Duplicating disk content on several workstations

[vincent denot]

Hi,

My question is the following:
What is the fastest way to duplicate the same content on several workstations for the following scenarii:
1-All workstations are identical (same model)
2-The memory size differs
3-The memory + graphic card differ
4-The model differ (B2600 versus C3700)

Cold install works but is time consuming.
Shall I use a master hard disk? Use ignite?
Thanks

[Pete Randall]

Sounds like an Ignite server so you could install several machines at once across the network would be the ideal solution. Otherwise, if you can't setup an Igniter server, and Ignite recovery tape would work.


Pete

[A. Clay Stephenson · Accepted solution]

Your best option is to create a set of "Golden Images" that correspond to the machines that are sufficiently similar.
(Same model, very similar hardware, same aplications and patches.) You then keep these "Golden Machines" as up to date as you like and use them to make additional Golden Images to push down to its siblings as needed.

Obviously, if machines are identical except for memory, your "Golden Image" should be tuned to at least run on the least box. You might then need to retune the other boxes in that set for better performance but that's one kernel build.

You will need to dedicate a box as an Ignite Server. Download and review the IgniteUX documentation from
docs.hp.com. You will spend a few days "on the front-end" learning to use Ignite well but the time spent will repay itself many times over.

Typically, you can Ignite a workstation, including applications and patches, in about half an hour -- and multiple Ignites can be done simultaneously. IgniteUX is one of the best tools in the business for this task.

[Michael Steele_2]

As Pete suggested this is an ignite issue. I prefer an ignite tape myself but nowadays HP is shipping without tape drives making an ignite server more popular.

I don't like ignite servers. There is extra administrative overhead involved.

Review these links to help understand my decision to stay with tapes and the ignite clone process.

This is a link for boot helper usage over a remote subnet:

http://docs.hp.com/cgi-bin/fsearch/framedisplay?top=/hpux/onlinedocs/B2355-90767/B2355-90767_top.html&con=/hpux/onlinedocs/B2355-90767/00/00/78-con.html&toc=/hpux/onlinedocs/B2355-90767/00/00/78-toc.html&searchterms=server%7cboot%7chelper%7cignite&queryid=20030314-092817

This is a link about HW issues for a network server:

http://forums.itrc.hp.com/cm/QuestionAnswer/1,,0xe2ae854994d9d4118fef0090279cd0f9,00.html

This is Link about identical NICS being needed on both an ignite server and install client:

http://forums.itrc.hp.com/cm/QuestionAnswer/1,,0xebe5cdec06f1d61190050090279cd0f9,00.html

Finally, this is a link for ignite cloning. Its one of many. I recommend you do you own search as well on the Ignite Clone procedure:

http://forums.itrc.hp.com/cm/QuestionAnswer/1,,0x4d42ec08252fd611abd50090277a778c,00.html

[Sandip Ghosh]

As described by Mr. Clay, create some CD with the appropriate golden Image and boot it from that and start the installation. It will be enough if you create the Ignite Golden Image based on the model, like one will be for B class, one will be for C class and so on.

But now workstations are also coming without CD Rom and Tape Drive. In those cases you have to do it through ignite Server.

Sandip