Provisioning and Managing Linux
with Novell ZENworks® Linux Management

Atiq Adamjee

Systems Engineer

Novell, Inc.

Jason Ganovsky

Systems Engineer

Novell, Inc.

Patrick Quairoli

Systems Engineer

Novell, Inc.

Provisioning
Challenges & Approaches

Standardizing deployment methods and environment variables

Need for standardization is self explanatory in today's IT environment

Package sets for initial installs

Application compatibility & testing

Important for patching ... if you don't know whats out there, how do you know what to update?

Troubleshooting

How do these considerations affect deployment of a brand new OS?

Does your helpdesk and engineering staff have to be re-trained?

Do you have to throw away your existing infrastructure?

etc....

What do you need to think about?

When deploying Linux, what considerations need to be taken into account?

Distribution

Usage – Desktop or Server

File Systems – some can be imaged some cannot...

Imaging vs. “scripted” installs

Architecture – x86(-64), POWER, zSeries, etc.

Deployment challenges

Deployment methods

Imaging

Silent / scripted install

Remote install / upgrade

All have pro's and con's

Existing methods and examples

Scripted

SUSE® LINUX (Novell Linux Desktop, SUSE LINUX Enterprise Server, Novell Open Enterprise Server/Linux) – AutoYast

Red Hat – Kickstart

OSCAR/ROCKS???

Imaging

ZENworks Linux Management

SIS

g4u...etc

Updating/patching via RPM

SUSE LINUX (Novell Linux Desktop, SUSE LINUX Enterprise Server, Novell Open Enterprise Server/Linux) – YaST Online Update

Red Hat – RHN

Platform independent – ZENworks Linux Management

Life cycle management
General

Server Provisioning

Update Services

New software installation

Maintenance and re-provisioning

Life cycle management
Components

Server Provisioning

AutoYaST

Update Services

ZENworks Linux Management

New software installation

ZENworks Linux Management

Maintenance and re-provisioning

AutoYaST and ZENworks Linux Management

Provisioning
with AutoYast and
Novell ZENworks Linux Management

AutoYast explained

AutoYast loosely describes the Novell method for deploying SUSE LINUX Enterprise Server and Novell Linux Desktop

Allows for very granular, or very high level control over deployed machines

Hands on or hands off, you decide

Consists of several moving parts, some are optional:

XML file – Built with GUI or by hand (required)

Installation source server – HTTP, FTP, NFS, etc (optional)

TFTP server (optional)

“Network aware” bootloader (optional)

DHCP server (optional)

Components list for “hands off install”

Control File

Rules File

DHCP Server

Bootloader

TFTP Server

HTTP/FTP/NFS

Bootloader

Provides

Install Script

Control File

IP & TFTP data

Network Kernel Image

Kernel, initrd and bootloader

Installation Source

Allows

Customization of deployed image

Deployment script based on Hardware

PXE Boot

Retrieve Kernel/initrd from network

Diskless Install

Diskless Install

How the pieces fit together

SLES/NLD

Run the AutoYast GUI to create a control file

How the pieces fit together

SLES/NLD

Control file can be stored on a CD...

How the pieces fit together

SLES/NLD

...or on a web server...

OS: Windows 2003

Arch: x86

Server: “It Isn't Secure” (IIS) web server

How the pieces fit together

SLES/NLD

...or on an FTP server...

OS: Solaris

Arch: Really BIG & expensive “proprietary” UNIX box

Server: WU-FTP

How the pieces fit together

SLES/NLD

...or on the BEST choice:

OS: SUSE Linux Enterprise Server

Arch: Anything you darn well please

Server: Take your pick, apache/2, wu-ftpd, vsftp, tftp, aftp, nfs...

Simple scenario

AutoYast Server

- HTTP/FTP/NFS

- AutoYast XML file

Destination Client

Simple scenario
Swapping boot disks & CD's

1. Boot client with boot CD/floppy

2. Use autoyast=protocol://url/control.xml

3. Swap CDs as needed

AutoYast Server

- HTTP/FTP/NFS

- AutoYast XML file

Destination Client

Typical setup – 99.999% hands off

AutoYast Server

- DHCP

- TFTP

- PXELinux(SYSLINUX)

- HTTP/FTP/NFS

- AutoYast XML file

Destination Client

Client boots via PXE

Client receives DHCP offer with option “filename” and optionally “next server”

PXE client retrieves boot loader specified in “filename” option via TFTP

Boot loader displays menu options for booting which include all command line options:
install=http://path/to/source
autoyast=tftp://path/to/control.xml

Get a cup of coffee

Follow instructions at http://yast2.suse.com/multiplesource

“I'm impatient and I want a quick fix”

Install the following:

Apache2

TFTP

Syslinux

DHCP Server

Advanced concepts

Cross platform considerations

Provisioning SUSE LINUX Enterprise Server to a zSeries mainframe is very different than an x86 server, but still uses the same framework

Additional package installations

3rd party applications added via create_package_descr

ZENworks Linux Management configuration

ZENworks Linux Management client activation and subscription

Novell ZENworks Linux Management Overview

Ongoing system management

Systems Management is a fact of today's environment

Continuing system management is critical.

System availability

Application security

Automate repetitive tasks

Reduce administrative cycles

What is ZENworks Linux Management?

