Management for modern IT: Red Hat Satellite 6.17 is now available

The new release of Red Hat Satellite is version 6.17, and it continues to offer a comprehensive and reliable way to manage Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) environments, helping organizations streamline management and automation processes. Satellite 6.17 now has the ability to manage systems running on RHEL 10 and RHEL 9.6, in addition to new and updated features including expanded connectivity options, new support for managing containerized methods, and security updates.

Expanded connectivity options

Identifying and addressing availability, performance, and security risks in your IT environment can be challenging. This can lead to reactive, time-consuming manual fixes that can leave your systems vulnerable. Today, Red Hat Insights users can identify these risks and provide configuration recommendations, taken from best practices accumulated over decades of supporting our customers and technologies. This requires systems to be connected directly to Red Hat over the internet, however, that might not be a viable option for environments with strict data privacy and security requirements.

Red Hat Satellite 6.17 introduces a new way to access the benefits of Insights advisor in disconnected (air-gapped) environments. With Insights advisor in Satellite (currently in tech preview) you can access proactive risk detection and configuration recommendations that were previously exclusive to the Insights experience hosted by Red Hat.

Packaged as a container, Red Hat Insights advisor in Satellite stores Insights advisor rules and remediations locally after installation. Configuration recommendations are processed locally and delivered to the existing Satellite web interface, all without needing an internet connection. Insights advisor receives updated recommendations with each Satellite upgrade.

Regardless of your connectivity requirements, Satellite 6.17 users can now maximize the value of their RHEL subscriptions with the power of Red Hat Insights advisor.

Equipped to manage containerized methods

Development teams have long favored using containerization technologies and workflows to build applications. With easy portability and scalability across environments, reduced attack surfaces, standardization by design, and ease of use, it's easy to see why containerization has become ubiquitous for those teams. Image mode for RHEL, available in RHEL 10 and 9.6 extends the use of Linux containers beyond applications to let you build, deploy, and manage your operating system using immutable container images. 

Satellite 6.17 introduces support for systems created with image mode for RHEL. Additionally, Satellite now supports the management and deployment of Flatpak content packages. 

Support for systems created with image mode for RHEL

Satellite 6.17 supports provisioning, client management, and container image distribution for systems created with image mode for RHEL. Manage image-based systems throughout their lifecycle with the same set of Satellite management tools and workflows you already use for your traditional operating systems, ensuring consistent deployments across all environments. Satellite also enables you to update images similarly to how Satellite publishes RPM Package Manager (RPM) content.

Whether your organization is just starting to explore image-based systems, or is ready to modernize your entire infrastructure, Satellite is there to help you manage your system images in a safe, secure, scalable, and trusted way. 

Support for Flatpak content

As you manage applications across your RHEL environments, packaging adds extra time and effort to deployment. Satellite 6.17 introduces support for Flatpak content, including both custom packages and Red Hat-provided applications, making it easier to import, manage, and deploy updates.

Flatpak bundles applications with their dependencies, runtime, and components into a single package, streamlining delivery and reducing manual overhead. With simplified installs and updates, built-in sandbox security, and access to a wider range of applications, Flatpak helps you spend less time packaging, and more time managing and optimizing your RHEL estate.

Improved security posture

Satellite 6.17 includes security enhancements across your systems' lifecycle, from provisioning to production, to help deliver secure and trusted Red Hat content. This release includes two main security updates: 

Secure boot support

Satellite 6.17 bolsters security during provisioning with secure boot support across bare-metal, VMware, vSphere, and Libvirt. With secure boot support, you can easily verify the integrity of RHEL components to secure the supply chain and foundational environment.

Networking Enhancements

IPv6 support

As network infrastructure modernizes, Satellite 6.17 keeps pace with the addition of IPv6 support. Deploying Satellite in IPv6 environments addresses the limitations of IPv4, offering improved network efficiency and enhanced security capabilities. This expanded support enables your network to evolve, Red Hat Satellite is ready to support your infrastructure. 

Learn more

Satellite 6.17 is now available – for more information, explore the documentation, or give it a try with the Satellite basics lab.