host more DRBL Linux distribution on one DRBL (physical) server HOWTO?

[Csaba Ragany]

Hi everybody!

I'm new in DRBL and in Linux and here in the list (and sorry for my not good English...).

My question is that it is possible to have (store, manage...) only one DRBL physical server, but on it, host more DRBL Linux distribution?

My idea is install for example a CentOS, an OpenSUSE and a Xubuntu on separate machines (or maybe on the same machine but in different times seperating them totally from each other to have only one Linux distribution on the machine on one time), and on each machine, install DRBL and run drblsrv -i and drblpush -i, using of course the same configurations like dns domain name, ethernet interface names (eth<x>) and (DRBL machine) MAC addresses, the same clients and so on. Doing os, on every machine has created the appropriate folders under '/tftpboot/' ('/nbi_img', '/node_root' and '/nodes').

1) Then copy the Xubuntu and OpenSUSE '/node_root' folders to the primary (and in the future, the only) DRBL server (let it be the CentOS), of coure naming them as '/node_root_opensuse' and '/node_root_xubuntu'.

2) From the OpenSUSE and Xubuntu '/nbi_img' folders, copy only the used kernels to CentOS '/nbi_img' folder (so not the hole folder) and in CentOS, create the appropriate symbolic links to this kernels named the symbolic link as 'vmlinuz-pxe-xubuntu' (and opensuse) and the kernel as 'vmlinuz-<a.b.c..>-xubuntu (and opensuse) and do so with the other kernel where the symbolic link is 'initrd-pxe-xubuntu.img' (opensuse) and the kernel is 'initrd-pxe-<a.b.c...>-xubuntu.img' (opensuse). So, on CentOS, there is one '/nbi_img' folder with the several kernels and symbolic links, one '/nodes' folder with the clients IP-named subfolders which were created by DRBL running on CentOS (so the Xubuntu and OpenSUSE '/nodes' folders are not copied to CentOS), and several '/node_root_<distribution name>' folders.

3) Then I configure the '/tftpboot/nbi_img/pxelinux.cfg/default' file to let the DRBL clients "DRBL-boot-pane" having not only the default options (like Memory test using Memtest86+, Local operating system if available and the default, in my case the CentOS DRBL Linux), but the Xubuntu DRBL Linux and the OpenSUSE DRBL Linux too.

So in the test environment, there is only one DRBL server, with one (DRBL) DHCP.

Doing so, my DRBL clients get theirs IP addresses from the CentOS (DRBL) DHCP (DRBL offers the same IP to same MAC addresses every time), and then the DRBL-boot-pane appears with my new DRBL Linux distributions. Choosing the default options, like CentOS DRBL Linux, everything goes well. But choosing for example Xubuntu DRBL Linux, the client loads the two good, Xubuntu specific kernel (that I copied from Xubuntu '/nbi_img' to CentOS '/nbi_img'), but - of course -, the CentOS (default) DRBL Linux is loaded to the clients.

In '/opt/drbl/conf/drbl.conf' file, there is a setting about the 'drbl_common_root' (="/tftpboot/node_root"). I think, the problem is, that it is static, and I can not set the appropriate '/node_root_<distribution name>' anywhere. I did a test setting this to 'drbl_common_root="/tftpboot/node_root_xubuntu"', but nothing happened, the CentOS DRBL Linux loaded in the client (even when I restarted all DRBL services). But if I rename the '/tftpboot/nbi_img/pxelinux.cfg/default' file, of course problem occures.

So that's it all :) I want only one DRBL server (better to say a cluster in the future) to host more, different DRBL Linux distributions. Is it possbile? And if, how? I would be very glad to get a very detailed howto :)

Very-very thanks for reply!


Regards: Csaba


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[Steven Shiau]

Hi Csaba,

Csaba Ragany wrote:
> Hi everybody!
>
> I'm new in DRBL and in Linux and here in the list (and sorry for my
> not good English...).
>
> My question is that it is possible to have (store, manage...) only one
> DRBL physical server, but on it, host more DRBL Linux distribution?
Not really. If you mean the NFS-based client, no. The drbl client only
runs the same GNU/Linux as that on your server. This is the function now
DRBL supports. Of course, you can manually make it by use the same idea
which DRBL uses.
BTW, there is an AoE booting function on DRBL, maybe you can check it:
http://drbl.sourceforge.net/one4all/drbl-sanboot.php

Regards,
Steven.

