Channels

Table of Contents

1. Configuration Channel Details

SUSE Manager manages both central and local configuration channels and files. Central configuration management allows you to deploy configuration files to multiple systems, by using state channels. When you create a state channel, you can create or upload custom Salt states. For more information about custom states, see Custom Salt States.

Click the name of the configuration channel to see the details page for that channel. If you click the number of files in the channel, you are taken to the List/Remove Files page of that channel. If you click the number of systems subscribed to the configuration channel, you are taken to the Configuration Channel Details Systems Subscribed Systems page for that channel.

1. Configuration Channel Details

Overview

The Overview page of the Configuration Channel Details page is divided into several panels:

Channel Properties [Management]: Edit the name, label, and description of the channel by clicking Edit Properties.
Channel Information: Provides status information for the contents of the channel.
Configuration Actions: Provides access to the most common configuration tasks. For Salt clients, there is a link to edit the init.sls file.

This panel allows you to deploy, compare, and add and create files. Some action are only availalble if you have files created and clients assigned to configuration channels.

List/Remove Files

This page only appears if there are files in the configuration channel. You can remove files or copy the latest versions into a set of local overrides or into other central configuration channels. Check the box next to files you want to manipulate, then click the action button at the bottom.

Add Files

The Add Files page has three subtabs of its own, which allow you to Upload, Import, or Create configuration files to be included in the channel.

Upload File

To upload a file into the configuration channel, browse for the file on your local system, populate all fields, and click the Upload Configuration File button. The Filename/Path field is the absolute path where the file will be deployed.

You can set the Ownership via the user name and group name and the Permissions of the file when it is deployed.

If the client has SELinux enabled, you can configure SELinux contexts to enable the required file attributes (such as user, role, and file type).

If the configuration file includes a macro (a variable in a configuration file), enter the symbol that marks the beginning and end of the macro. For more information on using macros, see reference:configuration/files-locally-managed.adoc#s3-sm-file-macros.

Import Files

To import files from other configuration channels, including any locally managed channels, check the box to the left of any file you want to import. Then click Import Configuration Files.

A sandbox icon (

) indicates that the listed file is currently located in a local sandbox. Files in a system’s sandbox are considered experimental and could be unstable. Use caution when selecting them for a central configuration channel.

Create File

Create a configuration file, directory, or symbolic link to be included in the configuration channel.

Deploy Files

This page only appears when there are files in the channel and a system is subscribed to the channel. Deploy all files by clicking the Deploy All Files button or check selected files and click the Deploy Selected Files button. Select to which systems the files should be applied. All systems subscribed to this channel are listed. If you want to apply the file to a different system, subscribe it to the channel first. To deploy the files, click Confirm & Deploy to Selected Systems.

Systems

Manage systems subscribed to the configuration channel with two subtabs:

Subscribed Systems: All systems subscribed to the current channel are displayed. Click the name of a system to see the System Details page. To unsubscribe a system from the configuration channel, check the box to the left of the system name and click Unsubscribe systems.
Target Systems: This subtab displays a list of systems enabled for configuration management but not yet subscribed to the channel. To add a system to the configuration channel, check the box to the left of the system name and click Subscribe systems.