By introducing the offline client, customers with Oracle Linux Premier or Oracle Linux Premier Limited support can create a local intranet yum repository that creates a local mirror of the ULN ksplice channel and just use the yum update command to install the latest ksplice updates. This will allow customers to have just one server connected to the oracle server and every other system just have a local connection.
Here is an example on how to get this going, and then setting up a local yum repository is an exercise up to the reader :)
Now, as we release new zero downtime updates, there will be a newer version of the uptrack-updates RPM for your kernel. A simple # yum update will pick this up, (without the need for a reboot) and the update will apply new ksplice updates. You can see the version of the uptrack-updates by doing # rpm -qa | grep uptrack-updates it will show the date appended at the end. And of course the usual commands # uptrack-show or # uptrack-uname -r.
The offline client allows you to create a local yum repository for your servers that are covered under Oracle Linux Premier and Oracle Linux Premier Limited support subscriptions so that the servers just point to your local yum repository and all you have to do is keep this repository up-to-date for the ksplice channel and install the above RPMs on each server and run a yum update. In other words, the offline client doesn't require each server to be connected to the Oracle Unbreakable Linux network.
To set up a local yum repository, follow these instructions.
have fun!