuration files much be validated on ZLM server
  
  zlmmirror conf-validate [options] <filename>
  
  For more information on zllmmirror refer to zlm mirror man page: man zlmmirror

Steps:

• Download and extract the utility to a specific location on your device.
  
  unzip ImportConfZLMMirror.zip

• Usage of utility:
  
  python ImportConfFromZLM.py
  
  Usage: ImportConfFromZLM.py <ZLM_Mirror_Configuration_File>
  
  Example: ImportConfFromZLM.py SLES10-Updates.xml

• Run the ImportConfFromZLM utility to export the ZLM mirror configuration file to the equivalent ZENworks 11 subscription.
  
  python ImportConfFromZLM.py NU-SLES10Sp3.xml
  
  Successfully exported the information of
  "/root/ImportConfZLMMirror/SampleConfFiles/NU-SLES10Sp3.xml" ZLM Mirror Configuration file to "/root/ImportConfZLMMirror/ZCM-NU-SLES10Sp3.xml"
  
  Note:
  
  - You must create Credential Vault entry in ZENworks11 server using Username : username and Password : password
  
  - Replace "Credentials_path" with vault name in the exported configuration xml file

• Copy the exported subscription xml file to the ZENworks 11 Primary Server.

• (Optional) Based of subscription type, you need to create credential vault entry in ZENworks 11 Server by using the remote server credentials. Repositories like NU, RCE, YUM (authenticated) and ZLM would require credentials for authentication, so we need to create a credentials vault entry in ZENworks 11 server.
  
  
  zman credentials-create credential-name --userName=username --userPassword=password
  
  
  For more information on how to create credential vault, refer to man page: man zman

• (Optional) If the subscription requires authentication, edit the new configuration file to provide the absolute path of credentials as displayed in ZENworks Control Center > Configurations > Credential Vault. Search for "Credentials_path" in the new configuration file and replace with the absolute path of credentials.
  
  Example: <CredentialName>Credentials_path</CredentialName>, replace with <CredentialName>/Credentials/NU_Cred</CredentialName>

• Create a Subscription on the ZENworks 11 server by running the following command:
  
  
  zman subscription-create newsubscription nusubscription.xml --desc "NU subscription"
  
  
  For more information on creating the subscription refer to the man page: man zman

If you have any questions or suggestions related to this utility, you may contact msantosh [at] novell [dot] com.

Acknowledgments

Reviewers: Arvindkumar Tiwary - ZLM Team, Novell, Inc.

Akshatha Manu - Technical writer, Novell, Inc.