[clug] Automated install and maintenance

[Michael.James at csiro.au]

On Fri, 1 Jun 2007 02:49:30 pm Andrew Janke wrote:

> I have used FAI and cfengine to install and maintain clusters and
> distributed groups of workstations for some time and given that I am
> doing it all over again, I am interested to hear others thoughts on
> the matter.
>
> I typically use a combination of debian and Ubuntu but in times gone
> past have also added SGI and Sun machines into the mix.
>
> What I ideally want is a simple method whereby I can install a machine
> using some CD or PXE netboot boot install (think FAI or seeded Ubuntu
> install CD) and then maintain the following things:
>
>    1) config files
>    2) users and passwords
>    3) packages
>    4) Applications (Sun grid engine, etc)

I looked at package based automatic installs,
 and it didn't handle the configuration changes
 without all the uglyness of creating scripts
 to do what was already done to the model machine.

So I wrote my own cluster-node-duplicator called cloneboot.

It uses the initrd stage of booting to partition the disk
 and rsync in the model machine. Then it sets hostname 
 and any other node customization and booting procedes.
Since it works simply by copying the hard disk
 it copes with configuration files and custom installed (non-packaged) apps.
It assumes the model machine is on identical hardware!

Nodes can be updated or re-synced to the master
 just by pushing the reset button.

It allows for booting  (master nodes),
 nuking (full re-partition and file system creation)
 fsck (file system check and re-sync)
 and copy (re-sync to master).

It uses DHCP, PXE, TFTP and NFS

I use it on SuSE linux and it's a series of scripts,
 and a patch to the mkinitrd script to start them.

You're welcome to use it if it fits your needs...

michaelj

PS: Nodes can be updated or re-synced to the master
 just by pushing the reset button.
It allows for booting  (master nodes),
 nuking (full re-partition and file system creation)
 fsck (file system check and re-sync)
 and copy (re-sync to master).
 

-- 
Michael James                         michael.james at csiro.au
System Administrator                    voice:  02 6246 5040
CSIRO Bioinformatics Facility             fax:  02 6246 5166

No matter how much you pay for software,
 you always get less than you hoped.
Unless you pay nothing, then you get more.