Setup 2nd FOG Server

[Avaryan]

The site that I am at is running revision 5837 (pre 1.3.0 release). I would like to setup a second box so that I can test things with the newer versions as they come out.

This will be on the same network as the other server.

I had a 1.3.5 server running briefly (Ubuntu 16.04), but I couldn’t get it to do much. DNS is setup to point to the main server, but I could use the advanced menu to manually boot to my test server.

I was able to register new devices, and they would show up from the browser on the test server, but when I’d boot to FOG it would say it wasn’t registered. Was not able to capture or deploy images to devices from test server.

What am I doing wrong? Or is it not possible to have 2 servers running?

[Wayne Workman]

You can have two fog servers on the same subnet - this is fine.

Likely, the problem is with DHCP option 066. When you want to test the new server, you need to flip option 066 to the new server’s IP address. When you’re done, you need to put it back to the old server’s IP address.

If you don’t want to do that - you can accomplish the same thing by creating a DHCP reservation that has option 066 set for just a couple test boxes that point to the new server.

Also, here’s a related article for future readers:
https://wiki.fogproject.org/wiki/index.php?title=Migrate_FOG

[Obi-Jon]

Agreed that option 66 is the issue here.

Another way you could set up a test server may be to set up a test subnet and place the server there. Then, you could set up multiple subnets on one switch in your testing lab and simply plug your clients into one port or another to change which subnet it connects to. Option 66/67 can be set separately for each subnet (subnet options override server options in DHCP).

Hmm, I may try this myself. I already have a switch in my office that is programmed with ports for every subnet we have. Quite useful.

[Avaryan]

Sadly, I don’t have access to DHCP. Maybe I can setup some kind of closed network in my office.

[Wayne Workman]

@Avaryan I would suggest you request that a DHCP reservation be made for the system you want to test capture of - and the reservation have Option 066 set to the new fog server’s IP address. This takes about 20 seconds to do - most of that is spent waiting for RDP to open and for the DHCP gui to load.

Else, yeah make your own network, sure. Do it at home even.

[Avaryan]

@Wayne-Workman Is it possible to have Option 66 configured for a single port on a switch?

[Tom Elliott]

@Avaryan Option 66 just defines WHERE systems pxe booting will look to get their files.
Option 67 just defines what file to request.

Of course you can specify what port of a switch this can go through, though I don’t know that we’d be able to help you in doing such a thing.

[Avaryan]

I’ve had another vlan provisioned with Options 66 and 67 set to point to the test server. I have 2 ports on my switch mapped to the new vlan.

[Junkhacker]

unless you’re specifically testing the ipxe boot file, you can just set up a line in the default.ipxe file like this

:bootme
# redirected to dev server for test environments
##test-computer 
iseq ${serial} F8HLK02 && chain http://test-server/fog/service/ipxe/boot.php##params ||

# normal fog server
chain http://normal-fogserver/fog/service/ipxe/boot.php##params