Novell ZENworks® Linux Management
Best Practices

Martin Buckley

Director of Product Management, ZENworks

Novell, Inc.

Assumptions and Facts

Assumptions made in this session:

You have some Linux knowledge – some basic concepts are assumed

You have some familiarity with RPM Package Manager for installing and managing Linux software

Facts of this session:

We will be discussing managing a SUSE® LINUX Enterprise Server environment - ZENworks Linux Management will also manage Red Hat Enterprise Linux with ease.

Objectives

Understand ZENworks Linux Management

ZENworks Linux Management

Obtaining updates and patches

Controlling the deployment of updates

What is ZENworks?

RPM Package Management

Objectives

Understand ZENworks Linux Management

ZENworks Linux Management

Obtaining updates and patches

Controlling the deployment of updates

What is ZENworks?

RPM Package Management

Linux lifecycle management
Birth to Retirement

Objectives

Understand ZENworks Linux Management

ZENworks Linux Management

Obtaining updates and patches

Controlling the deployment of updates

What is ZENworks?

RPM Package Management

RPM: Ease of use

Only a single command needed to do operations

tar xzf novell-foo-1.2.tar.gz

cd novell-foo-1.2

./configure –prefix=/usr

make

su -

make install

Historically:

rpm -Uvh novell-foo-1.2-1.i386.rpm

with RPM:

RPM: Package dependencies

Four basic relationship types:

Require

Conflict

Provide

Obsolete

Explicit dependencies

Automatic discovery

Versioned dependencies

RPM dependency hell

Often installing or updating an RPM package is unsuccessful – there are unmet dependencies.

Also packaging rules within RPM packages can introduce cyclic dependencies.

These issues often lead to frustration and wasted time as administrators hunt down missing packages.

Forcing the package install, or installing non-authorized or non-tested packages introduces uncertainty and risk.

RPM Dependency Demo
ZENworks Linux Management Dependency Demo

DEMONSTRATION

ZENworks Linux Management

Resolves Recursive Dependencies

Can track all requirements for packages to be installed against currently installed packages, and packages available but not installed on the system

Organizes Software

Allows RPMs to be organized into channels for better management

Controls Distribution

Allows managed systems to be grouped to control software distribution across entire organization

Objectives

Understand ZENworks Linux Management

ZENworks Linux Management

Obtaining updates and patches

Controlling the deployment of updates

What is ZENworks?

RPM Package Management

ZENworks 6.6.1 Linux Management

The current release of ZENworks Linux Management is specifically enhanced to manage SUSE LINUX Enterprise Server 9 and Novell Linux Desktop 9:

Full support for SUSE LINUX Enterprise Server 9

Cross hardware platform managed devices – follows SUSE LINUX Enterprise Server 9 to x86, x86-64 (AMD Opteron, Intel EM64T), IA64 (Itanium), IBM POWER, zSeries, iSeries, pSeries

New support for SUSE LINUX patches – integration with YaST Online Update and deployment of YOU patches using YaST

Competitive SUSE LINUX Enterprise Server 9 + ZENworks Linux Management pricing, as well as Novell Linux Desktop and ZENworks Linux Management

Worldwide support and deployment services

ZENworks 6.6.1 Linux Management
Management Domain

ZENworks Linux

Management Server

HTTPS/HTTP

[XML-RPC]

(ADMIN)

desktops

servers

Red Hat

SuSE

Novell Linux Desktop

RHEL

SLES

Centralized, Web-based Management Demo

DEMONSTRATION

Scalability and Resilience

These requirements are addressed in the same manner:

Split the ZENworks Linux Management server into modules

Database

Package repository

ZENworks Linux Management servers (Apache + PHP)

Load balance (L4 switch) or DNS round robin

Scalability and Availability

Database

PostgreSQL scales well – certainly beyond 10,000 machines.

Oracle 9i scales far better – cost and training make this only for Oracle shops.

Both PostgreSQL and Oracle 9i can be installed on a dedicated server.

Multiple ZENworks Linux Management servers can communicate to the same database server.

Oracle also provides a clustered, high-availability solution.

Scalability and Availability

Package repository

Again, create a dedicated, resilient tuned server for this. Export and mount the package repository on all ZENworks Linux Management servers.

Also consider dedicated rcmirror servers if you will be mirroring large quantities of data. Mount the exported package repository and connect to the central database server.

Scalability and Availability

ZENworks Linux Management servers

Apache and PHP are the bottle neck.

Create a farm of ZENworks Linux Management servers

connect to the central database

mount the exported package repository.

Typically expect around ~250 concurrent sessions for each server.

Scalability and Availability

What it looks like:

Package Repository

Database

RCE servers

Layer 4 switch

Load balancer

Objectives

Understand ZENworks Linux Management

ZENworks Linux Management

Obtaining updates and patches

Controlling the deployment of updates

What is ZENworks?

RPM Package Management

Channels, Packages
and Dependency resolution

ZENworks Linux Management has industry leading RPM package dependency and conflict resolution.

ZENworks Linux Management builds detail of the 'Package Universe' for all packages within the ZENworks Linux Management system. The more data, the larger the Package Universe and the more successful dependency resolution

For optimal capability ZENworks Linux Management should have all base packages for all customer supported distros and software as well as any updates and errata.