>
> My idea is install for example a CentOS, an OpenSUSE and a Xubuntu on
> separate machines (or maybe on the same machine but in different times
> seperating them totally from each other to have only one Linux
> distribution on the machine on one time), and on each machine, install
> DRBL and run drblsrv -i and drblpush -i, using of course the same
> configurations like dns domain name, ethernet interface names (eth<x>)
> and (DRBL machine) MAC addresses, the same clients and so on. Doing
> os, on every machine has created the appropriate folders under
> '/tftpboot/' ('/nbi_img', '/node_root' and '/nodes').
>
> 1) Then copy the Xubuntu and OpenSUSE '/node_root' folders to the
> primary (and in the future, the only) DRBL server (let it be the
> CentOS), of coure naming them as '/node_root_opensuse' and
> '/node_root_xubuntu'.
>
> 2) From the OpenSUSE and Xubuntu '/nbi_img' folders, copy only the
> used kernels to CentOS '/nbi_img' folder (so not the hole folder) and
> in CentOS, create the appropriate symbolic links to this kernels named
> the symbolic link as 'vmlinuz-pxe-xubuntu' (and opensuse) and the
> kernel as 'vmlinuz-<a.b.c..>-xubuntu (and opensuse) and do so with the
> other kernel where the symbolic link is 'initrd-pxe-xubuntu.img'
> (opensuse) and the kernel is 'initrd-pxe-<a.b.c...>-xubuntu.img'
> (opensuse). So, on CentOS, there is one '/nbi_img' folder with the
> several kernels and symbolic links, one '/nodes' folder with the
> clients IP-named subfolders which were created by DRBL running on
> CentOS (so the Xubuntu and OpenSUSE '/nodes' folders are not copied to
> CentOS), and several '/node_root_<distribution name>' folders.
>
> 3) Then I configure the '/tftpboot/nbi_img/pxelinux.cfg/default' file
> to let the DRBL clients "DRBL-boot-pane" having not only the default
> options (like Memory test using Memtest86+, Local operating system if
> available and the default, in my case the CentOS DRBL Linux), but the
> Xubuntu DRBL Linux and the OpenSUSE DRBL Linux too.
>
> So in the test environment, there is only one DRBL server, with one
> (DRBL) DHCP.
>
> Doing so, my DRBL clients get theirs IP addresses from the CentOS
> (DRBL) DHCP (DRBL offers the same IP to same MAC addresses every
> time), and then the DRBL-boot-pane appears with my new DRBL Linux
> distributions. Choosing the default options, like CentOS DRBL Linux,
> everything goes well. But choosing for example Xubuntu DRBL Linux, the
> client loads the two good, Xubuntu specific kernel (that I copied from
> Xubuntu '/nbi_img' to CentOS '/nbi_img'), but - of course -, the
> CentOS (default) DRBL Linux is loaded to the clients.
>
> In '/opt/drbl/conf/drbl.conf' file, there is a setting about the
> 'drbl_common_root' (="/tftpboot/node_root"). I think, the problem is,
> that it is static, and I can not set the appropriate
> '/node_root_<distribution name>' anywhere. I did a test setting this
> to 'drbl_common_root="/tftpboot/node_root_xubuntu"', but nothing
> happened, the CentOS DRBL Linux loaded in the client (even when I
> restarted all DRBL services). But if I rename the
> '/tftpboot/nbi_img/pxelinux.cfg/default' file, of course problem occures.
>
> So that's it all :) I want only one DRBL server (better to say a
> cluster in the future) to host more, different DRBL Linux
> distributions. Is it possbile? And if, how? I would be very glad to
> get a very detailed howto :)
>
> Very-very thanks for reply!
>
>
> Regards: Csaba
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Register Now & Save for Velocity, the Web Performance & Operations
> Conference from O'Reilly Media. Velocity features a full day of
> expert-led, hands-on workshops and two days of sessions from industry
> leaders in dedicated Performance & Operations tracks. Use code vel09scf
> and Save an extra 15% before 5/3. http://p.sf.net/sfu/velocityconf
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
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> Drbl-user@...
> https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/drbl-user
>  

--
Steven Shiau <steven _at_ nchc org tw> <steven _at_ stevenshiau org>
National Center for High-performance Computing, Taiwan.
http://www.nchc.org.tw
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[Jazz Yao-Tsung Wang]

Hi Csaba,

I had thought about it recently.
I have two possible method to implement this:

(1) use chroot and debootstrap / rpmstrap to create different basic environment
     of different linux distribution.

(2) use virtualization technologies, such as Xen, VMWare, KVM, etc.

The key problem to hosting different distribution in one machine is
how to provide
"single" DHCP server with multiple TFTP and NFSROOT.

To solve the network problem, the simplest way is to use multiple NICs and split
them into different swtich.

Anyway, just my two cents. I'll give chroot and VM a shoot in our classroom.
We have three NICs in one machine but need to manage two classroom.
Will get back to you if I did further test on this issue.

