ULN provides an olN_arch_latest repository, which includes all packages for an Oracle Linux release. It also provides base and patch channels for each update of an Oracle Linux release. Depending on the Oracle Linux release, other channels might provide the latest packages for additional features such as DTrace user-space, Ksplice, and OFED.

The Oracle Linux yum server provides a public_olN_latest repository, which includes all packages for an entire Oracle Linux release in addition to a public_olN_un_base repository for each update. Unlike ULN, the Oracle Linux yum server does not provide patch channels for updates.

Some channels, such as those for Spacewalk Client and Spacewalk Server, are available on the Oracle Linux yum server but not on ULN. Other channels, such as those for DTrace user-space, Ksplice, and OFED packages, are available on ULN but not on the Oracle Linux yum server.

Oracle recommends that you design a channel configuration that is based on your own work flow. For example, if you intend to use Spacewalk's channel cloning feature to promote systems from development through testing to production, you could configure a base channel and child patch channel together with other child channels.

Avoid cloning latest channels as this takes a long time given that these channels are usually very large. If you duplicate child channels, you do not need to duplicate their repositories. These channels can use the same repositories as the channel from which they were cloned. For example, each cloned base channel might have a unique addons child channel, but each of these child channels would use the same repository. The packages are not duplicated, even though they are referenced in multiple channels.

If necessary, you can maintain the latest channels separately without subscribing any systems to these channels. If the need arises, you can copy errata packages form the latest channels to the patch channels to make the latest fixes available.