Optimal Channel Design

To create the best Package Universe ZENworks Linux Management needs data.

Base contains all RPMS found in the base distro and as released

QA contains packages under test

Current contains all RPMS and errata/fixes from the distro vendor that have passed internal QA

SLES9–base

SLES9–QA

SLES9-current

Novell recommends three channels for each target distribution:

Using ZENworks Linux Management
to Aggregate Updates

Package Repository

Package Repository

Package Repository

Package Repository

Public

ZLM

Servers

SUSE LINUX

YaST

Online

Update

Red Hat

Network

Private

ZLM

Servers

ZLM Server

ZLM Management Domain

Package Repository

ZENworks Linux Management and YOU

ZENworks Linux Management can connect on a regular basis to YaST Online Update to download patches, support packs and hotfixes.

This process allows you to optimise bandwidth consumption, simplifies outbound firewall configuration and gives control of how and when updates are applied.

Machine information demo

DEMONSTRATION

Integration with IT Service Management
or ITIL processes

The ZENworks Linux Management channels, along with granular administration and detailed reporting can be used to control the release of updates within the enterprise.

These technology processes map to three core ITSM-ITIL processes: Configuration, Change and Release Management

IT Service

Continuity Management

Financial Management for IT Services

Availability

Management

Service Level

Management

Service Desk

Incident

Management

Problem

Management

Change

Management

Configuration

Management

Release

Management

Capacity

Management

Configuration

Management Database

Objectives

Understand ZENworks Linux Management

ZENworks Linux Management

Obtaining updates and patches

Controlling the deployment of updates

What is ZENworks?

RPM Package Management

Transactions

Transactions within ZENworks Linux Management are very powerful, yet simple to administer and use.

There are several key transaction types:

Software package installation or update

Rollback

Scheduled script

Pre-position

Dry run

Software Installation

Software installation via transaction is a linkage between:

groups and/or machine(s) being a member of a channel

creation of a transaction to install all software or updates from these channels

Software push (i.e. server initiated installation) is provided in this manner.

Software pull can be initiated by a machine refresh, from the Red Carpet GUI or from the rug command line.

Software Installation

Each transaction can also have pre- and post- scripts associated with it.

These scripts are uploaded to the ZLM server and downloaded to the machine at transaction execution time.

The scripts are run as root – beware this gives exceptional flexibility, control and the ability to destroy your system!

ZENworks 7 Linux Management

ZENworks
Manages Linux Environments

ZENworks 7 Linux Management redefines Enterprise Linux Management

“Full Stack” Linux lifecycle management

Policy Driven Linux OS imaging and deployment

Application deployment and management

Secure Remote Control

Inventory and reporting

Unique Policy-driven configuration and lockdown

All web-based management built on the next-generation ZENworks Architecture

Cross-distribution support – Novell, SUSE, Red Hat

Three fundamental concepts have made ZENworks the industry leader:

The ZENworks experience

Policy-Driven Automation

Managing the complete desktop lifecycle

Enabling your #1 asset - PEOPLE

ZENworks Linux Management

Server Management

Handheld Management

Novell

ZENworks

Linux Management

Desktop Management

“Full Stack” Linux lifecycle management

Policy Driven Linux OS imaging and deployment

Application deployment and management

Inventory and reporting

Secure Remote Control

Unique Policy Driven configuration and lockdown

Web-based management

Built on next-generation ZENworks Architecture

Cross-distribution support–Novell, SUSE, Red Hat

ZENworks 7 Linux Management
architecture

database

TED

managed

devices

connectivity

Further BrainShare Sessions

Take a look at the following BrainShare sessions for more detailed information:

Windows Only TUT115

Next Gen architecture TUT227

Linux Management best practices TUT218

Managing Novell Linux Desktop with ZENworks Linux Management TUT215

Q & A

Whether laptops or desktops, workstations are the place where work gets done. From accounts payable to the executive office, the computer provides an interface for productivity. However, the very same workstations that enhance productivity are a major cost center as well. The Gartner Group reports that the cost of owning a traditional desktop PC averages $6845, and $10758 per laptop. Certainly, that cost is not simply hardware and software alone. Gartner also states that 75% of the business cost of owning PCs is typically labor.

Novell ZENworks for Desktops reins those costs into a tightly controlled, yet extremely flexible system to radically reduce the cost of owning Windows workstations. Unlike any other desktop management tool, ZENworks for Desktops manages the workstations’ entire lifecycle, from the day the workstations first arrive to the time when they are too outclassed by newer machines and must finally be removed.

Slide says it all. Red Carpet Enterprise was designed with the input of dozens of Linux system administrators, making it a strong real-world solution.

ZLM makes it easy to aggregate software packages for applications and a variety of Linux distros, not just SUSE LINUX.

So what does ZENworks do? To answer that question, there are three fundamentals to understand.

Policy-Driven Automation

Enabling the Digital Identity

Managing the complete Workstation Lifecycle

Each of these represents significant business benefits; all together, they define why ZENworks for Desktops has come to lead the industry in Desktop Management

Novell Corporate Presentation Template 2005

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