Hey there,
A great product I use for quick duplication of PC setups is called =
GHOST.
http://www.symante=
c.com/sabu/ghost/index.html
Trial Copy of Ghost:
http://shop.symantec.com=
/cgi-bin/trialware/Core/Core.pl?SECTION=3DNorton+Ghost&subsite=3Dna&a=
mp;MODE=3D1&KDATA=3DKKKK
If you have questions, Ghost Knowledge Base:
http://w=
ww.symantec.com/techsupp/ghost/kbase_ghost.html=20
Ghost builds a compressed image of a Hard Drive, sector by sector, at =
very=20
fast speeds.
The compression doesn't work for Unix / Linux though...this will slow =
you=20
down a bit - maybe all of you guys and gals could e-mail Norton and ask =
them to=20
work on the compression for Linux!!! [PLEASE!]
PC builds in a few Simple steps:
1. You create one Node, then shutdown,
2. Reboot with a Network DOS disk,
3. Run ghost to copy the whole hard drive into a compressed =
file,=20
Done!
To use the new Ghost drive image:
1. Get a node with the SAME hardware configuration as the first =
node,
2. Boot with the network DOS disk,
3. Run ghost to copy Down the whole hard drive, just one PC or=20
multicast to many PCs at once.
4. Boot each new Node and reconfigure IP address, name, etc =
other=20
unique items as needed.
Very Fast, Very easy.
I currently use it in plain old office configurations, saving hours =
of time=20
for each PC.
Currently, I can install a (end user) Windows NT, Office Pro, =
Netscape, and=20
several supporting Mainframe utilities in about 4:40 (minutes, seconds) =
- it=20
seems faster than the first reboot of NT (zzzz - slow - zzzz)
So I thought, hey, could this be helpful for beowulf nodes?
I asked the question: Can I use Ghost for Linux?
And this is the Official answer from Symantec:
----------------------------------------------------------------------=
-----------------------------
GHOST will copy or transfer most derivitives of UNIX, such as Linux, =
on a=20
sector-by-sector copy basis. For this purpose, you would not have the =
option of=20
compression when creating an image file that contains a Linux partition, =
nor=20
would GHOST allow you to resize the Linux partition/drive onto a new =
larger or=20
smaller drive. [use same hardware config for each node]The destination =
drive=20
would have to be the same size or larger, and when transfering to a =
larger=20
drive, the Linux partition would be the same size on the destination as =
it was=20
on the original.
However, if the source drive also has a partition that is formatted =
as=20
FAT16/32, then GHOST would transfer the Linux partition as its original =
size,=20
but then have the option of resizing the FAT partition(s) to fit the =
newer,=20
larger drive.
For sector-by-sector copies, there are three related switches to be =
used when=20
starting GHOST, or in GHOST command lines:
-IA =3D tells GHOST to do a sector by sector copy of the disk =
area
-IB =3D tells GHOST to do a sector by sector copy of the boot track =
ONLY (good=20
for boot managers)
-ID =3D Tells GHOST to do a sector by sector copy of the disk area =
AND the boot=20
track (-IA + -IB, in effect)
There are further explanations in the WHATSNEW.TXT and SWITCHES.TXT =
file for=20
these switches and other GHOST switches.
----------------------------------------------------------------------=
---------------------------
Anyway, I have found this VERY useful, and have used it at various =
locations=20
for dozens upon dozens of PCs.
Each configuration is exactly the same, and if a hard drive blows, =
just drop=20
in a new drive and ghost down a new image onto it.... (there are =
other=20
products that can do the same thing, but Ghost works the best and =
fastest for=20
me.)
I am just learning Beowulf so I add in what I can, so...
Please let me know if you try Ghost and find it helpful!
- Christopher Snyder, University of Pittsburgh, PA , USA