From c99d8fcb2147cac6e9f394d37651b8341c71d088 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Nico Schottelius Date: Fri, 29 Apr 2011 22:37:04 +0200 Subject: [PATCH] bootstrap configuration and installation server Signed-off-by: Nico Schottelius --- ...uration-installation-server-bootstrap.mdwn | 73 +++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 73 insertions(+) create mode 100644 blog/configuration-installation-server-bootstrap.mdwn diff --git a/blog/configuration-installation-server-bootstrap.mdwn b/blog/configuration-installation-server-bootstrap.mdwn new file mode 100644 index 00000000..1de822ec --- /dev/null +++ b/blog/configuration-installation-server-bootstrap.mdwn @@ -0,0 +1,73 @@ +[[!meta title="Bootstrapping configuration and installation servers"]] + +## Introduction + +Imagine you can start from beginning in a new environment. There +are no automatic frameworks to install and configure systems +in place. + +## Installation versus Configuration + +We need a system to install machines and one to configure machines. +Although there are systems out there which try to do both at the +same time, the experience is having two specialised tools for this job +is the better choice: Each tool can focus on its own task best. + +Some tools even enforce a reinstallation, if something needs to be +reconfigured, which is a good example why having two tools is the +better choice. + +Seperating the installation from the configuration also allows you +to have the newly setup system minimally configured and adjust it +on demand, wheras having both in the same step would require +to define the use at installation time. + +## Where to start? + +Now the question is, which tool do we install first? The automatic +installation or configuration? +From a logical way on how a system is built, the installation +method should be preferred, because only an installed system can +be configured. But as you can see shortly, this is a bad choice, +as it results in the following steps: + + * Manual installation of a system + * Manual installation of installation tool + * Manual configuration of installation tool + * Automatic installation of a new system for the configuration tool (optional) + * Manual installation of configuration tool + * Manual configuration of the configuration tool + * Automatic configuration of installation and configuration tool possible + +If we change the order, we'll benefit from an automatic infrastructure +earlier: + + * Manual installation of a system + * Manual installation of a configuration tool + * Manual configuration of the configuration tool + * Automatic installation of an installation tool + * Automatic configuration of an installation tool + * Automatic installation of a new system for the configuration or installation tool (optional) + +## Ok, but what to do with these information? + +As you might have watched my recent activites, +I've written a new +[[configuration management tool named cdist|software/cdist]], +started a project to install +[[unix installers named cuni|software/cuni]] and try to +bring together the [[unix community in the u2u project|net/u2u]]. + +The idea described above is the result of an old discussion, but +not having an installation framework at home a current problem. + +## The plan + +As **cdist** is ready to be used in production mode, I plan to write +some **cdist** types to setup installation servers soon. + +Watch this blog for updates, if you want to install a installation +server via configuration management or begin to bootstrap a UNIX +infrastructure. + +[[!tag eth sysadmin unix]]