Novell is now in beta with a subscription management tool for SuSE Linux Enterprise, aimed at helping users of Novell's Linux operating environment to manage their software updates.

In an interview with BetaNews, Michael Applebaum, a senior product marketing manager, described the new tool as a package proxy system designed to accommodate customers' regulatory compliance requirements and corporate firewall policies during the software update process.

The new tool works in conjunction with the Novell Customer Center, introduced in Linux Enterprise 10 to replace Novell's earlier Customer Care Portal, Applebaum said.

Novell Customer Center added a summary dashboard that gives the current status of all of the customer's Novell products, along with recommended actions. It provides three access levels: entitled user, group administrator, and organization administrator.

Although Novell Customer Center can also be used to administer earlier editions of Linux Enterprise, some of its capabilities -- such as the ability to view system information -- can only be used with Linux Enterprise 10.

Novell announced the new subscription management tool along with Linux Enterprise 10 Service Pack 2 (SP2), a set of enhancements that also includes new features in areas ranging from virtualization and systems management to interoperability with Microsoft Windows.

Unlike most of the other enhancements in SP2, which are available immediately, the new subscription management tool isn't slated for general release for another 90 days, Applebaum said.

Novell is also holding off another 90 days on general availability of SP2 for SuSE Linux Enterprise Real Time 10, an enhancement geared to reducing latency and increasing predictability in mission critical applications.