Deploying RHEL as ESX guests – Kickstarting or using ESX templates?

Some time ago I asked my self the question if it is better to kickstart systems or working with ESX templates when deploying RHEL as ESX guests. I also had some discussions with friends working in the same industry. I tried it and came to the following conclusion: Kickstart the systems is the way to go. Pros: Kickstarted Systems are already up-to-date after installation. Proper SSH host keys. Using ESX templates ends up in having identical SSH host keys, from ….Read More

Spacewalk is moving further to PostgreSQL support

The upstream of RHN Satellite – Spacewalk – is moving further to database indepedancy, with the scope of PostgreSQL compatiblity. How I come to this conclusion? Read the git commit logs. At FUDCon 2010 in Zurich I was attending Miroslav’s talk. He was complaining that nobody gives the PostgreSQL-version a try. He is right, on one hand everybody expects PostgreSQL support ASAP, on the other hand nobody takes care about the PostgreSQL setup, and nobody helps neither with the development ….Read More

Rumours about RHEL6 GA end of October 2010

The latest unofficial rumors about the release date of RHEL6 are pointing to end of October 2010. This is a bit more precise than the official statement “later this year“. There are multiple sources of this rumors, so it can be considered truthful but still not as a fact. Hopefully RHN Satellite 5.4 will be released end of September to prepare the infrastructure to be able to manage RHEL6. Have fun!

A brief test of OTRS::ITSM Changemanagement and the insanity of ITIL compliant software

OTRS is known as best-of-breed in open source incident management systems. Since quite some time, OTRS made its product ITIL V3 compliant. Means: It also comes with a change management module. At work we use a complex and extremely user-unfriedly software. This brought me to the idea to test the OTRS change management module in order to propose OTRS as a replacement for the currently used software for the Change- Incident- and Problem Management. Incident- and Change Management integration I ….Read More

Lets celebrate 25 years of DNS

Today, we can celebrate 25 years of DNS. Can we really celebrate? Is the age of /etc/hosts really over? No, /etc/hosts will last for ever. Why? DNS can only be filtered across orgs with problems There are sill some /etc/hosts freaks not retired yet From my point of view, the DNS is one of the most reliable systems, it is redundant and thus high-available by design. Thanks! Thanks to all those people that designed and operated DNS until today and in ….Read More