[TriLUG] Approaches to Linux Patch Management

[Seva Adari]

On a related subject, I have a question for those of you who manage the
local repo. Is it possible to setup a local repo which collects and stores
only those packages that are needed by the machines within the local
network and not the entire repo?

In other words, when machine x1 tries to update a package, it goes to
the local repo which checks in its store and if it is not there it will go
to public repo, download it and then serve x1. When machine x2 comes
along for the same package, local repo, having in its store now, first
checks with public repo if there is a later version. If later version found,
downloads it as well and servers machine x2 with the two updates, If not
it serves its local copy directly.

Objective here is to have local repo keep and manage only those packages
that are requested by its peers (and no more and no less).