So you have multiple RHEL4 machines in a secure DMZ location. You need to update these machines from RHEL 4.5 to RHEL 4.6. You need to do this without access to the infamous Redhat network, and without physical access to the servers. What are your options? The only supported method by Redhat is to physically upgrade the system with optical media.
How the hell is this enterprise? Both Redhat and Suse continue to amaze me with their inferiority to community Linux distributions. Their inferior support, and the ever increasing licensing costs. Don’t get me wrong, the Linux model is amazing for the quality of product, but the commercial distributors are not adding any value, certainly not enough to pay $1500/box/year.
So what did I do about my DMZ upgrade issue? I ended using Debian’s APT packaging tool to upgrade $1500/box/year Redhat systems. Its quite sad that a community distribution like Debian has better upgrade and packaging tools than the overpriced market leader in “enterprise” Linux.