[CentOS-devel] NethServer as CentOS Variant and SME SIG Proposal

I disagree. Perhaps that is because I see how these systems get used in
actual production environments. While it is true that we don't touch upon
subjects like 'racks of servers' as the typical use-case is doesn't mean
that it isn't done on ClearOS, SME, NethServer and other similar boxes. For
example, I can set up 10 ClearOS servers at multiple locations with
integrated directory services, PDC/BDC operations throughout and
site-to-site VPN tunnels at to different locations all with relative ease.
While this isn't racks of servers, it does require, and these solutions do
provide, standardized deployment scenarios for Server Management. For me,
server management has less to do with 'intimate knowledge' of a thing and
more to do with 'ease of use' in deployment, reporting, and day-to-day
tasks. That is what ClearOS, SME, and NethServer do, we are all about
making it very, very easy to use and very easy to manage. The fact that our
sweet spot happens to be in enabling Linux Server Management to those that
are wholly novices at Linux (in general) is reason why this type of server
management is needed; to grow and expand the use of CentOS and Linux in
general. The lesson of Darwin (MacOSX) and Android is that the more
manageable the experience is for the user, the more it gets used.

You do raise an important point about the aspects of our systems that is
lacking and that is in the multi-server management space. Instead of
calling that 'Server Management' (which to me means the management or
manageability of a server) I call it 'Rapid Deployment and Automation'.
Managing multiple servers through an intimate knowledge of Linux voodoo
falls in this category. Here we can turn to Puppet, Saltstack, Kickstart
and others. Many of these solutions and vendors don't consider themselves
"Server Management" but rather 'Automation.' We'd love to be able to ALSO
integrate these functions within our environment. Hopefully, working
together in this SIG space, we can come up with some standards and best
practices to benefit us all in greater adoption of these tools.


On Sat, Jan 11, 2014 at 12:58 PM, Les Mikesell <lesmikesell at gmail.com>wrote:

> On Sat, Jan 11, 2014 at 12:34 PM, David Loper <dloper at clearcenter.com>
> wrote:
> > One other thought. I had mentioned a 'Server Management' SIG in the other
> > thread where I suggest a CentOS variant based on our work at
> > ClearFoundation. I would love to work with Alessio, the NethServer team
> and
> > any other similar project in this space.
>
> I think of 'server management' as what you do when you have racks and
> racks of servers and you have to be fairly intimate with the OS and
> specific applications.  And what ClearOS/SME/NethServe do is about the
> opposite for small offices an home servers - that is, so you don't
> really have to do server management.   So I don't think they belong
> together.    The latter is more about mapping management into task or
> function oriented forms so you get appliance-like operation without
> knowing/caring much about the actual applications performing the
> functions.    Both topics are interesting and to a certain extent the
> developers need to know some of the same things, but there would not
> be much overlap in usage or users.
>
> --
>    Les Mikesell
>      lesmikesell at gmail.com
> _______________________________________________
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>



-- 
David Loper
Vice President of Technology
ClearCenter
--
clearcenter.com
twitter.com/pr0f3550r
linkedin.com/in/daveloper
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