[CentOS] running yum update on remote servers

On 02/25/2013 07:48 AM, Robert Moskowitz wrote:
> I have read a couple old threads here on updates for servers, and I am 
> looking for some mechanics to getting the actual updates done.  I don't 
> want automatic updates; I want to control when and what gets updated.
>
> First I have to determine that a particular server needs updates.  I 
> suppose a daily script that would run "yum check-updates' and emails me 
> the results could work, but then I would only want the email IF there 
> was something to update, at my limited use of this option does not show 
> anything to trigger a notify on changes.  Does anyone know of a script 
> that would do this?
>
> Then there is the actual update.  I learned long ago NOT to run yum over 
> an SSH connection, as WHEN that connection breaks in the middle of an 
> update, you can have quite a problem to clean up.  All I have done 
> todate is to start vncserver and connect via vnc to then run yum.  I can 
> even drop the vnc connection and come back later to check results.  I 
> have considered running yum disconnected (? when you end a command with 
> &) and log the results to a file that you check later.  What are 
> practical approaches to this?  I only have a few servers here to manage.

Using screen on the remote server while on ssh is a very safe way to
update remote servers.

Screen will make your session persistent (it goes into detached mode if
the connection drops, but still keeps running).  You can detach from
screen session (ctrl-a ctrl-d) then come back later and reconnect with
screen -x.

I literally manage/update hundreds of remote servers weekly using
screen.  I hardly every have enough X packages running on any of the
servers I manage to run vnc.

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