automating server provisioning - linmin · provisioning method 1: mac-independent provisioning...

Deployment & Recoveryof Linux, Windows and ESXi

Physical and Virtual Systems

Laurent Gharda, Founder and CEOwww.LinMin.com

Automating Server Provisioning

2013-3-11 © Copyright 2013 LinMin Corporation - www.linmin.com 2

Audience for this Presentation

Data Center Technical and Business Leaders

System Administrators and Management

NOC Engineers and Management

Technical Support Engineers and Management


Definitions

Bare Metal: disk(s) on a physical system or Virtual Machine

Bare Metal Provisioning: Remote, "native", unattended Operating System installation onto Bare Metal

"Native" and " OS Installation" mean the system hardware is detected and proper drivers are installed "just like from DVD"

System configured and made "Customer Ready"Settings, password, applications, IP Address, etc.

Bare Metal Imaging: Remote, unattended full-disk backup and restore to Bare Metal: rollback to a known-good state


Why Automate System Provisioning?Increase Business Agility & Reduce Elapsed Time, e.g.:

Quickly get 5 to 500 new servers online for a customerLet customers re-provision systems 24x7 with no assistanceRepurpose systems from a prior customer for a new one

Predictability, Quality, RepeatabilityEach system will be exactly like the others (when desired)

Labor costs: no more time wasted building systems by handSys Admins should do skilled, not repetitive work

Scalability: grow your infrastructure w/o headcount growthSys Admins can be located anywhere & service many sites


System Provisioning at a Glance

• OS Media (ISO files)

• OS Role Templates

• IP & MAC Addresses

• Answer Files

• Scripts

• Applications

• Drivers

• Backup Disk Images

• Rescue Systems

Provisioning Server:


LinMin Bare Metal at a GlanceIT Software that Controls the Pre-Operating System Domain

The Time Between Power-On and System Boot

Provisions (remotely installs) the Operating SystemWindows, Linux (and applications, scripts, files) & ESX/ESXiProvisioning by Push (for Production) and Pull (for Sandbox or PC deployments)Deployment of Rescue Systems for troubleshooting, recovery

Images (disk capture and restore of) Windows, Linux

For Physical Systems and Virtual Machines

Managed via GUI (browser) or API (HTTP)


LinMin Controls the Pre-OS Domain:The Time Between Power-On and System Boot

LinMin Server (local or remote)

Data Center Servers

IT Applications• Control Panels

• IT Automation

• Orchestrators

Browser

PXE, TFTP, HTTP, NFS

HTTP via API

LinMin Business Rules upon system power-on:

• Take no action (steady state): boot to disk

• Never Provision (fail safe)

• Provision just once, then switch to "Never"

• Provision every time (e.g., Sandbox)

• Perform full system (disk image) backup

• Perform full system restore ("roll back")

PCs

Optional


LinMin Bare Metal Provisioning in 3 Steps

Repeatability, Accuracy, Continuity in Bare Metal System Deployment

OS:Red Hat®Windows®ESX®/ESXi®Ubuntu®CentOSDebianNovell® SLESFedoraRescue System CD

+PackagesFilesApplicationsConfigurationsScriptsImages

Upload into LinMin: Deploy to Physical and Virtual Machines

Create "Roles" for "Push" &

"Pull"Bare Metal Provisioning

Steps: 1 2 3


Provisioning Method 1:MAC-Independent Provisioning (“Pull”)

Select OS & Profile to install from the client screen (up to 400 choices)MAC-Independent: no server-side setup needed for each clientIdeal for desktop environments and for server sandboxes


MAC-Independent Provisioning Roles Menu:Selections Will Appear on Client Screen


"Pull" Provisioning: 2 Clicks to Create a Windows Server 2008 R2 Provisioning Role

Step 1:Select

Step 2:Done


Provisioning Method 2:MAC-Specific Provisioning (“Pull”)

Gives IT Precise Control Over Each SystemOS, apps, host name, password, IP, time zone, scripts, files

Lets IT Pre-Stage Systems for RepurposingSwitch systems to a dedicated provisioning VLAN then back to the Live/Customer VLAN

Lets IT Decide What Actions a System Takes:LinMin to ignore the system, tell it to boot from local disk (Safe Mode)LinMin to provision each time a system boots to the networkLinMin to provision once, then go to "Safe Mode" (boot from HD)LinMin to deploy Rescue OS to RAM: Ubuntu Live & Clonezilla Live


MAC-Specific ProvisioningStep 1: Create Provisioning Role Templates

Step 1:Select

Step 2:Done!