Jazz

On Thu, Apr 23, 2009 at 6:39 PM, Csaba Ragany <ragesz@...> wrote:

> Hi everybody!
>
> I'm new in DRBL and in Linux and here in the list (and sorry for my not good
> English...).
>
> My question is that it is possible to have (store, manage...) only one DRBL
> physical server, but on it, host more DRBL Linux distribution?
>
> My idea is install for example a CentOS, an OpenSUSE and a Xubuntu on
> separate machines (or maybe on the same machine but in different times
> seperating them totally from each other to have only one Linux distribution
> on the machine on one time), and on each machine, install DRBL and run
> drblsrv -i and drblpush -i, using of course the same configurations like dns
> domain name, ethernet interface names (eth<x>) and (DRBL machine) MAC
> addresses, the same clients and so on. Doing os, on every machine has
> created the appropriate folders under '/tftpboot/' ('/nbi_img', '/node_root'
> and '/nodes').
>
> 1) Then copy the Xubuntu and OpenSUSE '/node_root' folders to the primary
> (and in the future, the only) DRBL server (let it be the CentOS), of coure
> naming them as '/node_root_opensuse' and '/node_root_xubuntu'.
>
> 2) From the OpenSUSE and Xubuntu '/nbi_img' folders, copy only the used
> kernels to CentOS '/nbi_img' folder (so not the hole folder) and in CentOS,
> create the appropriate symbolic links to this kernels named the symbolic
> link as 'vmlinuz-pxe-xubuntu' (and opensuse) and the kernel as
> 'vmlinuz-<a.b.c..>-xubuntu (and opensuse) and do so with the other kernel
> where the symbolic link is 'initrd-pxe-xubuntu.img' (opensuse) and the
> kernel is 'initrd-pxe-<a.b.c...>-xubuntu.img' (opensuse). So, on CentOS,
> there is one '/nbi_img' folder with the several kernels and symbolic links,
> one '/nodes' folder with the clients IP-named subfolders which were created
> by DRBL running on CentOS (so the Xubuntu and OpenSUSE '/nodes' folders are
> not copied to CentOS), and several '/node_root_<distribution name>' folders.
>
> 3) Then I configure the '/tftpboot/nbi_img/pxelinux.cfg/default' file to let
> the DRBL clients "DRBL-boot-pane" having not only the default options (like
> Memory test using Memtest86+, Local operating system if available and the
> default, in my case the CentOS DRBL Linux), but the Xubuntu DRBL Linux and
> the OpenSUSE DRBL Linux too.
>
> So in the test environment, there is only one DRBL server, with one (DRBL)
> DHCP.
>
> Doing so, my DRBL clients get theirs IP addresses from the CentOS (DRBL)
> DHCP (DRBL offers the same IP to same MAC addresses every time), and then
> the DRBL-boot-pane appears with my new DRBL Linux distributions. Choosing
> the default options, like CentOS DRBL Linux, everything goes well. But
> choosing for example Xubuntu DRBL Linux, the client loads the two good,
> Xubuntu specific kernel (that I copied from Xubuntu '/nbi_img' to CentOS
> '/nbi_img'), but - of course -, the CentOS (default) DRBL Linux is loaded to
> the clients.
>
> In '/opt/drbl/conf/drbl.conf' file, there is a setting about the
> 'drbl_common_root' (="/tftpboot/node_root"). I think, the problem is, that
> it is static, and I can not set the appropriate '/node_root_<distribution
> name>' anywhere. I did a test setting this to
> 'drbl_common_root="/tftpboot/node_root_xubuntu"', but nothing happened, the
> CentOS DRBL Linux loaded in the client (even when I restarted all DRBL
> services). But if I rename the '/tftpboot/nbi_img/pxelinux.cfg/default'
> file, of course problem occures.
>
> So that's it all :) I want only one DRBL server (better to say a cluster in
> the future) to host more, different DRBL Linux distributions. Is it
> possbile? And if, how? I would be very glad to get a very detailed howto :)
>
> Very-very thanks for reply!
>
>
> Regards: Csaba
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Register Now & Save for Velocity, the Web Performance & Operations
> Conference from O'Reilly Media. Velocity features a full day of
> expert-led, hands-on workshops and two days of sessions from industry
> leaders in dedicated Performance & Operations tracks. Use code vel09scf
> and Save an extra 15% before 5/3. http://p.sf.net/sfu/velocityconf
> _______________________________________________
> Drbl-user mailing list
> Drbl-user@...
> https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/drbl-user
>
>

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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expert-led, hands-on workshops and two days of sessions from industry
leaders in dedicated Performance & Operations tracks. Use code vel09scf
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