Understanding Profiles
A profile is required to register an instance with Autonomous Linux. Profiles provide a way to consistently define how an instance registers with the service.
An instance registers with one and only one profile. However, you can use a single profile repeatedly to register multiple instances with the service. The profile specifies the associations to apply to an instance at registration. This can include software sources or group membership. Once registered, the profile is no longer used by the instance.
See also Video: Creating and Managing Profiles.
A profile is only used for registration. After an instance registers, the profile no longer has any effect on the instance. To change instance settings after registration, such as attached software sources, do so directly through Autonomous Linux. For example, Attaching Software Sources to an Instance.
Location Specific
Profiles are specific to instance location: OCI and non-OCI (on-premises or third-party cloud). Even if the OS version and architecture of the instance is the same, you can't use an OCI profile for a non-OCI instance (and vice versa). Profiles can't be shared because non-OCI instances require a management station and software entitlements can differ across OCI and non-OCI environments.
Service-provided
Autonomous Linux provides a set of basic profiles within the root compartment that you can use to register OCI instances. These profiles provide the minimal set of information required to register a standalone instance with the service. You can't move, edit, or delete service-provided profiles.
Autonomous Linux provides the following service-provided profiles:
- Oracle Autonomous Linux 7
- Oracle Autonomous Linux 8
User-defined
You can create profiles to define the software sources to attach to the instance, or the group to assign to the instance. User-defined profiles can reside in any compartment.
You can create the following types of profiles:
- Software Source
- A software source profile defines the software sources to attach to the instance when it registers with the service. The software sources must match the OS vendor, OS version, and architecture of the instance.
- Group
- A group profile defines the group to associate with the instance when it registers with the service. The instance must match the OS vendor, OS version, and architecture of the group. As a member of the group, Autonomous Linux includes the instance in the group's scheduled jobs.
Default
You can specify a default profile to use when registering a particular OCI instance. There can be only one default profile per OS vender, OS version, and architecture. Default profiles must reside in the root compartment.
When you register an instance and don't specify a profile, Autonomous Linux uses the default profile matching the instances OS version and architecture. Default profiles are most useful with automation to streamline the registration process.
Initially, the service-provided profiles are marked as default. You can set any profile (user-defined or service-provided) that resides in the root compartment as a default. You can also clear the default setting and have no default profile.