SUSE Linux Enterprise Point of Service 11 Service Pack 2

SUSE Linux Enterprise Point of Service is the only enterprise-class managed client–server Linux solution tailored specifically to the unique needs of the retail industry. It combines the enterprise-proven, trusted operating system base of SUSE Linux Enterprise with add-on tools to set up a Point of Service managed clients solution. This is perfect for point of service / point of sale terminals, kiosks, self–service systems and reverse- vending systems.

SUSE Linux Enterprise Point of Service gives you a centralized directory–based administration server and Point of Service branch servers. You also get the tools and documentation you need to create, roll out and maintain operating system images for Point of Service devices.

SUSE Linux Enterprise Point of Service 11 Service Pack 2 features new and exciting functionality:

• SUSE Linux Enterprise Point of Service 11 SP2 integrates the Subscription Management Tool for SUSE Linux Enterprise to easily help you keep your environment up–to–date. This tool lets you centrally manage software updates within the firewall on a per–system basis. You can maintain corporate security policies and regulatory compliance while also tracking your entitlements across large deployments. By downloading all patches at once, the Subscription Management Tool helps reduce redundant use of bandwidth. While SUSE provides this Linux management tool with every subscription, other companies charge for it.
• The extended rollback functionality stores all related configuration files, custom PXE configurations and similar associated files
• As an IBM IRES2 user, you will realize that the functionality Set hostname of a terminal at register time (first boot) allows you to set the hostname in a way that is very similar to what you might be used to from your former IBM IRES2 role-based configuration.
• RAID-1 support with SLEPOS PXE images: While Admin and Branch server inherit the full RAID functionalities from the SUSE Linux Enterprise Server product, this was not valid for the image-based terminals. Starting with Service Pack 2, you can create images that provide for two-disk mirroring on a terminal in a transparent way. This enhancement delivers better resilience and availability of data, and also improves performance.
• Support for fully encrypted disks on terminals lets you encrypt both data and root partitions. The entire configuration happens at image creation time. All passwords are generated on the administration or branch server. The current implementation transfers the password via network from the branch server to the terminal, this means all passwords for the terminals in one branch are stored on the corresponding branch server.
• KIWI is a full-blown imaging suite that allows you to configure, build and deploy your own operating system images. With Service Pack 2, we ship the latest version of KIWI. As KIWI is also used within other SUSE products (e.g. the Open Build Service), this provides for a better integration with the entire product family.
• Using the imaging infrastructure on the administration server, you can easily build ready-to-go branch server images with Image Creator and KIWI, as Service Pack 2 comes with an image template to create a complete branch server, based on the central configuration information stored in the central LDAP data base.
• The new posAdmin-GUI is a graphical tool that makes it easy for you to create new BranchServer, Image and CashRegister objects.
• SUSE Linux Enterprise Point of Service 11 SP2 ships with built-in LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol) validation and checking. You can automatically perform a simple validation and checking during each posAdmin addition or modification call.

Subscription Details

Subscriptions for SUSE Linux Enterprise Point of Service include access to SUSE Linux Enterprise Server ISO images and maintenance updates. Support is limited to the use of those components in a Point of Service solution as outlined below.

The Administration Server

At least one administration server is needed in a typical SUSE Linux Enterprise Point of Service environment.

All physical administration servers, or image build servers, need a "SUSE Linux Enterprise Point of Service Admin Server" subscription. You can run more server applications or databases on an administration server only if they are directly related to running the Point of Service infrastructure.

All other server workloads need to use a general-purpose SUSE Linux Enterprise Server subscription.

The Branch Server

Typically at least one branch server is needed per branch. It is possible to run the branch server directly off the administration server for small-scale implementations of SUSE Linux Enterprise Point of Service. In that case, only the administration server subscription is needed.

"SUSE Linux Enterprise Point of Service Branch Server" subscriptions can be used for the actual Point of Service branch server as well as other SUSE Linux Enterprise Server instances running at a branch. You just need to make sure they are used to serve data or applications to the Point of Service client devices.

Servers in branches that are used in other roles need a generic SUSE Linux Enterprise Server subscription.

The Point of Service Client

All Point of Service client devices that are running a SUSE Linux Enterprise operating system image need a "SUSE Linux Enterprise Point of Service Client" subscription. Client devices need to be used for running typical Point of Service applications, or supporting client applications (like a web browser). If the Point of Service application needs certain server services to run(for example, a local instance of a database), this is also covered by the client subscription.

Point of Service devices that are used as a combined Point of Service terminal and branch server, or Point of Service hardware used in any other server role, need at least a branch server subscription.

Licensing

You can get maintenance and support for SUSE Linux Enterprise Point of Service in one-year or three-year per device (server or client) subscriptions. For best results, you should update your existing devices to SUSE Linux Enterprise Point of Service 11 Service Pack 2, and deploy your new devices to that version as well.

If you have an active subscription, you are entitled to download and use Service Pack 2 at no additional costs.