Re: Who's working on centralized management?
Javier Fdz-Sanguino Pen~a <jfs@ieeesb.etsit.upm.es> writes:
> First of all sorry for the cross post.
>
> I have to install in my lab five Debian machines that have to be
> able to keep consistent, i.e. all have to have the same packages installed.
> I was going to start working in a centralized tool (possibly a set of
> scripts) that is able to do so making all "mirrors" from one of them, so
> that when one package was installed in it all of the others would install it
> too (using the same conf)
> I know there are some people working on the same kind of thing....
> has anyone a tool or set of tools that could be used for this task? is
> anyone working on one? I would be willing to help in making this kind of
> tool if it is not yet available.
>
> Regards
>
> Javier Fernandez-Sanguino Peña
Some time ago I posted a "Proof of concept" for menudriven
installation scripts. The Idea was as follows:
Normal/First Installation or before installing at all:
------------------------------------------------------
The user gets a menu (just like "make menuconfig" for the kernel)
where he can configure all packages (or each one seperatly depending
on the actual implementation). All values should have a default
already there. If X is installed "make xconfig" style menus can be
used as well. Also on real slow system "make config" style could be
used.
Reconfiguring:
--------------
The user can reconfigure at any time, using the same menu as the first
time. Since he has configured the package(s) already, the default
values might differ from the package defaults. The user can reset the
config of a package or single options to the package default.
During installation:
--------------------
During the installation the same script are used as for the menus
during configuration, but this time they get all the answeres from the
config files generated before. No user intervention is needed and one
can go to the cinema (except for errors).
Multiple hosts:
---------------
The configuration is done once on a "server". All clients run the
installation process and instead of getting the configuration from the
local config files, the config files are get over the network form the
"server".
Backup:
-------
The config files can be backuped and with that the system can be
restored completly without user intervention.
The concept and implementation goes along with several other
suggestions posted on this list. Too bad nobody has looked at the
proof of concept yet. Well, I`m still working on more extended
implementation and some real patches/enhancements to dpkg and some
other packages.
I hope that answeres your question of "Who works on a centralised
management".
May the Source be with you.
Goswin
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