Why can't DRBL work like ghosts multicasting?
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Hi all,
Like many others I've made the change to clonezilla and have found it terrific. Upto now I've only used clonezilla live and its also been very good. The obvious move now is the clonezilla server which needs drbl.
Like so many others I am bound by internal protocol to have ***ONLY 1 DHCP SERVER*** which is already setup. I work in a school environment and would like to use the clonezilla multicasting feature. Upto now we've been using norton ghost. THere is just no way I can introduce another DHCP server at any level - logistically impossible.
e.g I have to image 5 machines in 3 different labs. A simple clonezilla multicast would be great, but I cannot as I have to introduce another dhcp server and this is just not going to happen.
Herein lies the problem. You can multicast with corporate ghost without any need to worry about a specific dhcp server. Obviously you need one to get an IP address.
e.g With norton ghost you can setup a session name independant of a dhcp server boot up with a cdrom and find the session name, then multicast - and thats it.
Is there any way clients can simply "hook up" to a clonezilla server session via something like the clonezilla live cd and multicast.
THe clonezilla live CD seems to find all nics in our 250+ Windows PC environment.
Unfortunately without seperating the dhcp part of the clonezilla server with multicasting we cannot and probably lots of others too, are going to have headaches getting clonezilla server to work.
We would love dearly to have this feature and would be willing to help contribute to its development. As a school environment we cannot any longer afford the corporate ghost software , plus clonezilla being opensource is something we think is ideally better in a school environment.
Thank you for clonezilla.
Any thoughts would be appreciated.
sam russo
Basically we think clonezilla server edition should leverage the PXE in the client. PXE need dhcp service, that's why.
Definitely, there are solutions. Just not so perfect sometimes.
Here are two solutions for you:
1. Merge the dhcpd settings:
a. Follow the standard installation to setup a DRBL server
b. Stop the dhcp service on it (update-rc.d -f dhcp3-server remove)
c. merge the /etc/dhcp3/dhcpd.conf to your existing dhcp server.
2. Use different port for dhcp:
If you can endure booting your client via floppy/CD, then this is another solution.
We will try to put more details in drbl.sf.net recently. For the time being, you can check this:
http://lists.nchc.org.tw/pipermail/drbl/2007-August/000531.html
If you make it, please write your steps in detail and share that with others.
Thanks in advance.
Steven.
Thanks for replying so quickly Steven,
I really like the idea of solution 2 (because of being locked out of dhcp servers) + I can teach students a solution like this for their use at home and they can keep their adsl modem as the existing dhcp server.
Could you assist me in getting this solution to work so that I can help other schools use a similar solutioin?
I'll work through (http://lists.nchc.org.tw/pipermail/drbl/2007-August/000531.html ) the URL you've given me and I'll get back to you for advice.
Thank you.
BTW does solution 2 have a drbl server with 1 nic or 2 nics?
regards
sam
Sure. Let's make it together.
For solution 2, You setup a DRBL server first, then you can try to modify the dhcp setting so that client can use different port of dhcp.
You can use 1 NIC, but still need 2 IP address (i.e. assign alias IP address to the same NIC).
OK.
Lets say 192.168.1.1-255 is the existing lan IP's
and 10.11.12.1-255 is the alias IP that drbl will work thru
*** Step 1: ***
Is this correct?
# ifconfig eth0:1 10.11.12.1
*** Step 2 ***
"modify the dhcp setting so that client can use different port of dhcp"
How do I do this?
over to you.
thanks
sam
for /etc/dhcp3/dhcpd.conf, I think you have to assign
local-port port;
which is supposed to be 67, you can change to what you want, maybe 1067, i.e.
local-port 67;
and
remote-port port;
which is supposed to be 68, you can change to be 1068.
Please give it a try first.
I never tried before. I will try it recently.
Hi Steve,
I have looked at trying to set a different port for the dhcp server but have not found a definitive solution in this phorum- some threads have gone close. I have a DEBIAN (etch) server and wish to eventually show the many schools a clonezilla server solution without having to touch their already existing dhcp servers.
