1. A Modular Administration Tool for Linux Computers
Dan Yocum, Connie Sieh, Dane Skow
Fermilab
Kirk Bauer, Georgia Tech
February 8, 2000
CHEP

2. Projects Linux Farms (FT and Run II) Level 3 trigger farms
Tape mover nodes (Enstore)
Prototyping systems (DAQ tests)
Desktops

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FNAL System Census 1999
9/22/2018

4. Farms
(See Talks E60, E70)
150 dual Linux machines in production now, 50 more coming online in next 2 months.
Expect to ramp up 500+ for Run II production.
CDF L3 farms will be 100’s of PCs, BTeV proposal looking at 1000’s.
Readily cloneable systems and relatively fault tolerant
Gotten a lot of mileage out of $20 CDROM’s

5. (Pre)production systems
Linux boxes popular for test clusters to develop ideas and software testing.
Becoming popular platforms for dedicated server functions (eg. tape controllers).
More problems finding the “sweet spot” as tends to stress some system element.
Used by developers who are very expert and comfortable with special optimizations.

6. Desktops Over half of all Linux boxes still are on the desktop.
Growth continues to pace farms deployment (even with node purchases).
Code developers are prime deployment targets.
Physics analysis users beginning to ramp up.
Most desktops are run in “Orange” mode.
“Self-help” mailing list very successful

7. Infrastructure
Discussions of tools that are needed seem to break down into 4 categories:
system monitoring and alarm (see E173)
Currently use simple ping tests and PATROL.
This is area of greatest activity of Beowulf world.
system installation and patch management.
Use network install server and AutoRPM. CDROM’s have a role.
Backup and failure recovery.
Systracker and other ideas. Still early
Resource accounting and capacity planning.
Use batch systems (see E191) for scheduling and pacct’ing scripts for usage tracking.

8. Systracker
Based on our success with AutoRPM we invited Kirk Bauer to come work on a configuration management tool.
Prototype of system change tracking system (logger and replay mechanism).
Desire is for easy method to restore changes to install configuration.
PERL modules based on concepts of tripwire, Autorpm and RCS.
Local machine alpha version available (coming soon to release as a FermiTool ftp.fnal.gov)). Next step would be archive server, addition of other package handling methods (UPS, etc.).

9. Systracker: The basis
Presume that one can install a system to a base configuration. Take a snapshot of this as the system baseline. This is the fundamental assumption.
Almost never “good enough”.
Irrestistible urge to customize “personal” computers.
Obstinant refusal to use “standard” methods of admin
Frequently sufficient local (legitimate) customization that restoring this manually takes longer than the reinstall of the base system.

10. Systracker: The method
Use tripwire mechanisms to monitor system files and directories for changes and check updates into a RCS repository.
Modified RPM to archive RPMs to a repository.
Create a module to create a “replay” script from differences between baseline and target.
Working on installation scripts to replay the “replay”
NB: NONE of this is inherently Linux specific.

11. Systracker: The picture
Config Files
RCS repository
Systracker
Difference engine
System Dirs
RPMs
Replay engine
UPS

12. Systracker: The glossary
Systracker The main program
ConfigTrack Parse/Track systrack config files
StandardTrack Tracks file changes
RPMTrack Tracks RPM package installs
MD5Track Maintains MD5 signature for changes

13. Systracker: The shopping list
PERL The lingua franca of admin tools
BOOTP Useful for turnkey startup (maybe)
AutoRPM Useful patch distribution method
RPM Red Hat package manage (or others)
RCS Revision Control System archive tool
cfengine cluster wide management tool (enforcer?)
prsh parallel command execution (mass deploy ?)
cfm competition. Not ready for prime time
rdist/rsync quick sync. Useful for central repository

14. Summary
At FNAL, Linux installation infrastructure better than most OS flavors.
Users are “violently” in favor of an “Orange” configuration but not diligent in carrying out admin duties.
Linux growth not yet maxed out. Likely to completely dominate the Unix desktop.
Serious use by amateurs just beginning.
Desired applications for Linux continue to rise. Expect to see videoconferencing, etc coming.