Need to restore Linux system remotely

Hi Guys,

I am trying to build a setup like WDS (Windows Deployment Service) in a Linux environment.

What I have:

  • A Dell server with good amount of RAM and lots of space. OS is CentOS 6.5.
  • Few 3rd party servers with small amount of RAM and space. These servers have some applications installed and are used for lab purpose. These are destroyed on daily basis and I have to redo the OS on it then install the applications on it. OS is OpenSuse.

What I need:
I want to make a setup where I can simply make an image of the client nodes (3rd party servers) and store on Dell server. After this whenever a client node is destroyed, I can simply restore it (with OS, network configs, application and settings) on the same point as it was at the time of backup.

What I researched:

  • I found Timeshift might be able to do it. But not able to get proper information which can help me achieve the requirement on CentOS and OpenSuse system. I am getting information for Ubuntu and Linux Mint majorly.
  • Rsnapshot, it seems that it only takes minor backups and does not take backup of OS so might not be useful. Timeshift also uses Rnapshot but probably with more features as it can even restore the GRUB. Could be wrong about it.
  • Clonezilla, going to research on it. But it seems that I might need a physical drive to make an image of client nodes and will have to restore it in a same way. Not sure if it can all be done remotely/using network.

In Windows, I used to do it using WDS where I used built one system and install all the required applications on it. Then I used to take a backup image of that system and install that image on all rest of the systems (through network) having identical configuration.

Please let me know if I am missing something.

Thanks

whenever a client node is destroyed

I think this is something you might want to meditate a bit.

From what situation do you want to be able to recover? Destroyed as in “burned out”? Probably not. But to what extend should it still be usable. e.g. when it won’t boot, you can not do much from remote.

Also when it is still running, but you want to restore aan image of your / file system (i do not know exactly what you mean by “Redo the OS”, but this may cover it), you can not realy do that as long as it is mounted. But unmounting it requires a boot from another (partition, live CD/DVD) system. Can you do that remote?

On Tue, 05 Jan 2016 11:06:02 +0000, techlover28 wrote:

> - Clonezilla, going to research on it. But it seems that I might need a
> physical drive to make an image of client nodes and will have to restore
> it in a same way. Not sure if it can all be done remotely/using network.

Clonezilla can do this - I’ve used it that way myself.

Jim


Jim Henderson
openSUSE Forums Administrator
Forum Use Terms & Conditions at http://tinyurl.com/openSUSE-T-C

e.g. when it won’t boot, you can not do much from remote.

I have an RMM module in servers. It might give me access to boot the system remotely (from network).

Also when it is still running, but you want to restore aan image of your / file system (i do not know exactly what you mean by “Redo the OS”, but this may cover it), you can not realy do that as long as it is mounted. But unmounting it requires a boot from another (partition, live CD/DVD) system. Can you do that remote?

By “Redo an OS”, I mean re-installing operating system. I might not be able to boot from another partition or live CD. I have many systems which I will need to restore remotely once they get to a point where they either cannot boot or if booted then none of the applications are working properly on them (this is what I meant by “destroyed” :wink: ). If I choose a live CD way then I might have to put a live CD in all the systems (I have too many systems and I am gonna get few ones which are located in different country). So all I can do is, shut/boot it from remote using an RMM module.

Clonezilla can do this - I’ve used it that way myself.

Do you mean, you have been able to manage everything (back up/restoration of OS with all the applications and settings) remotely from network using Clonezilla?

On Wed, 06 Jan 2016 02:56:01 +0000, techlover28 wrote:

>> Clonezilla can do this - I’ve used it that way myself.
>>
>>
> Do you mean, you have been able to manage everything (back
> up/restoration of OS with all the applications and settings) remotely
> from network using Clonezilla?

I mean you can create image files on a remote network-based filesystem
using Clonezilla.

For automating over the network, in the past I’ve used ZENworks (not a
free/OSS product/project, but part of a Novell desktop management suite)

  • but it probably wouldn’t take a lot of work to put something together
    that ran as a PXE environment that launched Clonezilla. Someone may
    already have done that, even.

That assumes, of course, that you have PXE-capable network cards in your
systems, too.

Jim


Jim Henderson
openSUSE Forums Administrator
Forum Use Terms & Conditions at http://tinyurl.com/openSUSE-T-C

I mean you can create image files on a remote network-based filesystem
using Clonezilla.

For automating over the network, in the past I’ve used ZENworks (not a
free/OSS product/project, but part of a Novell desktop management suite)

  • but it probably wouldn’t take a lot of work to put something together
    that ran as a PXE environment that launched Clonezilla. Someone may
    already have done that, even.

That assumes, of course, that you have PXE-capable network cards in your
systems, too.

Jim

Thank you Jim! I will try to find something similar to ZENworks and make it work.