Step one was altered via adding the following in etc/network/interfaces
auto eth0:1
iface eth0:1 inet static
address 10.11.12.1
netmask 255.255.255.0
network 10.11.12.0
broadcast 10.11.12.255
gateway X.X.X.X
would the gateway be the same as in eth0? ie 192.168.1.1
thanks
sam
About eth0:1, you do not have assign gateway. Therefore the following setting is good enough:
--------------------------
auto eth0:1
iface eth0:1 inet static
address 10.11.12.1
netmask 255.255.255.0
--------------------------
Well ... I give in.
I've tried to get this to work , have made some progress, but its not working.
Its a pity, since I think by the looks of the forum, there is a large need to have a solution for clonezilla server where you only have 1 nic and 1 already existing dhcp server that you cannot alter.
But there doesnt seem to be any definitive documentation on how to do this.
The simple steps of:
1. aliasing an ip
2. setting up drbl on another port
3. forcing client boots to find the drbl dhcp
seem like a good idea, but until someone better than me can document it in debian, its out of my reach.
So I'll go back to norton ghost for multicasting and pay the money, and clonezilla live for 1 off machines.
Again, its a pity as I thought this forum could assist in getting this to work.
thanks anyway
sam
Hi man, do not give up so early...
During these days we were busy in adding a new feature for you. An easier solution. Now it's in the latest stable version:DRBL 1.8.0-15. In that version, it's possible to lease IP addresses to PXE, Etherboot and DRBL clients only.
Therefore the above solutions we can add one:
1. Merge the dhcpd settings
2. Use different port for dhcp
3. If only PXE, Etherboot clients exist in your environment, and they are those machines you want to clone, use the new mechanism in drbl 1.8.0-15. i.e. uncomment
# allow members of "DRBL-Client";
in /etc/dhcp3/dhcpd.conf in the drbl server. In this case, the dhcp service in DRBL server won't lease any IP address to non-PXE, non-Etherboot or non-DRBL machines.
Email me <steven _at_ nchc org tw> so that we can discuss more about these 3 solutions to 2 dhcp services existing in the same subnet if you are still interested in clonezilla server edition.
OK, this is the doc you want:
http://drbl.sourceforge.net/faq/index.php#path=./2_System&entry=37_coexist_with_existing_dhcp.faq
Good luck.
Its all now working thanks to Steven Shiau. I had to email him a few times.
Here is my docs for how I got it to work:
Installing Clonezilla Server with DRBL on a Debian Box with 1 nic and an already existing DHCP server.
References:
http://drbl.sourceforge.net/
http://drbl.sourceforge.net/faq/index.php#path=./2_System&entry=37_coexist_with_existing_dhcp.faq
My Distro is Debian Etch 4.0
***1***
# Edit /etc/apt/sources.list per the following:
----------
deb http://free.nchc.org.tw/debian/ etch main
deb http://free.nchc.org.tw/drbl-core drbl stable
----------
***2***
apt-get update
apt-get install drbl
This asks a heap of questions and installed heaps of stuff. I said no to the update the OS
***3***
Get your single nic's alias IP ready!
Caution!
If your existing network has a dhcp server which issues IP's in the private range of IP's (eg a typical home adsl modem), then you need your alias IP to also be a private network address (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Private_network\) so that when you start configuring drbl you can choose your drbl dhcp server interface as your private (in my case I choose 192.168.1.19 as the public non drbl interface and 192.168.100.19 as the private drbl interface)
Note: In these notes my drbl server will be running its dhcp server on port 1067 and the server interfaces IP is:192.168.100.19
The existing dhcp server (that my adsl modem, issues IP's in the range 192.168.1.1-192.168.1.255)
So edit your /etc/network/interfaces.
then do a /etc/init.d/networking restart
Mine looks like:
-------------------------------------
# The loopback network interface
auto lo
iface lo inet loopback
# The primary network interface
allow-hotplug eth0
# iface eth0 inet dhcp
iface eth0 inet static
address 192.168.1.19
netmask 255.255.255.0
network 192.168.1.0
broadcast 192.168.1.255
gateway 192.168.1.1
# alias IP for drbl
auto eth0:1
iface eth0:1 inet static
address 192.168.100.19
netmask 255.255.255.0
-------------------------------------
4. /opt/drbl/sbin/drblsrv -i
5. /opt/drbl/sbin/drblpush -i
In this option I made sure I chose DRBL SSI (Single System Image)
I also have no gui environment. So everything in text mode and I set it up for 20 clients.
