Creating Activation keys

This section contains information on how to create activation keys for both traditional and Salt clients, and provides some best practices for working with activation keys.

Procedure: Creating Activation Keys

  1. As the administrator login to the SUSE Manager Web UI.

  2. Navigate to Systems  Activation Keys.

  3. To open the Activation Key Details page click the Create Key button in the upper right corner.

    systems create activation key

  4. On the Activation Key Details page in the Description field, enter a name for the activation key.

  5. In the Key field, enter the distribution and service pack associated with the key. For example, SLES12-SP4 for SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP4.

    Allowed Characters
    Do not use commas in the Key field for any SUSE products. However, you must use commas for Red Hat Products. For more information, see xref:FILENAME.adoc#ref.webui.systems.activ-keys[].

  6. In the Base Channels drop-down box, select the SUSE Linux Enterprise channel that you added during xref:FILENAME.adoc#gs-syncing-with-scc[].

  7. When the base channel is selected the list of available child channels will get fetched and displayed in real time below the base channel. Select the child channels you need (for example, the SUSE Manager tools and the updates channels that are actually mandatory).

    systems create activation key childchannels

  8. We recommend you leave the Contact Method set to Default.

  9. We recommend you leave the Universal Default setting unchecked.

  10. Click Update Activation Key to create the activation key.

  11. Check the Configuration File Deployment check box to enable configuration management for this key, and click Update Activation Key to save this change.

When you create activation keys, keep these best practices in mind:

  • Avoid using the SUSE Manager Default parent channel. This setting forces SUSE Manager to choose a parent channel that best corresponds to the installed operating system, which can sometimes lead to unexpected behavior. Instead, we recommend you create activation keys specific to each distribution and architecture.

  • If you are using bootstrap scripts, consider creating an activation key for each script. This will help you align channel assignments, package installation, system group memberships, and configuration channel assignments. You will also need less manual interaction with your system after registration.

  • If you do not enter a human-readable name for your activation keys, the system will automatically generate a number string, which can make it difficult to manage your keys. Consider a naming scheme for your activation keys to help you keep track of them.

  • Note that the Configuration File Deployment check box does not appear until after you have created the activation key. Ensure you go back and check the box if you need to enable configuration management.