Red Hat Satellite 5.6 - Create RHN tools child channel for a custom cloned channel

When creating a custom cloned channel in Satellite, which would be done to keep subscribed systems at a specific release level, you have to clone the RHN Tools child channel as well. The RHN Tools channel provides the osad daemon as well as other important packages that allow the satellite to perform better management of subscribed systems.

This process can only be completed if there is already a base channel with the rhn-tools child channel and a cloned channel created.  Run this command on the command line of the Satellite server.

The command:

spacewalk-clone-by-date --parents=rhel-x86_64-server-6 rhel-x86_64-server-6.4 --channels=rhn-tools-rhel-x86_64-server-6 tools-rhel-x86_64-server-6.4 --to_date=2013-02-21 -u username

Explanation:

• rhel-x86_64-server-6                = original base channel
• rhel-x86_64-server-6.4             = name of custom clone channel
• rhn-tools-rhel-x86_64-server-6 = original base tools channel
• tools-rhel-x86_64-server-6.4    = what you want to name the rhn-tools channel. Note, this channel name cannot start with "rhel" or "rhn"
• 2013-02-21                              = locks packages to 6.4.
• username                                   = admin user of the Satellite