1. Preparing your environment for installation
Review the following prerequisites before you install Smart Proxy server.
1.1. System requirements
The following requirements apply to the networked base operating system:
-
x86_64 architecture
-
4-core 2.0 GHz CPU at a minimum
-
A minimum of 12 GB RAM is required for Smart Proxy server to function. In addition, a minimum of 4 GB RAM of swap space is also recommended. Smart Proxy running with less RAM than the minimum value might not operate correctly.
-
A unique host name, which can contain lower-case letters, numbers, dots (.) and hyphens (-)
-
Administrative user (root) access
-
Full forward and reverse DNS resolution using a fully-qualified domain name
Foreman only supports UTF-8
encoding.
If your territory is USA and your language is English, set en_US.utf-8
as the system-wide locale settings.
For more information about configuring system locale in Enterprise Linux, see Configuring the system locale in Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 Configuring basic system settings.
Foreman server and Smart Proxy server do not support shortnames in the hostnames. When using custom certificates, the Common Name (CN) of the custom certificate must be a fully qualified domain name (FQDN) instead of a shortname. This does not apply to the clients of a Foreman.
Before you install Smart Proxy server, ensure that your environment meets the requirements for installation.
Warning
|
The version of Smart Proxy must match with the version of Foreman installed. It should not be different. For example, the Smart Proxy version nightly cannot be registered with the Foreman version 3.14. |
Smart Proxy server must be installed on a freshly provisioned system that serves no other function except to run Smart Proxy server. The freshly provisioned system must not have the following users provided by external identity providers to avoid conflicts with the local users that Smart Proxy server creates:
-
apache
-
foreman-proxy
-
postgres
-
pulp
-
puppet
-
redis
SELinux must be enabled, either in enforcing or permissive mode. Installation with disabled SELinux is not supported.
The system clock on the base operating system where you are installing your Smart Proxy server must be synchronized across the network. If the system clock is not synchronized, SSL certificate verification might fail.
You can install Smart Proxy on a Enterprise Linux system that is operating in FIPS mode. You cannot enable FIPS mode after the installation of Smart Proxy. Red Hat Enterprise Linux clones are not being actively tested in FIPS mode. If you require FIPS, consider using Red Hat Enterprise Linux. For more information, see Switching RHEL to FIPS mode in Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 Security hardening.
Note
|
Foreman supports DEFAULT and FIPS crypto-policies. The FUTURE crypto-policy is not supported for Foreman and Smart Proxy installations. The FUTURE policy is a stricter forward-looking security level intended for testing a possible future policy. For more information, see Using system-wide cryptographic policies in Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 Security hardening. |
1.2. Storage requirements
The following table details storage requirements for specific directories. These values are based on expected use case scenarios and can vary according to individual environments.
The runtime size was measured with Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7, 8, and 9 repositories synchronized.
Directory | Installation Size | Runtime Size |
---|---|---|
/var/lib/pulp |
1 MB |
300 GB |
/var/lib/pgsql |
100 MB |
20 GB |
/usr |
3 GB |
Not Applicable |
/opt/puppetlabs |
500 MB |
Not Applicable |
The size of the PostgreSQL database on your Smart Proxy server can grow significantly with an increasing number of lifecycle environments, content views, or repositories that are synchronized from your Foreman server.
In the largest Foreman environments, the size of /var/lib/pgsql
on Smart Proxy server can grow to double or triple the size of /var/lib/pgsql
on your Foreman server.
1.3. Storage guidelines
Consider the following guidelines when installing Smart Proxy server to increase efficiency.
-
If you mount the
/tmp
directory as a separate file system, you must use theexec
mount option in the/etc/fstab
file. If/tmp
is already mounted with thenoexec
option, you must change the option toexec
and re-mount the file system. This is a requirement for thepuppetserver
service to work. -
Because most Smart Proxy server data is stored in the
/var
directory, mounting/var
on LVM storage can help the system to scale. -
Use high-bandwidth, low-latency storage for the
/var/lib/pulp/
and PostgreSQL/var/lib/pgsql
directories. As Foreman has many operations that are I/O intensive, using high latency, low-bandwidth storage causes performance degradation.
-
Do not use the GFS2 file system as the input-output latency is too high.
Log files are written to /var/log/messages/,
/var/log/httpd/
, and /var/lib/foreman-proxy/openscap/content/
.
You can manage the size of these files using logrotate.
The exact amount of storage you require for log messages depends on your installation and setup.
When the /var/lib/pulp
directory is mounted using an NFS share, SELinux blocks the synchronization process.
To avoid this, specify the SELinux context of the /var/lib/pulp
directory in the file system table by adding the following lines to /etc/fstab
:
nfs.example.com:/nfsshare /var/lib/pulp nfs context="system_u:object_r:var_lib_t:s0" 1 2
If NFS share is already mounted, remount it using the above configuration and enter the following command:
# restorecon -R /var/lib/pulp
Packages that are duplicated in different repositories are only stored once on the disk.
