8.4 Cloning an OES Server Post OES Installation and Configuration

This section describes the procedures to clone an OES server post OES installation and configuration. When there is a server crash, you can use this procedure to reinstall the server with the same configurations that existed before the crash. This is a two step task: generate the autoinst.xml file post OES installation and configuration, use that XML file to reinstall and configure the server.

8.4.1 Generating the autoinst.xml File

The autoinst.xml file contains all the configuration details of the components, passwords, IP address, and so on. Store this file in a secure location, and use it to reinstall and reconfigure your OES server when there is a crash.

To generate the autoinst.xml file:

  1. Log on to the OES server with administrative privileges and execute the following command: yast2 clone_system.

    This generates an autoinst.xml file at /root. Generate this file as and when you make some configuration changes to the server.

  2. Store this file in a secure location for future use.

    NOTE:The generated autoinst.xml file will have the XML tags of the OES components that you have not installed and configured. This does not affect any functionality. When you use the generated autoinst.xml file, only the components that are available under the <patterns> tag will be installed.

8.4.2 Using the autoinst.xml to Reinstall an OES Server

To reinstall an OES server using autoinst.xml:

  1. Edit the autoinst.xml file, and modify the following:

    • Replace all instances of “Replace this text with the real password” with root password.

    • Replace “ENTER PASSWORD HERE” with eDirectory password.

    • Locate and remove the entire net-udev section that has the details about the MAC address. 

        <net-udev config:type="list">
      <rule>
        <name>eth0</name>
        <rule>ATTR{address}</rule>
        <value>00:0c:29:4d:e0:72</value>
      </rule>
    </net-udev>

    • Locate and remove the user and group gdm entries. For more information, see TID 7006641 Error: Could not update ICEauthority file /var/lib/gdm/.ICEauthority.

       <group>root
      <encrypted config:type="boolean">true</encrypted>
      <gid>112</gid>
      <group_password>!</group_password>
      <groupname>gdm</groupname>
      <userlist></userlist>
 </group>  

 <user>
      <encrypted config:type="boolean">true</encrypted>
      <fullname>Gnome Display Manager daemon</fullname>
      <gid>112</gid>
      <home>/var/lib/gdm</home>
      <password_settings>
        <expire></expire>
        <flag></flag>
        <inact></inact>
        <max>99999</max>
        <min>0</min>
        <warn>7</warn>
      </password_settings>
      <shell>/bin/false</shell>
      <uid>107</uid>
      <user_password>*</user_password>
      <username>gdm</username>
    </user>

  2. Host the modified autoinst.xml file in a HTTP server.

  3. Boot the OES server with OES11-SP3-addon_with_SLES11-SP4-x86_64-DVD.iso.

  4. In the installation screen, select Install, and specify the following information:

    autoyast=<The HTTP location where the autoinst.xml file is hosted> netsetup=hostip hostip=<enter machine IP> netmask=<enter the netmask> gateway=<enter the gateway>

    For example:

    autoyast=http://198.162.1.1/autoinst.xml netsetup=hostip hostip=192.168.1.2 netmask=255.255.254.0 gateway=192.164.1.254

  5. Press Enter and the OES installation and configuration starts and completes without any user intervention.