The form is auto-filledwith path

to kernel & RAM disk,configuration file and

optional kernel parameters


MAC-Specific Provisioning:View All Available Provisioning Templates


MAC-Specific ProvisioningStep 2a: Assign Template to a System


MAC-Specific ProvisioningStep 2b: Assign Unique Settings to System


• Each system will be provisioned with a pre-determined profile (OS/hypervisor, web/app/DB server, workstation)

• Full hardware discovery is performed such that the client systems can have different CPU types, NICs, RAM, discs, etc.

MAC-Specific ProvisioningDashboard: All Systems at a Glance


Deploying Rescue System OSs

For remote repair of systems: deploy to RAM, not to diskLive Ubuntu = Ubuntu + Clonezilla Live (disk imaging)Red Hat/CentOS Live


API: Application Programming InterfaceFor integrating provisioning functionality into IT appsExample: hosting control panel (below), orchestrator, etc.


API: Sample Code Generator Makes it Easy

"Teaching Mode" generates working API code for easy implementation


Disk Imaging


Imaging: Backup, Restore, CloneSystems at a Glance


Imaging: a System Profile

• IT Staff Pre-configures snapshot/rollback profiles through the Browser-based GUI

• Each system will have all its partitions backed up and stored on the network

• Systems can be restored to a fully "known-good" point in time upon IT request

• Since the OS is not running during snapshots, full file/service/database integrity is ensured

• System-Specific (tied to MAC address) "Hardware Specific Backup/Restore" = Snapshot/Rollback

• Can be used to clone systems with identical hardware


Combining Provisioning and Imaging

Provision systems, fully configure them, then:Capture an image for easy rollback or cloning

Customer systems are now in operational use:Capture an image during a maintenance window

About to re-purpose a system?Capture an image first, then provision it. Roll back if needed ("oops, I didn't mean to do that")

Deploying 50 identical systems?Deploy the same image to 50 identical systemsImaging is typically faster than provisioning


Blending Physical & Virtual EnvironmentsProvisions ESX/ESXi on Bare Metal Systems, VMs & Physical Systems

Provisions Physical and Virtual systems with the same RoleCreate, maintain & refine recipes for both physical & virtual systems

Captures Physical Systems and Restores them on Virtual MachinesP2V (Physical to Virtual) Conversion

Images physical systems: ESX/ESXi and its VMs/Guest OSs

Use LinMin to create, fine-tune and test and maintain "that first VM" or "Virtual Golden Image" for each Role

After you create "the Virtual Golden Image" use your native virtualization tools to snapshot, clone and deploy VMs and use LinMin to deploy them to physical systems


Which Approach to Use When?

"Pull": MAC-Independent Provisioning

"Push", MAC-Specific Provisioning

Imaging and Snapshot/Rollback

When many systems have the same OS/App requirements with DHCP IP addressing (Desktops, servers in a sandbox)When client-side users need to be given the choice of working OS & configurations (e.g., built-to-order; employee desktop rollouts)

When deterministic control over selected systems' configuration is needed ("This system will always have this OS/Distro, these applications, this IP address and be configured just so, regardless of its hardware")

When all system OS, Apps, data and system state needs to be restored to a known-good state, or to clone to like systemsWhen Physical Systems need to be converted to run in Virtual Machines


Who Uses LinMin? Partial Customer List


Analyst and Customer Quotes…

"LinMin is doing for the system provisioning space what Henry Ford did to the automobile industry: they introduced a product that works, is reliable and that everybody can afford."

Industry Analyst

"I installed LinMin in just a few minutes and immediately started to provision dozens of Linux blades. LinMin is easy to use and allows me not to have to set foot in my data center. It saves me incredible amounts of time while giving me full control over how each system is provisioned. And with its incredibly low price, LinMin paid for itself in a few days."

Customer


Next Steps

Learn more: http://www.LinMin.com/

Start today: On-line Store

Not sure? Download Trial Version

Online User’s Guide: http://www.linmin.com/help/

automating server provisioning - linmin · provisioning method 1: mac-independent provisioning...

Documents