Additional repositories containing duplicate packages require less additional storage.
The bulk of storage resides in the /var/lib/pulp/
directory.
These end points are not manually configurable.
Ensure that storage is available on the /var
file system to prevent storage problems.
You cannot use symbolic links for /var/lib/pulp/
.
If you plan to synchronize RHEL content ISOs to Foreman, note that all minor versions of Red Hat Enterprise Linux also synchronize. You must plan to have adequate storage on your Foreman to manage this.
1.4. Supported operating systems
The following operating systems are supported by the installer, have packages, and are tested for deploying Foreman:
Operating System |
Architecture |
Notes |
x86_64 only |
EPEL is not supported. |
Foreman community advises against using an existing system because the Foreman installer will affect the configuration of several components.
1.5. Port and firewall requirements
For the components of Foreman architecture to communicate, ensure that the required network ports are open and free on the base operating system. You must also ensure that the required network ports are open on any network-based firewalls.
The installation of a Smart Proxy server fails if the ports between Foreman server and Smart Proxy server are not open before installation starts.
Use this information to configure any network-based firewalls. Note that some cloud solutions must be specifically configured to allow communications between machines because they isolate machines similarly to network-based firewalls. If you use an application-based firewall, ensure that the application-based firewall permits all applications that are listed in the tables and known to your firewall. If possible, disable the application checking and allow open port communication based on the protocol.
Foreman server has an integrated Smart Proxy and any host that is directly connected to Foreman server is a Client of Foreman in the context of this section. This includes the base operating system on which Smart Proxy server is running.
Hosts which are clients of Smart Proxies, other than Foreman’s integrated Smart Proxy, do not need access to Foreman server. For more information on Foreman Topology, see Smart Proxy networking in Planning for Foreman.
Required ports can change based on your configuration.
The following tables indicate the destination port and the direction of network traffic:
Destination Port | Protocol | Service | Source | Required For | Description |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
53 |
TCP and UDP |
DNS |
DNS Servers and clients |
Name resolution |
DNS (optional) |
67 |
UDP |
DHCP |
Client |
Dynamic IP |
DHCP (optional) |
69 |
UDP |
TFTP |
Client |
TFTP Server (optional) |
|
443, 80 |
TCP |
HTTPS, HTTP |
Client |
Content Retrieval |
Content |
443, 80 |
TCP |
HTTPS, HTTP |
Client |
Content Host Registration |
Smart Proxy CA RPM installation |
443 |
TCP |
HTTPS |
Foreman |
Content Mirroring |
Management |
443 |
TCP |
HTTPS |
Foreman |
Smart Proxy API |
Smart Proxy functionality |
443 |
TCP |
HTTPS |
Client |
Content Host registration |
Initiation Uploading facts Sending installed packages and traces |
1883 |
TCP |
MQTT |
Client |
Pull based REX (optional) |
Content hosts for REX job notification (optional) |
8000 |
TCP |
HTTP |
Client |
Provisioning templates |
Template retrieval for client installers, iPXE or UEFI HTTP Boot |
8000 |
TCP |
HTTP |
Client |
PXE Boot |
Installation |
8140 |
TCP |
HTTPS |
Client |
Puppet agent |
Client updates (optional) |
8443 |
TCP |
HTTPS |
Client |
Content Host registration |
Deprecated and only needed for Client hosts deployed before upgrades |
9090 |
TCP |
HTTPS |
Foreman |
Smart Proxy API |
Smart Proxy functionality |
9090 |
TCP |
HTTPS |
Client |
Register Endpoint |
Client registration with an external Smart Proxy server |
9090 |
TCP |
HTTPS |
Client |
OpenSCAP |
Configure Client (if the OpenSCAP plugin is installed) |
9090 |
TCP |
HTTPS |
Discovered Node |
Discovery |
Host discovery and provisioning (if the discovery plugin is installed) |
9090 |
TCP |
HTTPS |
Client |
Pull based REX (optional) |
Content hosts for REX job notification (optional) |
Any host that is directly connected to Foreman server is a client in this context because it is a client of the integrated Smart Proxy. This includes the base operating system on which a Smart Proxy server is running.
A DHCP Smart Proxy performs ICMP ping and TCP echo connection attempts to hosts in subnets with DHCP IPAM set to find out if an IP address considered for use is free.
This behavior can be turned off using foreman-installer --foreman-proxy-dhcp-ping-free-ip=false
.
