Environment
Novell Open Enterprise Server (Linux based)
Situation
Is it possible to update an Open Enterprise Server using the SUSE
Patch Support Database (PSDB) rather than the OES channel in Red
Carpet on update.novell.com?
Resolution
You should use the OES channel in Red Carpet on update.novell.com
to update your Open Enterprise Server. You should not update your
Open Enterprise Server using individual packages which have been
downloaded from the SUSE Patch Support Database (PSDB) found at https://support.novell.com/linux/psdb/
for the following reasons.
- A package consists of an individual rpm and this is what is
distributed on the PSDB. A patch on the other hand can consist of
one or more rpm packages and can also reference script files.
- Another issue is that patches and packages query off of
different metadata to determine what has been installed. Patches
use the metadata found in a directory on the server whereas
packages use the metadata found in the individual rpm spec files.
Therefore, if you install individual packages then the patch update
process will not see these packages as having been installed
because it uses a different set of metadata.
- Although Open Enterprise Server has the ability to update both packages and patches, it uses the patch update process for the reasons just mentioned as well as to maintain the same certification as SLES 9.