ZENworks Linux

Management Servers

Desktop

Servers

(Admin)

Novell ZENworks Linux Management is a powerful and secure software management solution for Linux server and workstation systems. It provides IT administrators and managers with centralized control over their Linux software configurations across their organization.

Private

ZLM Servers

Public

Software Update Services

ZLM

The ZENworks Linux Management Solution

ZENworks Linux Management:
Powerful and Secure Linux Software Management

Complete web console

Scriptable command-line interface

On-demand or scheduled updating

Intuitive installation

Strong integration with SUSE, Red Hat, Linux updates

Supports both YaST and Red Hat Network (RHN)

Advanced cross distribution software package deployment

Conflict & dependency resolution

Automatic updates

Software rollback and Scripting

Secure, scalable deployment

HTTP/HTTPS

Standard Web Architecture

Customizable software library

Channels

Packages

Channel, Packages, Transactions

Channel

Subscribed to by clients

Grouping of transactions to be sent

Groups / Machines have rights to Channel

Packages

RPMs stored on local server filesystem

Package details are stored in SQL Database

Loaded into Channel

Transaction

Makes things happen

Based on Schedule or Continuous update

Actionable on Package or Channel

Basic Channels

Channel: Base Linux OS distribution

Content: CDs from the major OS release

Channel: Linux OS updates

Content: Updated RPMs from your vendor

Channel: Kernel update/source

Content: Kernel updates since OS release

Packages

Name: ethereal.rpm
Target: suse-9-i586

Contents: glibc,ethereal,nicsys...

Channels contain packages

Visibility depends on the target distribution

Complete RPMs versus Patches

Package Universe

find . -name *.rpm |xargs rcman cap ––target=SLES-9-i586
––user=admin@novell.com ––password=secret SuseEnterprise

find . -name *.rpm |xargs rcman cap ––target=target-distro
––user=user@domain ––password=password channel

* Script Bonus

Package Universe

Importance of the Package Universe

Resolve recursive dependencies

Enables the Roll-back option

Tool Group

Channels, Groups and Permissions

Red Hat AS3.1

Novell Linux Desktop

SUSE LINUX Enterprise Server 9

Engineering Tools

Channels

Transaction Schedules

Schedule

One Time / Recurring

Channel update single RPM

Novell Linux Desktop

SUSE LINUX Enterprise Server 9

Engineering Tools

Channels

Dry Run

Roll Back

rug is your friend

Action

Update packages

Install package

Refresh Channel

Verify Service

View Schedule

Find Dependency

Command

rug update (up)

rug install(in)

rug refresh

rug ping

rug recurring

rug what-provides (wp)

ZENworks Linux Management Scripts

!#/bin/bash

/usr/bin/rug set-prefs require-verified-certificates false

/usr/bin/rug service-delete 1

/usr/bin/rug service-delete 1

/usr/bin/rug service-add https://10.200.203.3/data

/usr/bin/rug activate 348c-efcd-4063-9a12 admin@novell.com

/usr/bin/rug subscribe sles-9-i586

!#/bin/bash

/usr/bin/rug up

/usr/bin/rug in -y ethereal

Activation Script

Upgrade/Install Script

Pulling it all together and Demo

Today's Provisioning Model

AutoYast

Build PXE, DHCP, TFTP Architecture

Define Control XML

Add ZENworks Linux Management Subscription Script

ZENworks Linux Management

Build your Package Universe

Define your OS and Application Channels

Build your Subscriptions to manage Application Provisioning

Upcoming release
ZENworks 7 Linux Management

Service Oriented Architecture (SOA)

Primary/secondary server – zones

Provisioning

PXE server

Imaging (ext2, ext3 & Reiser)

AutoYaST and Kickstart Bundles

Policy management

Advanced Inventory

Lockdown

Intelligent object store

For more information

Attend Session:

TUT 227

Additional Sessions

IO 105- ZENworks Overview and Futures

TUT 215- Managing Novell Linux Desktop with ZENworks Linux Management

TUT 316- Advanced ZENworks Linux Management Deployment and Best Practices

TUT 227- Architecture Today and in the Future

TUT 322- Advanced Imaging with ZENworks - Emerging technologies

TUT 331- Deploying Novell Linux Desktop in the Enterprise

[From the datasheet]

ZENworks Linux Management provides automated and intelligent Linux package dependency analysis and conflict resolution for smoother software installations; plus unprecedented control features for scheduling updates of Linux software to user-defined groups of systems across an enterprise.The result is a complete Linux software management system that helps to cut IT costs by dramatically reducing the required overhead needed to manage Linux software package updates.

With ZENworks Linux Management, administrators use a single, powerful solution to automatically deliver and update packages across their organizations. From either an intuitive web-based administration console or a powerful command line interface, administrators can centrally configure and distribute software selections, manage users and organize groups of machines for installations and updates. Administrators can choose to define specific update schedules, which will run automatically, or initiate updates directly. Without the need for expensive and time-consuming third-party customizations, administrators can build secure, private software channels to deliver Linux packages that have been internally developed or customized, or optionally, to deliver packages from the broad Red Carpet library of applications from Ximian, Linux OS publishers and other leading Linux vendors.

This is an introduction slide, you'll cover each bullet in the presentation

2003-12-08T12:43:39