Destination Port | Protocol | Service | Destination | Required For | Description |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
ICMP |
ping |
Client |
DHCP |
Free IP checking (optional) |
|
7 |
TCP |
echo |
Client |
DHCP |
Free IP checking (optional) |
22 |
TCP |
SSH |
Target host |
Remote execution |
Run jobs |
53 |
TCP and UDP |
DNS |
DNS Servers on the Internet |
DNS Server |
Resolve DNS records (optional) |
53 |
TCP and UDP |
DNS |
DNS Server |
Smart Proxy DNS |
Validation of DNS conflicts (optional) |
68 |
UDP |
DHCP |
Client |
Dynamic IP |
DHCP (optional) |
443 |
TCP |
HTTPS |
Foreman |
Smart Proxy |
Smart Proxy Configuration management Template retrieval OpenSCAP Remote Execution result upload |
443 |
TCP |
HTTPS |
Foreman |
Content |
Sync |
443 |
TCP |
HTTPS |
Foreman |
Client communication |
Forward requests from Client to Foreman |
443 |
TCP |
HTTPS |
Infoblox DHCP Server |
DHCP management |
When using Infoblox for DHCP, management of the DHCP leases (optional) |
623 |
Client |
Power management |
BMC On/Off/Cycle/Status |
||
7911 |
TCP |
DHCP, OMAPI |
DHCP Server |
DHCP |
The DHCP target is configured using ISC and |
8443 |
TCP |
HTTPS |
Client |
Discovery |
Smart Proxy sends reboot command to the discovered host (optional) |
Note
|
ICMP to Port 7 UDP and TCP must not be rejected, but can be dropped. The DHCP Smart Proxy sends an ECHO REQUEST to the Client network to verify that an IP address is free. A response prevents IP addresses from being allocated. |
1.6. Enabling connections from Foreman server and clients to a Smart Proxy server
On the base operating system on which you want to install Smart Proxy, you must enable incoming connections from Foreman server and clients to Smart Proxy server and make these rules persistent across reboots.
If you do not use firewall-cmd
to configure the Linux firewall, implement using the command of your choice.
-
Open the ports for clients on Smart Proxy server:
# firewall-cmd \ --add-port="8000/tcp" \ --add-port="9090/tcp"
-
Allow access to services on Smart Proxy server:
# firewall-cmd \ --add-service=dns \ --add-service=dhcp \ --add-service=tftp \ --add-service=http \ --add-service=https \ --add-service=puppetmaster
-
Make the changes persistent:
# firewall-cmd --runtime-to-permanent
-
Enter the following command:
# firewall-cmd --list-all
For more information, see Using and configuring firewalld in Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 Configuring firewalls and packet filters.
2. Installing Smart Proxy server
Before you install Smart Proxy server, you must ensure that your environment meets the requirements for installation. For more information, see Preparing your Environment for Installation.
2.1. Registering to Foreman server
Use this procedure to register the base operating system on which you want to install Smart Proxy server to Foreman server.
Registering your Smart Proxy server as a content host is optional unless you wish to download the installation packages from your synced repositories.
-
On Foreman server, a manifest must be installed and it must contain the appropriate repositories for the organization you want Smart Proxy to belong to.
-
The manifest must contain repositories for the base operating system on which you want to install Smart Proxy, as well as any clients that you want to connect to Smart Proxy.
-
The repositories must be synchronized.
For more information on manifests and repositories, see Managing Red Hat Subscriptions in Managing content.
-
The Foreman server base operating system must be able to resolve the host name of the Smart Proxy base operating system and vice versa.
-
Ensure HTTPS connection using client certificate authentication is possible between Smart Proxy server and Foreman server. HTTP proxies between Smart Proxy server and Foreman server are not supported.
-
You must configure the host and network-based firewalls accordingly. For more information, see Port and firewall requirements in Installing a Smart Proxy Server nightly on Enterprise Linux. You can register hosts with Foreman using the host registration feature in the Foreman web UI, Hammer CLI, or the Foreman API. For more information, see Registering hosts and setting up host integration in Managing hosts.
-
In the Foreman web UI, navigate to Hosts > Register Host.
-
From the Activation Keys list, select the activation keys to assign to your host.
-
Click Generate to create the registration command.
-
Click on the files icon to copy the command to your clipboard.
-
Connect to your host using SSH and run the registration command.
-
Ensure that the appropriate repositories have been enabled:
-
On Enterprise Linux: Check the
/etc/yum.repos.d/redhat.repo
file and ensure that the appropriate repositories have been enabled. -
On Debian: Check the
/etc/apt/sources.list
file and ensure that the appropriate repositories have been enabled.
-
-
Generate the host registration command using the Hammer CLI:
$ hammer host-registration generate-command \ --activation-keys "My_Activation_Key"
If your hosts do not trust the SSL certificate of Foreman server, you can disable SSL validation by adding the
--insecure
flag to the registration command.$ hammer host-registration generate-command \ --activation-keys "My_Activation_Key" \ --insecure true
-
Connect to your host using SSH and run the registration command.
-
Ensure that the appropriate repositories have been enabled:
-
On Enterprise Linux: Check the
/etc/yum.repos.d/redhat.repo
file and ensure that the appropriate repositories have been enabled. -
On Debian: Check the
/etc/apt/sources.list
file and ensure that the appropriate repositories have been enabled.
