Latest Development FOG
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SVN 2515 released.
This release, and a couple before it, has some major changes.
First note, All nodes will need to, once again, be at least at this same level for things to function properly. Why? (let me get to it :D)
Images used to store Storage Group ID directly with them. While this functions, it also only allowed one Group to “have” the image. When it comes to replication of images, it would only distribute the image to any node within the same grouping. This is kind of ill fated I think. Basically, to get the image to other nodes in other groups, you had to rsync or ftp the file to all of the nodes within the other group for things to kind of work. What my adjustments now allow:
You can assign multiple storage groups to an image. This is useful in the case:
Lets say you have images a, b, and c on storage group 1.
Also, lets say you have images d, e, and f on storage group 2.
Now lets say you want image a to be on both storage groups 1 and 2:
This new functionality allows it. The service FOGImageReplicator has been coded to allow for this as well.
I think this would be especially useful with the location plugin, but also just in general with a kind of backup/redundancy plan internalized.
This also adds the imageID to the Tasking rather than always relying on the Host to have an image id specified. While the basic construct of the Host still kind of requires the image be set, it really should’ve been just a “reference” point, not a primary indicator. This, in my eyes, is far more functional and usable. Moving the tasking to allow the imageID parameter actually will allow us much more customization of image setting. Meaning, i can essentially get quick imaging to allow you to choose what image to use and get all the proper information. When a tasking is created, the image that’s set for the Host will be set in the tasking. This seems like it’s still the same, but it isn’t. I can temporarily assign other image id’s to the host which then gets translated to the tasking. By pulling the image from the tasking, I can always ensure the task setup for the host is always correct for the situation. For example: Multicast Session Joining.
I know this is a lot of information, but I needed to get the info out there.
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Awesome work Tom. Just installed 2517 looking forward to testing it today. See all my hard work beta testing this stuff for you guys is paying off LOL ! 1.3 is going to be an awesome release.
Had a thought… Under the kernel section. There should be an area on there that says the current kernel you have installed.
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Tom,
Can we add Drive Fitness test to IPXE menu ?
You have already memtest 86 on there already but we really need hard drive test software. If you know of a better open source hd test program please deft put It on there.
Or maybe just have the top manufactures testing tools on there.
So when you click on the HD Test it brings up 3 options.
WD [url]http://support.wdc.com/product/download.asp?groupid=606&sid=2&lang=en[/url]
Seagate [url]http://www.seagate.com/support/downloads/seatools/[/url]
IBM Hitachi [URL=‘http://www.hgst.com/support/downloads/legacy-downloads’][U][COLOR=#0066cc]http://www.hgst.com/support/downloads/legacy-downloads[/COLOR][/U][/URL] -
Tom, This may not be the place for this but…
If not please move this comment where it may need to reside. thank you.I have noticed, Fog has many usable functions. the one thing I have noticed is simple but i do not understand if its complicated to add.
In the PXE menu when you register a host for the first time, i know its red in the banner or green for registered.
what are the chances of actually adding the PC and then if no image found by name allowing the user to create one then and there and then to allow the option to upload it from there instead of having to create the image placeholder on the server first? Thus streamlining the uploading process and allowing on the fly image creation of modified systems and OEM images for new systems all from the boot menu options.
again i dont know how complicated that would be to add those features but it would make my life with the ever constantly changing pc’s LENOVO provides our facility (since they are hell bent on changing their hardware every 2 months ) -
just a reminder that there is a specific place for feature requests
[url]http://fogproject.org/forum/forums/feature-request.11/[/url] -
[quote=“Bill Rice, post: 38499, member: 927”]Tom, This may not be the place for this but…
If not please move this comment where it may need to reside. thank you.I have noticed, Fog has many usable functions. the one thing I have noticed is simple but i do not understand if its complicated to add.
In the PXE menu when you register a host for the first time, i know its red in the banner or green for registered.
what are the chances of actually adding the PC and then if no image found by name allowing the user to create one then and there and then to allow the option to upload it from there instead of having to create the image placeholder on the server first? Thus streamlining the uploading process and allowing on the fly image creation of modified systems and OEM images for new systems all from the boot menu options.
again i dont know how complicated that would be to add those features but it would make my life with the ever constantly changing pc’s LENOVO provides our facility (since they are hell bent on changing their hardware every 2 months )[/quote]When we decided to move to ipxe, we knew this would come up and was a potential candidate to register systems. The reason we didn’t is while iPXE and even good old pxe can recognize hardware and systems, the OS layer (bzImage/init.xz) does not necessarily have the same level of detection. At the BIOS level (where ipxe and pxe operate) it has access to the bios information which is what’s presented. Part of why we see some issues with ipxe booting altogether is because drivers are a whole separate animal. The OS layer uses more information to determine the best flow for the workload that the system is being presented.
Simply put, the reason we don’t register systems from iPXE is simply to ensure a system is compatible the whole way through. If a system cannot be registered in OS layer, you can’t image. This is why we register at the OS level rather than through iPXE.
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[quote=“Ray Zuchowski, post: 38494, member: 24449”]Tom,
Can we add Drive Fitness test to IPXE menu ?
You have already memtest 86 on there already but we really need hard drive test software. If you know of a better open source hd test program please deft put It on there.
Or maybe just have the top manufactures testing tools on there.
So when you click on the HD Test it brings up 3 options.
