7.8 Quick Path Updating

This section contains the following Quick Path steps for patching an OES 2 server:

7.8.1 Do Not Use rug up without the -t Option

Do not use the rug up command by itself to update an OES server. Always use the -t patch option as described in Section 7.8.2, Command Line Quick Path for Updating OES 2.

If the -t patch option is omitted, rug includes SLES packages in the download that can cripple or completely break OES services.

The -t patch option also ensures that patch metadata (including script files, etc.) is downloaded so that SLES can correctly update the system.

7.8.2 Command Line Quick Path for Updating OES 2

  1. Make sure you have the following:

    • A Novell Customer Center account

      If you don’t have one, create it at http://www.novell.com/register. This is the same account that you use for Bugzilla.

    • Activation Codes for both SLES 10 and OES 2

    • A valid installation source

    • An established connection to the Internet

    • All of the services installed that you need on the server.

    • Enough disk space in /var/cache/zmd/ where the update process downloads all the updates to.

      Depending on the number of patches that you are going to apply, you might need about 3 GB.

    • A backup of the current data on the server.

  2. Register the server in the Novell Customer Center (one time only).

    1. Log in to the server as root or su to root.

    2. At the command line, enter

      suse_register -a email=email_address -a regcode-sles=SLES_registration_code -a regcode-oes=oes2_registration_code

      For example,

      suse_register -a email=joe@example.com -a regcode-sles=4adab769abc68 -a regcode-oes=30a74ebb94fa

    3. Verify that the server is registered by checking to see whether you have the service types and catalogs needed for updates.

      To verify the service types, enter:

      rug sl

      To verify that you have the catalogs you need, enter:

      rug ca

  3. Update the server with all available updates:

    1. Refresh all services by entering:

      rug ref

    2. See whether updates are available by entering:

      rug lu SLES10-SP4-Updates OES2-SP3-Updates

    3. Update the server with all available SLES 10 SP4 and OES 2 SP3 patches by entering:

      rug up -t patch SLES10-SP4-Updates OES2-SP3-Updates

    4. Repeat Step 3.b and Step 3.c until there are no more SLES 10 SP4 or OES 2 SP3 patches.

      When there are no more patches, continue with Step 3.e.

    5. Reboot the server to finish the update.

      Rebooting the server activates the new kernel and ensures that OES services that need restarting after patching are restarted.

You can also update your server with specific maintenance patches.

  1. Log in to the server as root or su to root.

  2. At the command line, enter the following commands:

    1. To refresh all services, enter:

      rug ref

    2. To check for available updates, enter:

      rug lu SLES10-SP4-Updates OES2-SP3-Updates

    3. To list the patches and their status, enter:

      rug pch SLES10-SP4-Updates OES2-SP3-Updates

    4. To view specific patch information, enter:

      rug patch-info patch_name

      For example:

      rug patch-info slesp1-xpdf

    5. To list all installed patches, enter:

      rug pch -i

    6. To update the server with specific patches, choose from the following:

      • To install all patches from one or more catalogs of a particular category:

        rug up -t patch catalog1 catalog2 -g category_name

        Replace category_name with security, recommended, or optional.

        For example:

        rug up -t patch SLES10-SP4-Updates OES2-SP3-Updates -g security

      • To install one version of a patch without confirmation, enter:

        rug in -t patch -y patch_name-version

        For example:

        rug in -t patch -y oes2-CASA-3904-0

      • To install all versions of a patch, enter:

        rug in -t patch patch_name*

        For example:

        rug in -t patch oes2-oes-SPident*

    7. Reboot the server to ensure that any changes to the kernel are activated, and applicable OES 2 services are restarted.

The following table shows some additional commands you might want to use:

Table 7-2 Additional Rug Commands

Task

Command

Halts the ZLM daemon. Accepts the following option flags:

  • -f, --force: Force the shutdown.

  • -n, --no-wait: Don’t wait for confirmation that the daemon was shut down.

rug shutdown [options]

Restarts the ZLM daemon. Accepts the following option flags:

  • -f, --force: Forces the shutdown.

  • -n, --no-wait: Does not wait for confirmation that the daemon has restarted.

  • --clean: Cleans up at restart

rug restart [options]

Access help for all the rug commands

rug

Access the rug man page

man rug

7.8.3 GUI Quick Path for Updating OES 2 SP3

To update your server with the patches released from Novell after the server has been installed and configured:

  1. Make sure you have the following:

    • A Novell Customer Center account (If you don’t have one, create it at http://www.novell.com/register. This is the same account that you use for Bugzilla.)

    • Activation Code for SLES 10 and OES 2 SP3

    • A valid installation source

    • An established connection to the Internet

    • Make sure you have installed all the services that you need on the server.

    • Before starting your update, make note of the root partition and space available.

      In particular, ensure you have enough space where the update process downloads all the updates to in /var/cache/zmd/. Depending on the amount of patches that you are going to upgrade, you might need about 3 GB.

    • Before updating the server, secure the current data on the server.

  2. Register the server in the Novell Customer Center.

    If the server is already registered in the Novell Customer Center, skip to Step 3.

    1. In the YaST Control Center, click Software > Novell Customer Center Configuration.

    2. On the Novell Customer Center Configuration configuration page, select all of the following options, then click Next.

      • Configure Now

      • Hardware Profile

      • Optional Information

      • Registration Code

      • Regularly Synchronize with the Customer Center

      After you click Next, a Contacting Server message is displayed. Wait until this message disappears and the Manual Interaction Required page displays.

    3. On the Manual Interaction Required page, note the information that you will be required to specify, then click Continue.

    4. On the Novell Customer Center Registration page, specify the required information in each field, then click Submit.

    5. When the message to complete the registration displays, click Continue. After you click Continue, the Contacting Server message is displayed with the Manual Interaction Required message. Wait until this message disappears and Novell Customer Center Configuration Was Successful page displays.

    6. When you see the message that the Novell Customer Center was successful, click OK.

    7. Confirm that you get the registration e-mails from the Novell Customer Center. You can perform Step 3 before you receive these e-mails.

  3. Update the server from GNOME Desktop or KDE desktop:

    1. Log into the server as root.

    2. Click the Novell Updater icon that indicates that updates are available. If no updates are available, the Novell Updater icon changes appearances to a globe.

    3. In the Software Available for Updates list of patches, select the updates that you want to install, then click Update.

    4. When the Software Updater Information status indicates that the update was successful, click Close.

    5. Repeat Step 3.c and Step 3.d until all available patches are applied.

    6. Reboot the server to finish the update.

      Rebooting the server activates the new kernel and ensures that OES services that need restarting after patching are restarted.