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oneSuite - a transitional library model for image deployment frameworks

content

For too long the process of Linux deployments on clusters has been riddled with various options and no clear winning solution. In addition, the cumbersome process of diskless (or stateless) deployment is no longer as difficult as it once was. The oneSuite library model intends to explain and present a solution around these two types of image provisioning systems. oneSuite functionality is mapped using two common open source imaging tools: SystemImager? and oneSIS. SystemImager?'s evolution and integration into open and commercial cluster stacks, such as OSCAR and HP's XC product, have made it one of the most proven image deployment frameworks today. It allows an image to exist with configuration management trees known as overrides. Technologies such as multicast and bit-torrent integrated into SystemImager? try to address early scaling issues that were faced.

However as the sizing of clusters now grows to thousands of nodes, OS disk costs now can carry a heavier burden on customer's cost and MTBF requirements. In addition, the SystemImager? push method to update configuration management information causes operational "noise" at scale, even with a well defined multi image server configuration. Initial diskless provisioning solutions were custom and heavily depended on a reliable network. The oneSIS project grew with a general goal of using one image for deployment, and while oneSIS can do local disk deployment, its proven core functionality lies in its diskless deployment method. As network configurations in Linux clusters have grown more reliable, the oneSIS diskless deployment becomes an attractive option for testing and running various development and production images. Challenges in this deployment model demand diskless root servers that are fault tolerant, and oneSIS has met this demand by enabling support for images that run on parallel file systems such as Panasas, Lustre or an NFS/GFS combination. The oneSuite library consists of functions that transition from a local disk deployment into a diskless deployment model. It has been shown that a SystemImager? golden image along with its overrides infrastructure can transform into a oneSIS image. oneSuite could provide the functionality to transition back as well as supporting additional imaging provisioning systems such as SCALI. Future work would allow an image to be transformed into a live-CD that can then be booted via DVD/USB/flash as well the network.

linux world stuff

what attendees will learn

  • Attendees will learn how it is possible to dial in the right imaging technology to meet current and future needs in deployments of linux clustered systems, whether they are related to high performance computing or desktop deployments.

who should attend

  • Linux Administrators that desire to learn and use imaging systems and are looking try a method of stateless conversion without the headache of loosing any previous configuration data based on their current imaging deployment.

draft

For too long the process of linux image deployments on clustered systems has been riddled with a variety of options with no clear winning solution. In addition, the cumbersome process of diskless (or stateless) deployment is no longer as difficuly as it once was. The oneSuite concept is intended to explain and present a solution framework around these two enviornments. The message can easily be described using two common open source imaging tools.

SystemImager?'s evolution and integration into open and commercial cluster stacks, such as OSCAR and HP's XC product have made it one of the most proven and mature image deployment frameworks at present. It allowed a general image to exist with configuration management trees known as overrides. This enables re-use of the framework in deployment of heterogenous systems. Initial experimentation with systemimager in it's earlier days proved reliable for 16 and 64 node systems. The first initial barrier in image deployment came about as a result of a planned systemimager rollout on a 256 node system at the Univerisy of New Mexico. Different technologies such as multicast and bit-torrent have been integrated into systemimager to address these scaling issues. However as the sizing of deployments no grows to thousands of nodes, OS disk costs now can carry heavier burden on customer's procurements. In addition, the push method configuration management to nodes can interrupt normal system operation at scale, even with a well defined multi image server configuration.

Diskless provisioning concepts initially proved to be custom and not easily replicatable. The oneSIS project grew with a general goal of using one system image for any deployment. While oneSIS can do local disk deployment, it's proven core functionaility lies in its diskless depoyment model. As network configurations in clustered systems have grown more reliable, diskless deployment becomes an attractive option for testing and running various development and production images. Challenges in this deployment model calls for OS root servers that are fault tolerant. oneSIS OS root images can run on a parallel root system consisting of panasas, lustre or an nfs/gfs combination.

The initial oneSuite concept describes a functional library that can transition from a localdisk deployment into a diskless deployment model. It has been shown that a systemimager golden image along with it's overrides infrastructure can transform into a oneSIS image. The library describes work needed to trasition back as well. Functions can easily be added to address other imaging technologies such as SCALI. Future work would allow an image to be transformed into a live-CD that can then be deployed via a network ROOT filsystem and DVD/usb/flash media.

notes

p1
image based
    "tweak"
    - push2update
    + local, no net dependencies
diskless
    single point of failure
    + lustre, gfs, nfs load balances
    + ram based
    more control on noot env

p2
Enter (oneSuite) concept
merging of imaging and diskless into stateless framework
    functional transform library to and from diskfull

diskless: netboot control
diskfull: sisuite

address cons

futures
    XC
    Scali
    live CD
    gluster.org
    vm
        vmware,
        xen

other ...
    ks, yast -> develop image
    rocks diskless roll ... understand