WD [url]http://support.wdc.com/product/download.asp?groupid=606&sid=2&lang=en[/url]
Seagate [url]http://www.seagate.com/support/downloads/seatools/[/url]
IBM Hitachi [URL=‘http://www.hgst.com/support/downloads/legacy-downloads’][U][COLOR=#0066cc]http://www.hgst.com/support/downloads/legacy-downloads[/COLOR][/U][/URL][/quote]I’m not going to add it, and as you’re on svn versions, you can actually add your own custom menus.
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I know I can add it I’m just saying, it would be nice to have that in a final release of 1.3. You came this far on making huge changes from 1.2 just would put the icing on the cake . You could even pull a Microsoft and skip over a version and call it 1.4 . LOL
Trying to help you guys out here because I think what you are doing is awesome from an open source perspective and providing schools that have no money with a solution that is free. I’m a big advocate for this project and promote the use of your product to other schools and businesses . Hence why I have been taking time out of my day to give you found bug reports and suggestions on your SVN releases. More then likely next year I might want to incorporate your product into a few seminars ill be conducting on ways of creating a 1 to 1 district by saving money with open source solutions. No doubt in my mind the installations of your product will be on a lot more sites.
So be that as it may I will just add the menus myself once the final build of 1.3 is released. Keep up the good work.
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I’m not trying to shun suggestions or ideas, it it’s for things such as this I created the menu customization as dynamic as I could.
Plus, on an upside, if you create the items and make it successful, report back how, we have a kind of documentation. If I just do everything that people ask, why even have the customization stuff available?
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[quote=“Tom Elliott, post: 38512, member: 7271”]When we decided to move to ipxe, we knew this would come up and was a potential candidate to register systems. The reason we didn’t is while iPXE and even good old pxe can recognize hardware and systems, the OS layer (bzImage/init.xz) does not necessarily have the same level of detection. At the BIOS level (where ipxe and pxe operate) it has access to the bios information which is what’s presented. Part of why we see some issues with ipxe booting altogether is because drivers are a whole separate animal. The OS layer uses more information to determine the best flow for the workload that the system is being presented.
Simply put, the reason we don’t register systems from iPXE is simply to ensure a system is compatible the whole way through. If a system cannot be registered in OS layer, you can’t image. This is why we register at the OS level rather than through iPXE.[/quote]
Tom, I’m sorry, maybe i mislead you with my question, let me try to clarify my question.
when we iPXE boot the system, we are presented with the menu of options. if the system was previously registered its green indicating FOG recognizes the system and has it in its database of systems, if its red it shows that this system needs to be registered. Love this feature makes the process of knowing if its associated much faster for the guy on the go.
What I am however asking is more simplistic. I’m asking if when we get to the main menu in iPXE where it provides your options to run memtest, qick image, ETC is it possible to add the option to create (manually via typing in a name) the place holder for the new image about to be sent to the fog server? and then if a name is provided offering up the opportunity to then upload a new image from that machine to store as a deploy able image for fog to use for future deployments.?Im looking to find a way to streamline image creation for the various pc’s we seem to be acquiring from IBM/Lenovo. would like to just be able to walk up boot the pc and then register the pc and then create an image name for it /register it to that pc and then pull the image from said new pc to store in fog to then deploy to units as needed.
This is a similar process to the already provided option of imaging the unit in place when its registered.
I hope i have made my question easier and more to the point. again, thanks for all the hard work this is a life saver for our facility and its been a fun experience to play with.
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[quote=“Tom Elliott, post: 38519, member: 7271”]I’m not trying to shun suggestions or ideas, it it’s for things such as this I created the menu customization as dynamic as I could.
Plus, on an upside, if you create the items and make it successful, report back how, we have a kind of documentation. If I just do everything that people ask, why even have the customization stuff available?[/quote]
Sorry Tom, Just saw this, I wish I had more knowledge about how to customize these options I would gladly dive in and learn about it, i was only asking if it was something that was simply added just like changing the text . I am by no means a programmer and wish I had those skills but i try my best to identify ways to better support our facility and was curious about this process.
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Tom,
In the latest SVN, what php file is storing the settings for custom ipxe boot menu ? When you add a custom menu item basically … what file stores that . Reading through the forums its under advanced but im going through all the code and im not coming across it.
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Its pulled from the database no files.
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Any documentation on adding the new custom IPXE Boot menu ? Just want to link my custom bootmenu item to an .iso.
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there is no documentation, technically the feature isn’t released yet.
the method/syntax is very similar to what is done on the advanced boot menu, however -
Nothing directly but looking at the regular entries can help give an idea of what to do
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So under paremeters whats the easiest way for me to link the .iso in the tftboot folder ?
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you don’t need to link to the tftpboot, nor would I recommend it.
Linking an ISO in the tftpboot would mean you’re attempting to load the iso through tftp protocols. This tftp protocol is limited to 10Mbps (around) transmit rates.
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personally, i create an /iso directory in my web root, and pull my disk images over http
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SVN 2518 released.
I don’t know if it will work, but rather than pulling the entire query into a single variable, I’m using prepared statements which are supposedly unbuffered. Hopefully this will fix the issue of too much memory usage, though I’m suspecting it really won’t help at all. Either way, things seem to work on my side. I don’t have a large enough data set to have issues with this though either.
This release also moves all of the GUI stuff that referenced the location plugin in the source code to purely be based on the plugin. This way the plugin is a real plugin, not something that’s kind of a mix between core and plugin.
