Hi, On Thu, Apr 07, 2011 at 01:45:55PM +0200, tv.deb...@googlemail.com wrote: > 07/04/2011 13:21, Laurence Hurst: > > Hi folks, > > I am looking at possibly deploying Debian (or a derivative thereof) > >on a large number of machines (initially 80 but I fully expect the final > >number to end up being in excess of 100) which are intermittently > >connected to the network (due to multi-boot setup). I was wondering > >if anyone else has a large(ish) installation base and what tools they > >were using to manage the machines (especially when it comes to patching)? > >On this scale manual ssh methods become unmanageable, even using the > >likes of pdsh and before I even consider the fact the machines will not > >all be in Linux at any given time. Unfortunately I have no budget for > >this project so an Ubuntu/Landscape solution is not workable. Ideally > >something usable by non-Linux (but technically competent Windows) > >administrators would be nice (e.g. a "point and shoot" web-interface > >to mass deploy updates). Does anyone have any suggestions of existing > >projects which fit this bill or am I going to have to roll my own > >solution? > > Thanks in advance > > Laurence > > > > > > Hi, maybe you can have a look at cfengine[1], seems to fit your needs > and it's readily available in Debian. I don't have hands-on experience > with it though. > > [1] http://www.cfengine.org/pages/what_is_cfengine
Another approach would be "FAI" http://fai-project.org In addition to a "update", it also contains the installation system. In short: - you create so-called "classes" which describe the machines/configuration/software (e.g. graphics drivers, which software to install, what is the default printer, ...) - for every machine you define which classes apply to this machine - this configuration space is put on a central server No, for a full installation of one client, you have to boot the client from the "install" system (can be USB-Stick, CD, or you boot from the network -- its only a minimal linux) - you need a DHCP-Server which distributes the correct Hostnames/IP-Adresse to the machine (identified by its MAC-adress) -- or you have to select the hostname by hand during the full installation. - then, FAI runs the full install (partition harddisks, create filesystems, install debian base-system, install additional software, apply patches,... as configured by the "classes") - after a restart, your machine is fully installed & configured :-) For patches: fai supports a feature "softupdate", which can be executed on a running client, and which then reads again the full configuration-space. So you just need a way to start the softupdate regularly (my solution: I have a "version-file" on the server and a local one on each client. At every boot, the client checks the version-number in the server & compares it to its local one -- and starts the update if necessary). I'm happy with FAI ;-) Once you have the configuration space, everything "just works" -- and re-installations (e.g. due to hardware failures) are no problems. Axel -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-user-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org Archive: http://lists.debian.org/20110407123045.GF18887@axel
