Comments for ghostar http://www.ghostar.org brick by brick. Thu, 21 Jan 2010 22:01:42 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Comment on So, some Solaris updates by hcoyote http://www.ghostar.org/2009/06/so-some-solaris-updates/comment-page-1/#comment-22 hcoyote Thu, 21 Jan 2010 22:01:42 +0000 http://blogs.utexas.edu/hcoyote/?p=39#comment-22 I'll let Alex and Dave know so we can figure something out. I’ll let Alex and Dave know so we can figure something out.

]]> Comment on So, some Solaris updates by Charles Soto http://www.ghostar.org/2009/06/so-some-solaris-updates/comment-page-1/#comment-21 Charles Soto Thu, 21 Jan 2010 21:47:56 +0000 http://blogs.utexas.edu/hcoyote/?p=39#comment-21 So, I'd like to do this. Any chance we can meet up as a group again to discuss it? Thanks, Charles So, I’d like to do this. Any chance we can meet up as a group again to discuss it?

Thanks,
Charles

]]> Comment on Ugh. Four hours wasted. by hcoyote http://www.ghostar.org/2009/09/ugh-four-hours-wasted/comment-page-1/#comment-45 hcoyote Mon, 12 Oct 2009 16:15:38 +0000 http://blogs.utexas.edu/hcoyote/?p=93#comment-45 Yeah, I did something very similar, but specific for bcfg2. Part of the problem was that I had the console= ordering incorrect on the kernel command line so I wasn't able to get to the password prompt during reboot whenever init was failing. That made it more difficult to actually get to my logs. Once I realized it, things got much simpler. I'll check out the rpmforge mirror, thanks for pointing it out! Yeah, I did something very similar, but specific for bcfg2. Part of the problem was that I had the console= ordering incorrect on the kernel command line so I wasn’t able to get to the password prompt during reboot whenever init was failing. That made it more difficult to actually get to my logs. Once I realized it, things got much simpler.

I’ll check out the rpmforge mirror, thanks for pointing it out!

]]> Comment on Crazy … bcfg2 for netapp? by hcoyote http://www.ghostar.org/2009/09/crazy-bcfg2-for-netapp/comment-page-1/#comment-50 hcoyote Mon, 12 Oct 2009 16:10:44 +0000 http://blogs.utexas.edu/hcoyote/?p=99#comment-50 @Nick: It's not uncommon to have to do this. We built a platform for doing this at AMD with just a bunch of make files for some of the more common files (snap mirror stuff, for example). The bigger reason to do this is to enforce consistency and regularize the change management process. If everyone plays by the same rules, it makes it easier to understand what's going on with the systems in the long term. DFM sort of provides the capability to do this for you, but it was very onerous and was more for auditing the correctness of configurations vs having long term change management and logging of changes. bcfg2 was here before I arrived. I believe cfengine and puppet were also evaluated but this one won out because of features and usability. I don't have any of the details really. Coming from a cfengine background, it takes a 180 degree shift in ideology to understand bcfg2's "define the end state" vs cfengine's "define the path" mentality. I've come across cases where I wished bcfg2 had the ability to just define the path, especially for events that only ever need to be run once on a system (eg, configuring LVM for my MySQL partitions). @Nick:

It’s not uncommon to have to do this. We built a platform for doing this at AMD with just a bunch of make files for some of the more common files (snap mirror stuff, for example).

The bigger reason to do this is to enforce consistency and regularize the change management process. If everyone plays by the same rules, it makes it easier to understand what’s going on with the systems in the long term.

DFM sort of provides the capability to do this for you, but it was very onerous and was more for auditing the correctness of configurations vs having long term change management and logging of changes.

bcfg2 was here before I arrived. I believe cfengine and puppet were also evaluated but this one won out because of features and usability. I don’t have any of the details really. Coming from a cfengine background, it takes a 180 degree shift in ideology to understand bcfg2′s “define the end state” vs cfengine’s “define the path” mentality.

I’ve come across cases where I wished bcfg2 had the ability to just define the path, especially for events that only ever need to be run once on a system (eg, configuring LVM for my MySQL partitions).

]]> Comment on Ugh. Four hours wasted. by Nick Silkey http://www.ghostar.org/2009/09/ugh-four-hours-wasted/comment-page-1/#comment-44 Nick Silkey Mon, 12 Oct 2009 16:06:14 +0000 http://blogs.utexas.edu/hcoyote/?p=93#comment-44 I assume you tee the ks-%post spray to something reviewable? Its pretty useful: %post #### Directory to throw install logs in mkdir -m700 /usr/local/kickstart ( *** bunch of %post magic *** ) 2>&1 | tee /usr/local/kickstart/kickstart.log Also, I think ftp.utexas mirrors rpmforge (possibly under the dag.wieers namespace). If its not there, a quick note to TN will have a mirror on your behalf. If its out of date, also ping and demand it be watched more closely. Oscar is great at helping make ftp.utexas a worthwhile resource for the campus at-large. Cheers from ct.us. I assume you tee the ks-%post spray to something reviewable? Its pretty useful:

%post
#### Directory to throw install logs in
mkdir -m700 /usr/local/kickstart
(
*** bunch of %post magic ***
) 2>&1 | tee /usr/local/kickstart/kickstart.log

Also, I think http://ftp.utexas mirrors rpmforge (possibly under the dag.wieers namespace). If its not there, a quick note to TN will have a mirror on your behalf. If its out of date, also ping and demand it be watched more closely. Oscar is great at helping make http://ftp.utexas a worthwhile resource for the campus at-large.

