ZENworks Linux Management requires each client to be activated against the server. This enables the server to recognize individual machines, and control permissions and other settings.
There are two ways client machines can register with the server, each suited to different sorts of installations. They are:
ZENworks Linux Management enables you to create machine profiles that might consist of group membership, access to one or more channels, and one or more admins assigned to control the machines assigned to that activation.
These profiles, identified by a unique activation key, are sent to your clients. Activating using this key grants each client the privileges associated with the activation profile associated with the key.
This provides a simple way to add machines to groups, grant them access to the necessary channels, and control administrator rights and e-mail notifications.
For example, if you have a group of twenty servers you would like to update using your ZENworks Linux management, you could create a multi-use activation key that makes them a member of the same group, and provides them access to the necessary channels. When this activation is used by each of your servers, they are granted the privileges specified by the activation.
If you change an activation, it must be re-applied to each client for the changes to take effect.
There are two types of activation keys:
You can use activations to set:
Permission to install software from one or more channels.
Membership in one or more groups.
An administrator given permissions to view, modify, or grant access on an activation has those privileges on all client machines activated with that key.
Email addresses of individuals who can be notified of transactions or transaction failures for the machines using this activation key.
Notifications do not tell you when machines have activated, only when the activated machines conduct transactions. To check which machines have activated, visit the Reports page.
The other activation option, using an organization ID token, involves setting a unique organization ID token on each of your client machines.
The organization ID is a unique identifier number created when the ZENworks Linux Management server is initialized, and is displayed every time you log in to the Web interface. Any client presenting this organization ID is added to the list of available machines, but no access is granted.
The server administrator then decides whether or not the client is allowed access, to what groups the client belongs, and what channels the client can access.
By default, an activation key is a set of four hexadecimal numbers. However, you can choose any string shorter than 64 characters. A profile can only have one activation key at any given time, so when you set the key you will stop new registrations from clients using the old key.
Be aware that the settings in an activation are applied only when the system activates. In other words, if you activate a machine, then change the profile of the activation, the activated machine is unchanged unless you activate it again. This is in contrast to groups: if you change the permissions for a group, then add a new machine to the group, both the old machines and the new machines reflect the changes you made.
Also, activation profile settings are additive: if you activate a machine and give it access to channel A, then activate again with a new code that grants access to channel B, the machine will have access to both channels. You can activate a machine with multiple keys, one after another, to provide it with a varying set of permissions. To remove privileges, use the individual machine, channel, or group editing tools.
Check the reports to see whether invited clients have signed up, and whether individuals who have multiple-use keys have activated them. Especially with multiple-use activation keys, make sure that no unauthorized clients have appeared and begun updating.
Once you have created one or more keys for your client machines, you can activate. To activate, use the command rug activate or the Red Carpet graphical client application. Using the command line allows you to write scripts that help automate the deployment process.