-
-
Generate the host registration command using the Foreman API:
# curl -X POST https://foreman.example.com/api/registration_commands \ --user "My_User_Name" \ -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \ -d '{ "registration_command": { "activation_keys": ["My_Activation_Key_1, My_Activation_Key_2"] }}'
If your hosts do not trust the SSL certificate of Foreman server, you can disable SSL validation by adding the
--insecure
flag to the registration command.# curl -X POST https://foreman.example.com/api/registration_commands \ --user "My_User_Name" \ -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \ -d '{ "registration_command": { "activation_keys": ["My_Activation_Key_1, My_Activation_Key_2"], "insecure": true }}'
Use an activation key to simplify specifying the environments. For more information, see Managing Activation Keys in Managing content.
To enter a password as a command line argument, use
username:password
syntax. Keep in mind this can save the password in the shell history. Alternatively, you can use a temporary personal access token instead of a password. To generate a token in the Foreman web UI, navigate to My Account > Personal Access Tokens. -
Connect to your host using SSH and run the registration command.
-
Ensure that the appropriate repositories have been enabled:
-
On Enterprise Linux: Check the
/etc/yum.repos.d/redhat.repo
file and ensure that the appropriate repositories have been enabled. -
On Debian: Check the
/etc/apt/sources.list
file and ensure that the appropriate repositories have been enabled.
-
2.2. Configuring repositories
-
Clear any metadata:
# dnf clean all
-
Install the
foreman-release.rpm
package:# dnf install https://yum.theforeman.org/releases/nightly/el9/x86_64/foreman-release.rpm
-
Install the
katello-repos-latest.rpm
package:# dnf install https://yum.theforeman.org/katello/nightly/katello/el9/x86_64/katello-repos-latest.rpm
-
Install the
puppet-release
package.-
For Puppet 8:
# dnf install https://yum.puppet.com/puppet8-release-el-9.noarch.rpm
-
For Puppet 7:
# dnf install https://yum.puppet.com/puppet7-release-el-9.noarch.rpm
-
-
Verify that the required repositories are enabled:
# dnf repolist enabled
2.3. Optional: Using fapolicyd on Smart Proxy server
By enabling fapolicyd
on your Foreman server, you can provide an additional layer of security by monitoring and controlling access to files and directories.
The fapolicyd daemon uses the RPM database as a repository of trusted binaries and scripts.
You can turn on or off the fapolicyd on your Foreman server or Smart Proxy server at any point.
2.3.1. Installing fapolicyd on Smart Proxy server
You can install fapolicyd
along with Smart Proxy server or can be installed on an existing Smart Proxy server.
If you are installing fapolicyd
along with the new Smart Proxy server, the installation process will detect the fapolicyd in your Enterprise Linux host and deploy the Smart Proxy server rules automatically.
-
Ensure your host has access to the BaseOS repositories of Enterprise Linux.
-
For a new installation, install fapolicyd:
# dnf install fapolicyd
-
For an existing installation, install fapolicyd using dnf install:
# dnf install fapolicyd
-
Start the
fapolicyd
service:# systemctl enable --now fapolicyd
-
Verify that the
fapolicyd
service is running correctly:# systemctl status fapolicyd
In case of new Foreman server or Smart Proxy server installation, follow the standard installation procedures after installing and enabling fapolicyd on your Enterprise Linux host.
For more information on fapolicyd, see Blocking and allowing applications using fapolicyd in Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 Security hardening.
2.4. Installing Smart Proxy server packages
Before installing Smart Proxy server packages, you must update all packages that are installed on the base operating system.
To install Smart Proxy server, complete the following steps:
-
Update all packages:
# dnf upgrade
-
Install
foreman-proxy-content
:# dnf install foreman-proxy-content
2.5. Installing Smart Proxy server
-
To install Smart Proxy server with content, refer to Configuring Smart Proxy server with SSL certificates. Running
foreman-proxy-certs-generate
is a required prerequisite to installing Smart Proxy server with content.
2.6. Configuring Smart Proxy server with SSL certificates
Foreman uses SSL certificates to enable encrypted communications between Foreman server, external Smart Proxy servers, and all hosts. Depending on the requirements of your organization, you must configure your Smart Proxy server with a default or custom certificate.
-
If you use a default SSL certificate, you must also configure each external Smart Proxy server with a distinct default SSL certificate. For more information, see Configuring Smart Proxy server with a default SSL certificate.
-
If you use a custom SSL certificate, you must also configure each external Smart Proxy server with a distinct custom SSL certificate. For more information, see Configuring Smart Proxy server with a custom SSL certificate.
2.6.1. Configuring Smart Proxy server with a default SSL certificate
Use this section to configure Smart Proxy server with an SSL certificate that is signed by Foreman server default Certificate Authority (CA).
-
Smart Proxy server is registered to Foreman server. For more information, see Registering to Foreman server.
-
Smart Proxy server packages are installed. For more information, see Installing Smart Proxy server packages.
