Hightower Posted October 12, 2010 Posted October 12, 2010 This is unbelievable. It truly is. I mean this has GOT to be the best open source software available to IT techs. Just played with FOG, and all I can say is wow! Just wow!
tazz Posted October 12, 2010 Posted October 12, 2010 Yeah, we used it all last year (moved to a new build so using IT contractor stuff for now) They've got a facebook group - fog project I think.
sonofsanta Posted October 13, 2010 Posted October 13, 2010 Any more details? Would be a nice thing to have instead of just piles of nLited discs, how does it run? Just any old random server?
fafster Posted October 13, 2010 Posted October 13, 2010 You can install it on any old hardware, though you're probably going to want gigabit ethernet and a ton of space. By default it runs its own DHCP daemon, which will most likely conflict with whatever you already have set up. In that case, all you have to do is make a few changes to the existing DHCP server so that anything with PXE booting gets pointed at the FOG server. Or unplug the other server when you want to image machines.
Hightower Posted October 13, 2010 Author Posted October 13, 2010 (edited) Any more details? Would be a nice thing to have instead of just piles of nLited discs, how does it run? Just any old random server? Well, I'm just playing with it because our shared tech has 20 laptops to build as standalone. He was going to burn a load of Clonezilla discs but I asked him to hang fire. Looked into Clonezilla SE first, which needed two NICs and didn't seem very easy to install. Then we stumbled on FOG. It seems that it's created by school techs. I just followed the very easy installation instructions on a Ubuntu 10.10 install (Desktop edition, not server), on a VM on my machine. The only thing I did different from the install instructions was to NOT install the DHCP server it provides as we already have this job being carried out by our servers. If you also do this, it gives you the instructions of what you need to do on your DHCP server(s) (insert the IP of the FOG in #65 or something, and a small string in #66 I think - takes seconds). After that, it has easy instructions on how to upload your images to the FOG server, and then how to redeploy them. Everything is web based (management). It took about 30 mins to upload a 10 gig image over gig network, but I think it does some GZipping etc so our 10 gig image was only 5 gig on the server (I think). To put the image back onto the same machine took 10 minutes. Not tried multicasting yet, but it seems that is a possibility with this too. Overall, server installation on a VM took me about 30 minutes (including installing Ubuntu). Configuring it took about 5, and I had the image on the server and ready to deploy 30 minutes later. Edited October 13, 2010 by Hightower
bladedanny Posted October 13, 2010 Posted October 13, 2010 Once it's all set up correctly you can image a machine, rename it, join it to the domain and place it in the correct OU all from the comfort of your own home (belive me, I've done it).
Hightower Posted October 13, 2010 Author Posted October 13, 2010 Also, not sure how this can be configured for PXE boot on a CC4 network as I believe CC4 uses PXE for builds. Has anybody done this (we're not CC4 but the shared tech has 4 schools which are so it would be handy to know).
jsnetman Posted October 13, 2010 Posted October 13, 2010 We use WDS but fog certainly sounds good. Can't see any reason not to use WDS as it does what we want, but good to hear there is a good free alternative.
Soulfish Posted October 13, 2010 Posted October 13, 2010 We used FOG for about 18 months and it was brilliant. Amazing what you can do with it! We've now moved to using SCCM as it was very simple to use to get a single hardware independent image setup
3s-gtech Posted October 13, 2010 Posted October 13, 2010 Use FOG primarily here, it has built all of our main IT suites. Compatibility with hardware is excellent, occasional laptop etc that won't work with it. Not bothered using Multicast, still doesn't take that long to deploy 30 large images at a time. Built it on a HP ML115 here, with 2 1TB drives. The onboard RAID does not work with Linux, so you'll need to software RAID them. Install for Debian x64 (desktop/webserver, for tweaking etc) exactly as for Ubuntu, and the documentation is great.
webman Posted October 13, 2010 Posted October 13, 2010 Also, not sure how this can be configured for PXE boot on a CC4 network as I believe CC4 uses PXE for builds. Has anybody done this (we're not CC4 but the shared tech has 4 schools which are so it would be handy to know). PXE builds on CC4 are entirely optional.
