Importing with RHN Satellite Synchronization Tool43• The RHN Satellite installation must have been performed successfully.• There must be sufficient disk space in the directory specified in the --dir option to contain theexported contents.Although it is not a requirement for the export to succeed, the export will be most useful whenperformed on a Satellite that has populated channels.6.1.2.1. Running the ExportFirst, be sure to configure the Satellite in the manner that you would either like to duplicate in anotherSatellite or back up to a storage solution. Second, select the contents you would like to export. Youcan choose not to export RPMs, errata, or kickstarts by using the options mentioned in Section 6.1.1,“rhn-satellite-exporter”. Finally, execute the command as root. The following is an examplecommand:rhn-satellite-exporter --dir=/var/rhn-sat-export --no-errataWhen finished, the export directory may be moved to another Satellite or a storage solution usingrsync or scp -r.6.2. Importing with RHN Satellite Synchronization ToolBefore distributing packages via RHN Satellite, the packages must first be uploaded to the Satellite.This section describes the process for importing packages and other channel data.ImportantTo populate custom channels correctly, you must first populate at least one Red Hatbase channel. The RHN Satellite Synchronization Tool creates the necessary directorystructures and permissions; without these, the custom channel tools will not work properly.For this reason, you should use these instructions to set up your base channel(s) and thenrefer to the RHN Channel Management Guide for steps to establish custom channels.6.2.1. satellite-syncThe RHN Satellite Synchronization Tool (satellite-sync) enables an RHN Satellite to update itsdatabase metadata and RPM packages with those of RHN's central servers, another Satellite withinyour organization, or local media.ImportantRunning satellite-sync can import a large amount of data, especially on newlyinstalled Satellite servers. If your database has performance issues after a significantamount of data changes, consider gathering statistics on the database. Refer toSection 8.4, “Using RHN DB Control” for more information.To launch the RHN Satellite Synchronization Tool, execute the following command as root: