Custom repositories management

You can set up your custom repositories and Subscription Management Tool (SMT) to manage patches for SUSE Linux Enterprise version 11 and later. This solution allows for multiple repositories and SMTs on the entire deployment.

With the custom repository support, SUSE Linux Enterprise Fixlets can use Zypper to directly download packages from custom repositories instead of going through the Novell Customer Center. Bandwidth throttling is not supported in a custom repository architecture.

With the custom repository support, the Fixlets in the Patches for SLE 11 Native Tools and Patches for SLE 12 Native Tools sites can use Zypper to directly download packages from custom repositories instead of going through the Novell Customer Center. Bandwidth throttling is not supported in a custom repository architecture.

Using custom repositories can give you the flexibility to control what can be deployed to the endpoints in your deployment. For example, you can deploy custom software that you are hosting in your custom repositories, then use the Install packages by using Zypper task from the Patching Support site to install software on the endpoints. For more information, see Installing packages from a custom repository.

Integrating your custom repository or SMT solutions is made easy with the use of the SLE Custom Repository Management dashboard.

Important: You must register the SCC download plug-in when using custom repositories to avoid download errors. The download plug-in can be registered through the Manage Download Plug-ins dashboard.

Differentiating between repository types

The custom support covers both repository and SMT. You can register endpoints to a repository or to an SMT server.

Note: The SLE Custom Repository Management dashboard refers to SMT as one of the repository types for identification purposes only. The dashboard does not affect how SMT works.

Ensure that both types of repository are updated. Actions might fail if the packages are not available.

Repository: This type refers to standard software repositories, which are storage locations that contain a collection of packages and metadata. These repositories can be on online servers, CDs, DVDs, or on other media.; The SLE Custom Repository Management dashboard does not add physical repositories; you must do this action separately.

SMT: With the SMT, enterprise customers can optimize the management of SUSE Linux Enterprise software updates and subscription entitlements. SMT provides a repository and registration target that is synchronized with the Novell Customer Center.; For more information about SMT, see the SUSE documentation at https://documentation.suse.com/sles/15-SP2/html/SLES-all/book-rmt.html.