Network Install via PXE and TFTP on RHEL6 (X86_64)
This is a step by step on how I deployed Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 via PXE and HTTP leveraging exclusively RHEL6.1, my focus will be on the PXE/TFTP-DHCP part as the HTTP based installation is well documented by Red Hat. In terms of hardware I had available 2 DELL Precision 5400 (2 NICs per machine), and an HP Procurve 2824 Switch (yes overkill).
RHEL 6 (X86_64) and Nvidia driver with Geforce 8800 GTS
As I'm preparing for the Red Hat System Administrator certification I thought I would use my old gaming PC so I got an Academic license and installed RHEL6 so I could tinker at home...Oh boy...So far most of the pain has come from issues with my GeForce 8800GTS, or at least that's what I've gathered from the many steps I've been through to get X window and KDE to work.
I'm totally fine with runlevel 3 but a hanging "init 5" was not a satisfactory install and so I spent 2 evenings "google fu'ing" to finally get successfully to runlevel 5.
Teach Yourself Python
I originally became interested in Python via Google folks public communications, after that I kept reading about it in many "Systems Oriented" blogs. Long story short I decided to learn Python and in agreement with my autodidactic nature I started the free resource hunting while puting my google-fu to work, here's what I found.
Extend Your Server With The DELL C410X
In December 2010 I was at the Stanford HPC Conference where I took a glance at Certainty, it was there that I first heard of the Dell C410X Since then I've gathered as much information as possible on that device, and I thought to assemble it here.
Be Zen, Be Presentation Zen…
One more conference and once again I feel like shouting "PLEASE STOP THE BULLET ATTACK". If you are reading this you probably have already presented and you will be put in the seat of the presenter again; when that day comes please remember all the useless powerpoint bullets you never read as part of the audience.
I'm not asking we all suddenly becomes "Duarte Gods Of Presentation" but please, watch Garr Reynold speaking at Google and you will see the world of presentation differently, for the better!
Insights from LISA’2010
Last week I attended Usenix-Large Installation System Administration 2010 and it certainly deserves a post.
First of all if you are into Systems and you can make it, don't miss this event! From PetaBytes storage hard core technics to performance tuning your *nix boxes, there are lots of high quality data for lots of folks from many different backgrounds.
Resources For Systems Architecture In An Apple Environment
I have been quite busy with my new job the past few months, but I hope to be back to a more active blogging starting with this post!
Since I've recently designed and implemented an HPC/HA system with mostly Apple technologies I thought to share some of the resources I used to achieve that goal.
Hats Off
With increasing general interest in “Cyber Security” I feel compelled to write about this Black/Grey/White Hat “thing”. This is not an ego trip about how important my opinion is, it’s about curiosity, experimentation and facts, 3 concepts essentials to Science...Bingo!
Automating Os X Server Backups Without 3rd Party Software
There are plenty of different options to backup Os X Server, including free tools like the excellent Mike Bombich’s Carbon Copy Cloner and Open Source ones like lbackup or amanda. Michael Dhaliwal has a pretty good paper that he updates and publishes on his company (i.e. district13 computing) website.
For various reasons not worth listing here I decided to come with my own design while relying exclusively on built in tools (e.g. launchd). I thought this might help other OS X Server Admins so here it is.
Maximizing Os X Server Uptime
This is the first of 3 posts about the design I have implemented in my current position. Please note if you plan to use this as a reference that this setup was strictly meant for this particular environment so you *will* have to adapt it.
When it comes to uptime one of the way to go is to look at your design from Murphy’s perspective and come with the appropriate counter measure (e.g N+1 redundancy) for each different issue your can think of.
Here is my approach for an X Serve running Open Directory and AFP with a Vtrak Promise for User Data.
Categories
Tags
Tagnetic Poetry by Roy Tanck and Merel Zwart requires Flash Player 9 or better.
My Delicious
Blogs I Read
- All Commands
- Amazon Web Services Blog
- Cloud Scaling
- Danger Room @ Wired
- IT @ Slash Dot
- Linux @ SlashDot
- Mac Os X Hints
- Open Source @ Ars Technica
- Presentation Zen
- Robots.net
- Stay Safe Online
- Threat Level @ Wired
- Transnets (in French)
Books
Planned books:
None
Current books:
-
An Introduction to Information Theory: Symbols, Signals and Noise by John R. Pierce
-
RHCSA/RHCE Red Hat Linux Certification Study Guide (Exams EX200 by Michael Jang
Recent books:
- Cybernetics, Second Edition: or the Control and Communication in the Animal and the Machine by Norbert Wiener
- The Cuckoo’s Egg: Tracking a Spy Through the Maze of Computer Espionage by Clifford Stoll
- Apple Training Series: Xsan 2 Administration: A Guide to Designing, Deploying, and Maintaining Xsan by Robert Kite
- Snow Crash (Bantam Spectra Book) by Neal Stephenson
- The Code Book: The Science of Secrecy from Ancient Egypt to Quantum Cryptography by Simon Singh
