[CentOS] running yum update on remote servers

[Robert Moskowitz]

On 02/25/2013 09:03 AM, Dennis Jacobfeuerborn wrote:
> On 02/25/2013 02:48 PM, Robert Moskowitz wrote:
> So redirect the output into a file and when the return code is 100 
> mail that file to the admin.
>> Then there is the actual update.  I learned long ago NOT to run yum over
>> an SSH connection, as WHEN that connection breaks in the middle of an
>> update, you can have quite a problem to clean up.  All I have done
>> todate is to start vncserver and connect via vnc to then run yum.  I can
>> even drop the vnc connection and come back later to check results.  I
>> have considered running yum disconnected (? when you end a command with
>> &) and log the results to a file that you check later.  What are
>> practical approaches to this?  I only have a few servers here to manage.
> Use "screen". That gives you a sort of virtual terminal (many in fact) that
> works just like a regular shell except that when your connection drops the
> session will just become detached. After you reconnect you can call "screen
> -R" to re-attache to that session and continue as if nothing happened.
> Scripts keep running in a detached session and the output will be there
> once you re-attach again just like with your VNC method.

Something I have never installed and obviously missed all the references 
to it.  I do recall seeing it in some threads.  Just installed it on one 
system and tested vis ssh from another.  Very nice.  Thought there would 
be something better out there.  VNC has its place in the toolbox, but 
definitely too much for something like this.  Yes I know about the 
discussions about NX being better than VNC.  I actually run VNC over 
SSH.  But I also run it over HIP which is a very interesting test of HIP 
and HIP mobility.