-
On Foreman server, to store all the source certificate files for your Smart Proxy server, create a directory that is accessible only to the
root
user, for example/root/smart-proxy_cert
:# mkdir /root/smart-proxy_cert
-
On Foreman server, generate the
/root/smart-proxy_cert/smartproxy.example.com-certs.tar
certificate archive for your Smart Proxy server:# foreman-proxy-certs-generate \ --foreman-proxy-fqdn smartproxy.example.com \ --certs-tar /root/smart-proxy_cert/smartproxy.example.com-certs.tar
Retain a copy of the
foreman-installer
command that theforeman-proxy-certs-generate
command returns for deploying the certificate to your Smart Proxy server.Example output offoreman-proxy-certs-generate
output omitted foreman-installer --scenario foreman-proxy-content \ --certs-tar-file "/root/smart-proxy_cert/smartproxy.example.com-certs.tar" \ --foreman-proxy-register-in-foreman "true" \ --foreman-proxy-foreman-base-url "https://foreman.example.com" \ --foreman-proxy-trusted-hosts "foreman.example.com" \ --foreman-proxy-trusted-hosts "smartproxy.example.com" \ --foreman-proxy-oauth-consumer-key "s97QxvUAgFNAQZNGg4F9zLq2biDsxM7f" \ --foreman-proxy-oauth-consumer-secret "6bpzAdMpRAfYaVZtaepYetomgBVQ6ehY"
-
On Foreman server, copy the certificate archive file to your Smart Proxy server:
# scp /root/smart-proxy_cert/smartproxy.example.com-certs.tar \ root@smartproxy.example.com:/root/smartproxy.example.com-certs.tar
-
On Smart Proxy server, to deploy the certificate, enter the
foreman-installer
command that theforeman-proxy-certs-generate
command returns.When network connections or ports to Foreman are not yet open, you can set the
--foreman-proxy-register-in-foreman
option tofalse
to prevent Smart Proxy from attempting to connect to Foreman and reporting errors. Run the installer again with this option set totrue
when the network and firewalls are correctly configured.ImportantDo not delete the certificate archive file after you deploy the certificate. It is required, for example, when upgrading Smart Proxy server.
2.6.2. Configuring Smart Proxy server with a custom SSL certificate
If you configure Foreman server to use a custom SSL certificate, you must also configure each of your external Smart Proxy servers with a distinct custom SSL certificate.
To configure your Smart Proxy server with a custom certificate, complete the following procedures on each Smart Proxy server:
Creating a custom SSL certificate for Smart Proxy server
On Foreman server, create a custom certificate for your Smart Proxy server. If you already have a custom SSL certificate for Smart Proxy server, skip this procedure.
-
To store all the source certificate files, create a directory that is accessible only to the
root
user:# mkdir /root/smart-proxy_cert
-
Create a private key with which to sign the certificate signing request (CSR).
Note that the private key must be unencrypted. If you use a password-protected private key, remove the private key password.
If you already have a private key for this Smart Proxy server, skip this step.
# openssl genrsa -out
/root/smart-proxy_cert/smart-proxy_cert_key.pem
4096 -
Create the
/root/smart-proxy_cert/openssl.cnf
configuration file for the CSR and include the following content:[ req ] req_extensions = v3_req distinguished_name = req_distinguished_name prompt = no [ req_distinguished_name ] commonName = smartproxy.example.com [ v3_req ] basicConstraints = CA:FALSE keyUsage = digitalSignature, keyEncipherment extendedKeyUsage = serverAuth, clientAuth subjectAltName = @alt_names [ alt_names ] DNS.1 = smartproxy.example.com
For more information about the
[ v3_req ]
parameters and their purpose, see RFC 5280: Internet X.509 Public Key Infrastructure Certificate and Certificate Revocation List (CRL) Profile. -
Optional: If you want to add Distinguished Name (DN) details to the CSR, add the following information to the
[ req_distinguished_name ]
section:[req_distinguished_name] CN = smartproxy.example.com countryName = My_Country_Name (1) stateOrProvinceName = My_State_Or_Province_Name (2) localityName = My_Locality_Name (3) organizationName = My_Organization_Or_Company_Name organizationalUnitName = My_Organizational_Unit_Name (4)
-
Two letter code
-
Full name
-
Full name (example: New York)
-
Division responsible for the certificate (example: IT department)
-
-
Generate CSR:
# openssl req -new \ -key /root/smart-proxy_cert/smart-proxy_cert_key.pem \ (1) -config /root/smart-proxy_cert/openssl.cnf \ (2) -out /root/smart-proxy_cert/smart-proxy_cert_csr.pem (3)
-
Path to the private key
-
Path to the configuration file
-
Path to the CSR to generate
-
-
Send the certificate signing request to the certificate authority (CA). The same CA must sign certificates for Foreman server and Smart Proxy server.
