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You can find the latest version of Replicator at :
http://replicator.sourceforge.net
If you are the system administrator of a networked site, how can you
(re)install quickly a computer in generally less than fives minutes
(even less if you install a set of similar machines)?
You want to customize the configuration of a computer only once
(on the model computer) for your site. Moreover you want any
new target computer to have almost the same configuration as
the model. The target will be mostly identical to the
model except:
- some specific configuration files (network, fstab, X configuration, hostname),
- the way it is partitioned,
- the possibility of being diskless, having /usr NFS-mounted instead
of local, or having specific filesystems (local homes for instance),
- ...
The present software, called ``Replicator'', will automates the
installation of target. More precisely it consists of a
set of easy-to-use scripts to prepare the installation, the result
of the preparation being a floppy that when booted on the target, will
almost automatically install it (by default, it asks confirmation
first!).
The copying process is composed of the following steps:
- Installation and configuration of Replicator on the computer miniroot-server which usualy is also the model you want to replicate,,
- Creation and setup of a tiny NFS root filesystem onto miniroot-server,
- Creation of bootfloppy onto miniroot-server,
- Configuration of remote acces to the model,
- Quick install of the computer target with the floppy.
- The whole directory tree of your model machine will be
duplicated according to the ``update rules'' mention in 4.3.6. If you created
non-standard directories (e.g. mountpoints) which you don't want to duplicate, then edit
the update rules accordingly.
- This software is experimental (but tested and used in production environment), be sure that for every machine
where you execute one of the scripts or for every machine
that you include in one the configurations files, all the
volumes accessible from the machine (either local or
NFS-mounted) are properly backup'ed,
- At this point, it is recommended that you understand a bit of
perl and sh scripts, to be able to diagnose potential problems.
- All networks are defined in replicator.conf: no more need for a bootdisk per network (see 4.3.3).
- general :
- support for replication of dhcp client (using dhcpcd). You don't need to make a new bootdisk if the network configuration changes.
- use rsyncd instead of rsync via rsh or ssh.
- added many sanity checks and very explicit error messages.
- ligth classes mechanism : very convenient way to deal with classes of different targets.
- added update_rules configuration file.
- partitioning/formating choices are displayed before replication.
- better documentation (new strategy guide (see 4.6)).
- the model's keyboard is now alwais available as a choice for target's keyboard.
- repli-miniroot :
- only one variable to configure.
- it is now an interactive dialog script.
- it creates a potato miniroot instead of a slink one.
- added a root password to acces the miniroot.
- repli-bootdisk :
- uses grub by default.
- explicit output messages.
What I'm working on:
- add rsyncd password.
- support dhcp-client.
- switch to full class mechanism.
- make congelator: put the model on a CD.
Next: Using Replicator
Up: Replicator 2.0.1 for Debian/GNU
Previous: Disclaimer
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root
2001-06-04