FreeBSD Server Image

[starbuck]

Hey all, I'm going to be setting up and configuring a FreeBSD 7 box for our web-server at work.

If say I had 5 or 6 identical servers that I wanted to run the same basic FreeBSD install on, what would be the best way to do this?

Ideally I'd like to set up one box, harden it and install everything I need, then create a disk image that I can use to install on the other machines (or use for disaster recover, if say I needed to reinstall the OS really quick).

I've used Ghost before in a Windows environment but I don't have as much experience with Unix. Any suggestions? Thanks!

EDIT: I don't necessarily need a physical "disk image," doing it over the network would also be acceptable.

[anomie]

Originally Posted by starbuck

If say I had 5 or 6 identical servers that I wanted to run the same basic FreeBSD install on, what would be the best way to do this?

IMO, 5 or 6 FBSD jails on the same host. Easy to clone. Sounds like you want separate physical machines though.

Originally Posted by starbuck

Ideally I'd like to set up one box, harden it and install everything I need, then create a disk image that I can use to install on the other machines (or use for disaster recover, if say I needed to reinstall the OS really quick).

There are probably lots of choices, but be sure to check out g4u.

[starbuck]

Originally Posted by anomie

IMO, 5 or 6 FBSD jails on the same host. Easy to clone. Sounds like you want separate physical machines though.



There are probably lots of choices, but be sure to check out g4u.

Yeah, we're already going to be running several jails on the same host. I'm mainly thinking for super-emergency backup (in case of hardware failure). But we're also thinking of expanding down the road and adding a few more FreeBSD boxes, so I'm thinking ahead a little.

[windependence]

I would have said virtualization. Less hardware, less power, vms are easy to clone without regard to the hardware they run on, etc.

If you don't want to do that you could try dd.

http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...ommand-362506/

The above link contains anything you would ever need to do with dd.

-Tim