When you submit the request, specify the lifespan of the certificate. The method for sending the certificate request varies, so consult the CA for the preferred method. In response to the request, you can expect to receive a CA bundle and a signed certificate, in separate files.
Deploying a custom SSL certificate to Smart Proxy server
Use this procedure to configure your Smart Proxy server with a custom SSL certificate signed by a Certificate Authority.
The foreman-installer
command, which the foreman-proxy-certs-generate
command returns, is unique to each Smart Proxy server.
Do not use the same command on more than one Smart Proxy server.
-
Foreman server is configured with a custom certificate. For more information, see Configuring Foreman server with a custom SSL certificate in Installing Foreman Server with Katello nightly plugin on Enterprise Linux.
-
Smart Proxy server is registered to Foreman server. For more information, see Registering to Foreman server.
-
Smart Proxy server packages are installed. For more information, see Installing Smart Proxy server packages.
-
On your Foreman server, generate a certificate bundle:
# foreman-proxy-certs-generate \ --foreman-proxy-fqdn smartproxy.example.com \ --certs-tar ~/smartproxy.example.com-certs.tar \ --server-cert /root/smart-proxy_cert/smart-proxy_cert.pem \ (1) --server-key /root/smart-proxy_cert/smart-proxy_cert_key.pem \ (2) --server-ca-cert /root/smart-proxy_cert/ca_cert_bundle.pem (3)
-
Path to Smart Proxy server certificate file that is signed by a Certificate Authority.
-
Path to the private key that was used to sign Smart Proxy server certificate.
-
Path to the Certificate Authority bundle.
-
-
Retain a copy of the
foreman-installer
command that theforeman-proxy-certs-generate
command returns for deploying the certificate to your Smart Proxy server.Example output offoreman-proxy-certs-generate
output omitted foreman-installer --scenario foreman-proxy-content \ --certs-tar-file "/root/smartproxy.example.com-certs.tar" \ --foreman-proxy-register-in-foreman "true" \ --foreman-proxy-foreman-base-url "https://foreman.example.com" \ --foreman-proxy-trusted-hosts "foreman.example.com" \ --foreman-proxy-trusted-hosts "smartproxy.example.com" \ --foreman-proxy-oauth-consumer-key "My_OAuth_Consumer_Key" \ --foreman-proxy-oauth-consumer-secret "My_OAuth_Consumer_Secret"
-
On your Foreman server, copy the certificate archive file to your Smart Proxy server:
# scp ~/smartproxy.example.com-certs.tar \ root@smartproxy.example.com:/root/smartproxy.example.com-certs.tar
-
On your Smart Proxy server, to deploy the certificate, enter the
foreman-installer
command that theforeman-proxy-certs-generate
command returns.If network connections or ports to Foreman are not yet open, you can set the
--foreman-proxy-register-in-foreman
option tofalse
to prevent Smart Proxy from attempting to connect to Foreman and reporting errors. Run the installer again with this option set totrue
when the network and firewalls are correctly configured.ImportantDo not delete the certificate archive file after you deploy the certificate. It is required, for example, when upgrading Smart Proxy server.
Deploying a SSL certificate to hosts
After you configure Foreman to use a SSL certificate, you must deploy the certificate to hosts registered to Foreman.
-
Update the SSL certificate on each host:
-
On Debian and Ubuntu:
# wget http://smartproxy.example.com/pub/katello-rhsm-consumer # chmod +x katello-rhsm-consumer # ./katello-rhsm-consumer
-
On Enterprise Linux 8+:
# dnf install http://smartproxy.example.com/pub/katello-ca-consumer-latest.noarch.rpm
-
On OpenSUSE and SUSE Linux Enterprise Server:
# zypper install http://smartproxy.example.com/pub/katello-ca-consumer-latest.noarch.rpm
-
2.7. Resetting SSL certificate to default self-signed certificate on Smart Proxy server
To reset the SSL certificate to default self-signed certificate on your Smart Proxy server, you must re-register your Smart Proxy server through Global Registration. For more information, see Registering hosts by using global registration in Managing hosts.
-
In the Foreman web UI, navigate to Infrastructure > Smart Proxies and select any Smart Proxy server.
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On the Overview tab, click Refresh features.
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Reset SSL certificate to default self-signed certificate on Foreman server in Installing Foreman Server with Katello nightly plugin on Enterprise Linux.
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Reset SSL certificate to default self-signed certificate on hosts in Managing hosts.
2.8. Assigning the correct organization and location to Smart Proxy server in the Foreman web UI
After installing Smart Proxy server packages, if there is more than one organization or location, you must assign the correct organization and location to Smart Proxy to make Smart Proxy visible in the Foreman web UI.
-
Log into the Foreman web UI.
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From the Organization list in the upper-left of the screen, select Any Organization.
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From the Location list in the upper-left of the screen, select Any Location.
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In the Foreman web UI, navigate to Hosts > All Hosts and select Smart Proxy server.
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From the Select Actions list, select Assign Organization.