6. Now directly from :http://drbl.sourceforge.net/faq/index.php#path=./2_System&entry=37_coexist_with_existing_dhcp.faq
1# Edit your /etc/dhcp3/dhcpd.conf in drbl server, add these two lines:
local-port 1067;
remote-port 1068;
Then run the following to restart dhcp service:
/etc/init.d/dhcp3-server restart
2 # Download the special port udhcpc program in PXE initrd to replace the standard mkpxeinitrd-net in DRBL server:
wget http://www.stevenshiau.org/misc/mkpxeinitrd-net/mkpxeinitrd-net_1.2-16eb_i386.deb
dpkg -i mkpxeinitrd-net_1.2-16eb_i386.deb
3# I downloaded a port 1067 "universal" boot iso image for the etherboot at
http://www.stevenshiau.org/misc/etherboot/drbl-etherboot_5.4.3-2_port_1067_i386.deb.
Then dpkg -i drbl-etherboot_5.4.3-2_port_1067_i386.deb
Then run the following command to create new PXE initrd for clients:
/opt/drbl/sbin/mknic-nbi
Thats it. Clonezilla via drbl works on my home LAN with an existing dhcp server (my adsl modem)
I managed to save an image then restore it to 2 clients.
I had to make sure after running /opt/drbl/sbin/dcs
I chose "All Select all clients"
then after going through "clonezilla wizard" either for
clonezilla-start -> save-disk
or
clonezilla-start -> restore-disk
then when I booted the client with the universal1067 etherboot disc it recognised the clonezilla session that was setup.
All is good!
Great. Thanks Sam.
I already included this message in
http://drbl.sourceforge.net/faq/index.php#path=./2_System&entry=37_coexist_with_existing_dhcp.faq
Steven.
Hello samrusso4
I need a solution like this!
I have a DHCP server in my site, giving fixed IP addresses by MAC, and HOSTNAME.
I need to have one dedicated DHCP for DRBL function. It seem that option (ports 1067, 1068) is good for my configuration
But, my clients needs to boot by PXE Card, they don't have CD or floppy.
How can I define, in the clientes, to "look" for that port in PXE Boot?
You can try "dnsmasq" method from this thread: https://sourceforge.net/projects/drbl/forums/forum/250176/topic/3455920
Hi,
Interesting post. But, links for "special port udhcpc program" and "port 1067 universal boot iso image for the etherboot" are down. And in the drbl FAQ, we need to go to http://www.rom-o-matic.net to generate a custom ethernet boot iso file. In the customize image configuration options, there is no ALTERNATE_DHCP_PORTS_1067_1068 option.
So, what is the alternate solution ?
Nico
Hi Nico.
Have you tried to remove the dot at the end of the link?
this doesnt work.
http://www.stevenshiau.org/misc/etherboot/drbl-etherboot_5.4.3-2_port_1067_i386.deb.
but this do
http://www.stevenshiau.org/misc/etherboot/drbl-etherboot_5.4.3-2_port_1067_i386.deb
The alternative solution is to use http://ipxe.org/, and you can compile that.
Steven.
Hi,
I have a question. We have already installed and configurated everything we need for the clonezilla server.
We already got a running dhcp in our local network. Therefore we configurated different dhcp-ports for the clonezilla server.
Our only problem is now the Etherboot iso-file. We followed www.rom-o-matic.eu , where we wanted to create an iso-file. There, we need to write a script.
Is it enough to write:
"ALTERNATE_DHCP_PORTS_1067_1068" ?
Would this work or do we need something else?
It would be a pleasure to get a fast answer.
I wish you all best luck and a nice day!
Francesco
It's recommended to use Clonezilla lite server so that you can reuse the existing DHCP server:
https://clonezilla.org/show-live-doc-content.php?topic=clonezilla-live/doc/11_lite_server
It runs dnsmasq in proxy mode so things will be easier.
Steven