Bertie_Dellend Posted October 13, 2010 Posted October 13, 2010 Any more details? Would be a nice thing to have instead of just piles of nLited discs, how does it run? Just any old random server? It is a great bit of kit! Get the vmware version ( FOG - Computer Cloning/Imaging solution Server (0.27) | Virtual Appliance Marketplace ) & have a play. Full guide is here - FOGUserGuide - FOGProject Wiki
Hightower Posted October 13, 2010 Author Posted October 13, 2010 PXE builds on CC4 are entirely optional. But can they work together if needs be? Or is it a case of one or the other, not both
sparkeh Posted October 13, 2010 Posted October 13, 2010 Used to use Fog before we got sccm in and yes its excellent. Also it does a lot more than just imaging, such as disk testing, disk wiping, memory testing, power management, file recovery, virus scanning... Re: WDS, you may want to use Fog over WDS as it will image machines with a lower amount of RAM and provide a lot more functionality. Re: CC4, I can't see how this would integrate with CC4 or why you would want to. PXE builds are all ready to go on CC4 and they would brilliantly so why add Fog?
Hightower Posted October 13, 2010 Author Posted October 13, 2010 Re: CC4, I can't see how this would integrate with CC4 or why you would want to. PXE builds are all ready to go on CC4 and they would brilliantly so why add Fog? I don't know how CC4 works - I've not seen it in action, and nor do I intend to. Does the PXE builds on CC4 allow for adding custom images? If so, then great, but if not then the reason the shared tech might want FOG to run alongside it is so he can build his laptops from his custom image (to leave as standalone). Like I say, I've not touched CC4 so not sure exactly what is achievable with it (and it's not unlikely for RM to lock down adding of custom images ).
bladedanny Posted October 13, 2010 Posted October 13, 2010 If you wanted FOG to run along side it, you could keep it seperate and set up FOG to be DHCP and DNS and connect it to a single switch with the target macihnes. In effect a small network used solely for imaging. This can then travel around from school to school without altering scope settings on each DHCP server and messing around with IP settings on the FOG server (assuming the FOG server will be portable, rather that one at each school).
webman Posted October 13, 2010 Posted October 13, 2010 I see two ways of having multiple PXE options on the same network. Either A) switch the PXE boot image option (at the DHCP server) between CC4 and FOG as and when required. Might be scriptable? Or B) Find a PXE menu capable of running on the existing setup, which will allow you to choose what to run at PXE boot. Most online material for PXE menus seem to be focused on Linux, but you may be lucky - I don't know if that makes a difference. See here: http://www.fogproject.org/wiki/index.php?title=Am_I_able_to_modify_the_PXE_menu_to_run_other_applications%3F. May be possible to add CC4's build boot image in there.
CyberNerd Posted October 13, 2010 Posted October 13, 2010 I mean this has GOT to be the best open source software available to IT techs. you have GOT to be kidding me, you've clearly never seen RedHat (or centos) Enterprise. redhat.com | Advanced Platform
Hightower Posted October 13, 2010 Author Posted October 13, 2010 If you wanted FOG to run along side it, you could keep it seperate and set up FOG to be DHCP and DNS and connect it to a single switch with the target macihnes. In effect a small network used solely for imaging. This can then travel around from school to school without altering scope settings on each DHCP server and messing around with IP settings on the FOG server (assuming the FOG server will be portable, rather that one at each school). Yeah, this is what the shared tech has planned I think. Little 24 port switch and a VM of FOG on his laptop - probably the best way anyways if he's round and about at different schools. @webman: thanks for the info. thought that might be the only way - shame DHCP can't handle multiple addresses and create its own menu if needed.
webman Posted October 13, 2010 Posted October 13, 2010 @webman: thanks for the info. thought that might be the only way - shame DHCP can't handle multiple addresses and create its own menu if needed. It's not really DHCP's job to do that
Hightower Posted October 13, 2010 Author Posted October 13, 2010 It's not really DHCP's job to do that Well that's where you define the PXE server, so surely it would be there that you define two PXE servers if DHCP could allow it.
El_Nombre Posted October 13, 2010 Posted October 13, 2010 Seems to be great and everyone loves it. Even with that guide, as a Linux n00b I totally failed at trying to get one working. Something to do with having two default gateways back in the day; couldn't download all the bits for FOG and then switch everything back in Linux for the install process. Didn't know enough, and to be honest still don't. Still, no longer NM here and the new Academy and NM have managed to get one going. Been great apparently though not touched it. Looking forward to having another stab at it someday.
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