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From the Organization list, select the organization where you want to assign this Smart Proxy.
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Click Fix Organization on Mismatch.
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Click Submit.
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Select Smart Proxy server. From the Select Actions list, select Assign Location.
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From the Location list, select the location where you want to assign this Smart Proxy.
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Click Fix Location on Mismatch.
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Click Submit.
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In the Foreman web UI, navigate to Administer > Organizations and click the organization to which you have assigned Smart Proxy.
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Click Smart Proxies tab and ensure that Smart Proxy server is listed under the Selected items list, then click Submit.
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In the Foreman web UI, navigate to Administer > Locations and click the location to which you have assigned Smart Proxy.
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Click Smart Proxies tab and ensure that Smart Proxy server is listed under the Selected items list, then click Submit.
Optionally, you can verify if Smart Proxy server is correctly listed in the Foreman web UI.
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Select the organization from the Organization list.
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Select the location from the Location list.
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In the Foreman web UI, navigate to Hosts > All Hosts.
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In the Foreman web UI, navigate to Infrastructure > Smart Proxies.
3. Performing additional configuration on Smart Proxy server
After installation, you can configure additional settings on your Smart Proxy server.
3.1. Configuring Smart Proxy for host registration and provisioning
Use this procedure to configure Smart Proxy so that you can register and provision hosts using your Smart Proxy server instead of your Foreman server.
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On Foreman server, add the Smart Proxy to the list of trusted proxies.
This is required for Foreman to recognize hosts' IP addresses forwarded over the
X-Forwarded-For
HTTP header set by Smart Proxy. For security reasons, Foreman recognizes this HTTP header only from localhost by default. You can enter trusted proxies as valid IPv4 or IPv6 addresses of Smart Proxies, or network ranges.WarningDo not use a network range that is too broad because that might cause a security risk.
Enter the following command. Note that the command overwrites the list that is currently stored in Foreman. Therefore, if you have set any trusted proxies previously, you must include them in the command as well:
# foreman-installer \ --foreman-trusted-proxies "127.0.0.1/8" \ --foreman-trusted-proxies "::1" \ --foreman-trusted-proxies "My_IP_address" \ --foreman-trusted-proxies "My_IP_range"
The localhost entries are required, do not omit them.
-
List the current trusted proxies using the full help of Foreman installer:
# foreman-installer --full-help | grep -A 2 "trusted-proxies"
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The current listing contains all trusted proxies you require.
3.2. Enabling remote execution
Use this procedure to enable remote execution on your Smart Proxy server. To learn more about remote execution, see Configuring and Setting Up Remote Jobs in Managing hosts.
-
Enable remote execution with
foreman-installer
:# foreman-installer --enable-foreman-proxy-plugin-remote-execution-script
3.3. Configuring pull-based transport for remote execution
By default, remote execution uses push-based SSH as the transport mechanism for the Script provider. If your infrastructure prohibits outgoing connections from Smart Proxy server to hosts, you can use remote execution with pull-based transport instead, because the host initiates the connection to Smart Proxy server. The use of pull-based transport is not limited to those infrastructures.
The pull-based transport comprises pull-mqtt
mode on Smart Proxies in combination with a pull client running on hosts.
Note
|
The |
The mode is configured per Smart Proxy server.
Some Smart Proxy servers can be configured to use pull-mqtt
mode while others use SSH.
If this is the case, it is possible that one remote job on a given host will use the pull client and the next job on the same host will use SSH.
If you wish to avoid this scenario, configure all Smart Proxy servers to use the same mode.
-
Enable the pull-based transport on your Smart Proxy server:
# foreman-installer --foreman-proxy-plugin-remote-execution-script-mode=pull-mqtt
-
Configure the firewall to allow the MQTT service on port 1883:
# firewall-cmd --add-service=mqtt
-
Make the changes persistent:
# firewall-cmd --runtime-to-permanent
-
In
pull-mqtt
mode, hosts subscribe for job notifications to either your Foreman server or any Smart Proxy server through which they are registered. Ensure that Foreman server sends remote execution jobs to that same Foreman server or Smart Proxy server:-
In the Foreman web UI, navigate to Administer > Settings.
-
On the Content tab, set the value of Prefer registered through Smart Proxy for remote execution to Yes.
-
-
Configure your hosts for the pull-based transport. For more information, see Transport modes for remote execution in Managing hosts.
3.4. Enabling OpenSCAP on Smart Proxy servers
On Foreman server and the integrated Smart Proxy of your Foreman server, OpenSCAP is enabled by default. To use the OpenSCAP plugin and content on external Smart Proxies, you must enable OpenSCAP on each Smart Proxy.
-
To enable OpenSCAP, enter the following command:
# foreman-installer \ --enable-foreman-proxy-plugin-openscap \ --foreman-proxy-plugin-openscap-ansible-module true \ --foreman-proxy-plugin-openscap-puppet-module true
If you want to use Puppet to deploy compliance policies, you must enable it first. For more information, see Configuring hosts by using Puppet.