Cheers from ct.us.

]]> Comment on Crazy … bcfg2 for netapp? by Nick Silkey http://www.ghostar.org/2009/09/crazy-bcfg2-for-netapp/comment-page-1/#comment-49 Nick Silkey Mon, 12 Oct 2009 15:59:32 +0000 http://blogs.utexas.edu/hcoyote/?p=99#comment-49 Very interesting approach. Do you find it often that you need to push site-wide config bits to all n number of filers? Or are most of your configuration changes atomic wrt yay on filer n, nay on filer n+1, etc? Also what made unix@utexas.edu/its/ pick bcfg2 and not the smattering of other cfgmgmt solutions out there? Cheers from ct.us. Very interesting approach. Do you find it often that you need to push site-wide config bits to all n number of filers? Or are most of your configuration changes atomic wrt yay on filer n, nay on filer n+1, etc?

Also what made unix@utexas.edu/its/ pick bcfg2 and not the smattering of other cfgmgmt solutions out there?

Cheers from ct.us.

]]> Comment on The Duct Tape Programmer – Joel on Software by unwesen http://www.ghostar.org/2009/09/the-duct-tape-programmer-joel-on-software/comment-page-1/#comment-46 unwesen Sat, 10 Oct 2009 15:03:54 +0000 http://blogs.utexas.edu/hcoyote/2009/09/24/the-duct-tape-programmer-joel-on-software/#comment-46 It's perfectly possible to do the right thing first. You just need to break it into small steps, and ship a step at a time. That's a lot different from mediocre solutions, which is what Joel praises. Easily confused when you're starting out work on something, but one will has better chances at being maintainable in the long run. It’s perfectly possible to do the right thing first. You just need to break it into small steps, and ship a step at a time.

That’s a lot different from mediocre solutions, which is what Joel praises. Easily confused when you’re starting out work on something, but one will has better chances at being maintainable in the long run.

]]> Comment on So, some Solaris updates by kb.hurricane-ridge.com / Bookmarks for October 5, 2009 http://www.ghostar.org/2009/06/so-some-solaris-updates/comment-page-1/#comment-20 kb.hurricane-ridge.com / Bookmarks for October 5, 2009 Wed, 07 Oct 2009 17:27:05 +0000 http://blogs.utexas.edu/hcoyote/?p=39#comment-20 [...] » So, some Solaris updates Just Another ITS Systems Guy – "Problems [seen] with VLV support between Solaris and Active Directory." Post a comment — Trackback URI RSS 2.0 feed for these comments This entry (permalink) was posted on Wednesday, October 7, 2009, at 9:26 am by admin. Filed in Links and tagged active directory, vlv. [...] [...] » So, some Solaris updates Just Another ITS Systems Guy – "Problems [seen] with VLV support between Solaris and Active Directory." Post a comment — Trackback URI RSS 2.0 feed for these comments This entry (permalink) was posted on Wednesday, October 7, 2009, at 9:26 am by admin. Filed in Links and tagged active directory, vlv. [...]

]]> Comment on So, some Solaris updates by hcoyote http://www.ghostar.org/2009/06/so-some-solaris-updates/comment-page-1/#comment-19 hcoyote Tue, 06 Oct 2009 14:33:02 +0000 http://blogs.utexas.edu/hcoyote/?p=39#comment-19 Officially, no, we haven't resolved it. In theory we have, we just haven't tested it. The solution we're going with right now is to create an ADAM instance populated with the things we need from AD. We're configuring the ADAM so it doesn't allow VLV. So, in theory, it works. I was waiting for some changes to be made in our ADAM infrastructure before going forward with our testing (which, coincidentally, have finalized this week so I should be able to test again soon). <a href="http://blogs.utexas.edu/alex/" rel="nofollow">Alex</a> are actively working on this (he's handling the AD/ADAM side). I'll poke him to see if he's got any instructions for setting up ADAM in the way we're talking about. Officially, no, we haven’t resolved it. In theory we have, we just haven’t tested it. The solution we’re going with right now is to create an ADAM instance populated with the things we need from AD. We’re configuring the ADAM so it doesn’t allow VLV.

So, in theory, it works. I was waiting for some changes to be made in our ADAM infrastructure before going forward with our testing (which, coincidentally, have finalized this week so I should be able to test again soon).

Alex are actively working on this (he’s handling the AD/ADAM side). I’ll poke him to see if he’s got any instructions for setting up ADAM in the way we’re talking about.

]]> Comment on So, some Solaris updates by Andy Leonard http://www.ghostar.org/2009/06/so-some-solaris-updates/comment-page-1/#comment-18 Andy Leonard Mon, 05 Oct 2009 23:54:54 +0000 http://blogs.utexas.edu/hcoyote/?p=39#comment-18 I ran into the same issue with Solaris/AD and VLV today. Did you ever resolve this? If so, what route did you go? I ran into the same issue with Solaris/AD and VLV today. Did you ever resolve this? If so, what route did you go?

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