SUSE® Manager 2.1-Preview and Release Date

SUSE is updating its Linux systems management platform SUSE® Manager. The next version, SUSE Manager 2.1, is based on the open source project Spacewalk 2.1 and SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11 SP3.

SUSE Manager 2.1 will be available as an appliance for x86-64 hardware and IBM System z. The launch is expected at beginning of June.
SUSE Manager 2.1 was developed to provide:

• Improved usability
• Improved security and compliance features
• Support for operational best practices (ITIL)

Here are some of the highlights:

• The SUSE Manager Setup Wizard guides system administrators through the basic steps needed to configure a fully operational SUSE Manager server. As a result, it makes configuration easier and faster.
• An improved web UI with a modernized look-and-feel improves viewing on smaller screens, making it easier to use on desktops and mobile devices such as tablets and phones. The improved web UI was contributed upstream to the Spacewalk project.
• A new ease-of-use improvement, “action chaining“, provides the ability to link multiple actions into a defined sequence or workflow (like installing packages, rebooting the system, executing scripts). As a result, administrators can automatically process another action when one action completes, saving time and reducing administrative effort.
• SUSE Manager 2.1 can be configured so that un-provisioned (“bare-metal”) systems (capable of PXE booting) are added to an organization and can to be provisioned (via autoinstallion) in a complete unattended fashion.
• Customers can power on, off and reboot bare-metal systems via the IPMI (Intelligent Platform Management Interface) protocol.  Administrators also benefit from more control over remotely deployed servers.
• A new, easy-to-use interface to CVE (Common Vulnerability and Exposures) data enables   administrators to easily search for publicly known information security vulnerabilities and exposures and determine which systems are affected.

Just as important, SUSE Manager 2.1 delivers complete lifecycle management for Linux environments―with asset management, provisioning, package management, patch management, configuration management and redeployment functionality. By monitoring system health and managing compliance, regulatory and security requirements with SUSE Manager 2.1, administrators have all information they need to take appropriate action.

But that’s not all. Stay tuned; we will provide you with more information about SUSE Manager 2.1 in the next couple of weeks.