The Red Hat Network Alert Notification Tool, that nifty round icon in the panel of your Red Hat desktop, can be configured on systems running Red Hat Enterprise Linux 3 or later to recognize updates available from custom channels on your RHN Satellite Server. In addition, you must ensure the Satellite itself is prepared to support this feature. (RHN Proxy Server supports the applet without modification of client or server.) Here's the flow:
Ensure you're running RHN Satellite Server 3.4 or later and have the rhns-applet package installed on the Satellite. The package can be found in the RHN Satellite software channel for versions 3.4 and newer.
Install the rhn-applet-actions package on all Red Hat Enterprise Linux 3 and newer systems to be notified of custom updates with the Red Hat Network Alert Notification Tool. The systems must be entitled to the Management or Provisioning service levels. The package can be retrieved with up2date or through the RHN Tools software channel.
Within the Satellite's version of the RHN website, go to the System Details page for each system and click the link within the RHN Applet area to redirect the Red Hat Network Alert Notification Tool to the Satellite.
The next time the applet is started, it will apply its new configuration and connect to the RHN Satellite Server for updates.