Linux subscriptions, is there a workflow or something?

[raronson]

Is there anyone who understands the process of maintaining Linux systems using the Subscription and bundles for Linux? I'm completely perplexed. There are these subscriptions that kinda mimic the zypper patch repositories, I kinda get that part but that's about it. I can't understand which subscriptions I need, nor can I figure out which version of the subscriptions I should utilize. Do I need monolithic bundles, do I need dependency bundles, are they one in the same or I need to create multiple objects. The documentation doesn't do much to explain it either.

Could someone write a paragraph or some bullet points where it describes what I need to do to maintain SLES 11 sp3 OES 11 and OES 2015? A script would be great too, but I'd really like to know what this product was intended to do and how.
Thanks

[CRAIGDWILSON]

Hopefully someone responds, but if not you may be able to open an SR to work with a tech to assist.
I know quite a few customers use them, but I generally down handle Linux Patching issues.

[raronson]

Thanks Craig. I'm sorry I didn't reply, I just discovered my alerts are going to an old address 😞

[CRAIGDWILSON]

This area is not my area of expertise so don't take everything as gospel....But yes, this is mostly just designed to locally mirror the Zypper Patch Repos.
At this point, it just becomes more native Linux Management of patches....Not highly documented because that would be documented in the Suse or Red Hat documentation.
There is no added cost to this feature and there is nothing to buy in regards to ZENworks. It is being licensed for the patches with RH or SUSE so you can download them to host.

ZENworks Patch Management is a completely different method, where the ZENworks will detect and apply the patches for you, but to get the patches RH and Suse credentials to download the patches are still required.

Folks very familiar with managing Linux Patches generally use Subscriptions, since there is no added cost and virtually the native method of patching.
Folks less familiar with managing Linux Patches tend to use ZPM because far less Linux expertise is required.

Again....This is NOT may specialty....recommend an SR and they can get into more details about the process.