3.5. Adding lifecycle environments to Smart Proxy servers
If your Smart Proxy server has the content functionality enabled, you must add an environment so that Smart Proxy can synchronize content from Foreman server and provide content to host systems.
Do not assign the Library lifecycle environment to your Smart Proxy server because it triggers an automated Smart Proxy sync every time the CDN updates a repository. This might consume multiple system resources on Smart Proxies, network bandwidth between Foreman and Smart Proxies, and available disk space on Smart Proxies.
You can use Hammer CLI on Foreman server or the Foreman web UI.
-
In the Foreman web UI, navigate to Infrastructure > Smart Proxies, and select the Smart Proxy that you want to add a lifecycle to.
-
Click Edit and click the Lifecycle Environments tab.
-
From the left menu, select the lifecycle environments that you want to add to Smart Proxy and click Submit.
-
To synchronize the content on the Smart Proxy, click the Overview tab and click Synchronize.
-
Select either Optimized Sync or Complete Sync.
For definitions of each synchronization type, see Recovering a Repository.
-
To display a list of all Smart Proxy servers, on Foreman server, enter the following command:
# hammer proxy list
Note the Smart Proxy ID of the Smart Proxy to which you want to add a lifecycle.
-
Using the ID, verify the details of your Smart Proxy:
# hammer proxy info \ --id My_Smart_Proxy_ID
-
To view the lifecycle environments available for your Smart Proxy server, enter the following command and note the ID and the organization name:
# hammer proxy content available-lifecycle-environments \ --id My_Smart_Proxy_ID
-
Add the lifecycle environment to your Smart Proxy server:
# hammer proxy content add-lifecycle-environment \ --id My_Smart_Proxy_ID \ --lifecycle-environment-id My_Lifecycle_Environment_ID --organization "My_Organization"
Repeat for each lifecycle environment you want to add to Smart Proxy server.
-
Synchronize the content from Foreman to Smart Proxy.
-
To synchronize all content from your Foreman server environment to Smart Proxy server, enter the following command:
# hammer proxy content synchronize \ --id My_Smart_Proxy_ID
-
To synchronize a specific lifecycle environment from your Foreman server to Smart Proxy server, enter the following command:
# hammer proxy content synchronize \ --id My_Smart_Proxy_ID \ --lifecycle-environment-id My_Lifecycle_Environment_ID
-
To synchronize all content from your Foreman server to your Smart Proxy server without checking metadata:
# hammer proxy content synchronize \ --id My_Smart_Proxy_ID \ --skip-metadata-check true
This equals selecting Complete Sync in the Foreman web UI.
-
3.6. Enabling power management on hosts
To perform power management tasks on hosts using the intelligent platform management interface (IPMI) or a similar protocol, you must enable the baseboard management controller (BMC) module on Smart Proxy server.
-
All hosts must have a network interface of BMC type. Smart Proxy server uses this NIC to pass the appropriate credentials to the host. For more information, see Configuring a Baseboard Management Controller (BMC) Interface in Managing hosts.
-
To enable BMC, enter the following command:
# foreman-installer \ --foreman-proxy-bmc "true" \ --foreman-proxy-bmc-default-provider "freeipmi"
Appendix A: Smart Proxy server scalability considerations when managing Puppet clients
Smart Proxy server scalability when managing Puppet clients depends on the number of CPUs, the run-interval distribution, and the number of Puppet managed resources. Smart Proxy server has a limitation of 100 concurrent Puppet agents running at any single point in time. Running more than 100 concurrent Puppet agents results in a 503 HTTP error.
For example, assuming that Puppet agent runs are evenly distributed with less than 100 concurrent Puppet agents running at any single point during a run-interval, a Smart Proxy server with 4 CPUs has a maximum of 1250 – 1600 Puppet clients with a moderate workload of 10 Puppet classes assigned to each Puppet client. Depending on the number of Puppet clients required, the Foreman installation can scale out the number of Smart Proxy servers to support them.
If you want to scale your Smart Proxy server when managing Puppet clients, the following assumptions are made:
-
There are no external Puppet clients reporting directly to the Foreman integrated Smart Proxy.
-
All other Puppet clients report directly to an external Smart Proxy.
-
There is an evenly distributed run-interval of all Puppet agents.
Note
|
Deviating from the even distribution increases the risk of overloading Foreman server. The limit of 100 concurrent requests applies. |
The following table describes the scalability limits using the recommended 4 CPUs.
Puppet Managed Resources per Host | Run-Interval Distribution |
---|---|
1 |
3000 – 2500 |
10 |
2400 – 2000 |
20 |
1700 – 1400 |
The following table describes the scalability limits using the minimum 2 CPUs.
Puppet Managed Resources per Host | Run-Interval Distribution |
---|---|
1 |
1700 – 1450 |
10 |
1500 – 1250 |
20 |
850 – 700 |