SUSE SolidDriver Compliance Definition

Usability

Package can be installed in a manner identical to standard SUSE Linux Enterprise packages

SUSE customers are accustomed to using SUSE deployment tools for managing their installations of SUSE Linux Enterprise products. They expect to be able to utilize the same tools and methods for deploying kernel update modules.

SUSE deployment and installer tools work with two distinct levels of software package management: Software Packages and Package Repositories

Software Packages

SUSE uses the RPM standard for packaging software installed by SUSE Linux Enterprise Products. To adhere to SolidDriver compliance with regard to usability, kernel module updates are best packaged as RPM packages following the Kernel Module Packaging standard. This ensures compatibility with the SUSE installation and deployment tools.

SUSE Enterprise software packages are delivered in pre-built binary form and do not require the end user to compile source into binary object code or maintain a build infrastructure to do so. Source packages are provided only as an addition to the binary packages. Furthermore. SUSE does not support end user compiled/re-compiled packages. In the same way SolidDriver compliance requires that kernel module updates are provided in a pre-built manner.

Package Repositories

When delivering multiple software packages in a bundle, SUSE uses package repositories. Package repositories define both the layout of underlying file-system structure containing the packages as well as repository meta-data that provides additional information for the SUSE installer and possibly the end user.

SUSE supports both YaST2 (used by SUSE Enterprise Product installations) and Repomd repository structures.

When providing multiple, interdependent packages to end users, SolidDriver compliance requires the use of either YaST2 or Repomd based repositories. Even when there are no package interdependencies, delivering packages in a way that avoids having end users search, gather and validate the required pieces for their product installations from multiple locations is preferred.

User can easily and automatically find updates to the Package

In most cases, when a customer installs a software package, they want to be notified of any available updates. This is especially true of updates that impact the reliability and security of the installed system. Reliability and security at the kernel level is of high importance and therefore notification of critical update for kernel module packages is equally important.

SolidDriver compliance recommends leveraging the same framework for channeling updates to customers as the SUSE Linux Enterprise product itself by providing update repositories that can be registered with the SUSE Linux Enterprise update tools.