[41166] in Resnet-Forum
Re: Tools/methods for managing your server environment
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Paul Seward)
Fri Apr 22 10:23:17 2016
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Date: Fri, 22 Apr 2016 15:22:32 +0100
Reply-To: Paul.Seward@bristol.ac.uk
From: Paul Seward <Paul.Seward@bristol.ac.uk>
To: RESNET-L@LISTSERV.ND.EDU
In-Reply-To: <CAADc8xmKnzYqasE_p_PZy86Z70rmrLKTHBhuG2N8mTu4og-9gQ@mail.gmail.com>
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On 22 April 2016 at 14:48, Karen Bull <kbull1@udayton.edu> wrote:
> We're doing some research into tools and best practices for managing our
> server environment, specifically related to auditing hardware and software,
> performance monitoring, and OS and application patching. Like most
> institutions, we have a mix of physical and virtual servers.
>
Which OS?
Windows/Linux/Solaris/Other?
Appropriate tools vary depending on the type of OS and how varied your
estate is. Ie if your server estate is primarily windows with a small
handful of linux boxes then an appropriate tool might look very different
to a primarily linux estate with a couple of windows boxes. (eg, although
puppet can manage windows - it only makes sense to if you have a small
number of windows servers)
We have significant quantities of windows, linux, solaris - enough to make
a "one tool fits all" solution tricky, so we're currently using different
tools for each environment.
>
> - What tools and/or best practices do you use at your school to manage
> your server environment?
>
>
For configuration management:
Windows, I believe we're mostly using SCCM (although I'm not a windows
admin)
Linux, we're transitioning from bcfg2 to puppet. We've got a PE instance
for centrally managed systems and there are at least 4 OS puppet instances
that aren't central, most of which pre-date the central PE instance.
Solaris, I'm not sure what they're using, but it's a solaris-only tool.
For performance/service monitoring:
Windows - no idea what (if any) monitoring they're doing
Linux/Solaris - there are a number of Nagios instances around the place
Log collation, correlation and event monitoring:
There's at least one team using an ELK stack
(Elasticsearch/Logstash/Kibana) and a project to implement splunk more
centrally (although I don't think there's enough money in the world to
afford the size of licence we'd need to slurp everything into it)
OS/Application patching:
Linux/Solaris - we're using distro supplied tools
Windows - SCCM and WSUS
>
> - If you're using an agent-based solution, have you experienced any
> impacts to server and/or service performance?
>
> Puppet is agent based, and no, we're not experiencing a significant
performance hit from having the agent installed.
>
> - Do these solutions apply to all servers, or is there a subset of
> servers that are excluded or held to different management practices?
>
>
We're quite late to the config management game (we've only been doing it
for about 5 years), and there are still a significant number of manually
managed servers out there.
That number is supposed to be shrinking over time, but you know how it is...
-Paul
--
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Paul Seward, Senior Systems Administrator, University of Bristol
Paul.Seward@bristol.ac.uk +44 (0)117 39 41148 GPG Key ID: E24DA8A2
GPG Fingerprint: 7210 4E4A B5FC 7D9C 39F8 5C3C 6759 3937 E24D A8A2
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<div dir=3D"ltr"><div class=3D"gmail_extra"><div class=3D"gmail_quote">On 2=
2 April 2016 at 14:48, Karen Bull <span dir=3D"ltr"><<a href=3D"mailto:k=
bull1@udayton.edu" target=3D"_blank">kbull1@udayton.edu</a>></span> wrot=
e:<br><blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-l=
eft:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><div dir=3D"ltr"><div style=3D"font-si=
ze:12.8px">We're doing some research into tools and best practices for =
managing our server environment, specifically related to auditing hardware =
and software, performance monitoring, and OS and application patching. Like=
most institutions, we have a mix of physical and virtual servers.</div></d=
iv></blockquote><div><br></div><div>Which OS?</div><div><br></div><div>Wind=
ows/Linux/Solaris/Other?</div><div><br></div><div>Appropriate tools vary de=
pending on the type of OS and how varied your estate is.=C2=A0 Ie if your s=
erver estate is primarily windows with a small handful of linux boxes then =
an appropriate tool might look very different to a primarily linux estate w=
ith a couple of windows boxes. =C2=A0(eg, although puppet can manage window=
s - it only makes sense to if you have a small number of windows servers)</=
div><div><br></div><div>We have significant quantities of windows, linux, s=
olaris - enough to make a "one tool fits all" solution tricky, so=
we're currently using different tools for each environment.</div><bloc=
kquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #cc=
c solid;padding-left:1ex"><div dir=3D"ltr"><div style=3D"font-size:12.8px">=
<ul><li style=3D"margin-left:15px">What tools and/or best practices do you =
use at your school to manage your server environment? =C2=A0</li></ul></div=
></div></blockquote><div><br></div><div>For configuration management:</div>=
<div>Windows, I believe we're mostly using SCCM (although I'm not a=
windows admin)</div><div>Linux, we're transitioning from bcfg2 to pupp=
et.=C2=A0 We've got a PE instance for centrally managed systems and the=
re are at least 4 OS puppet instances that aren't central, most of whic=
h pre-date the central PE instance.</div><div>Solaris, I'm not sure wha=
t they're using, but it's a solaris-only tool.</div><div><br></div>=
<div>For performance/service monitoring:</div><div>Windows - no idea what (=
if any) monitoring they're doing</div><div>Linux/Solaris - there are a =
number of Nagios instances around the place</div><div><br></div><div>Log co=
llation, correlation and event monitoring:</div><div>There's at least o=
ne team using an ELK stack (Elasticsearch/Logstash/Kibana) and a project to=
implement splunk more centrally (although I don't think there's en=
ough money in the world to afford the size of licence we'd need to slur=
p everything into it)</div><div><br></div><div>OS/Application patching:</di=
v><div>Linux/Solaris - we're using distro supplied tools</div><div>Wind=
ows - SCCM and WSUS</div><blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:=
0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><div dir=3D"ltr"><d=
iv style=3D"font-size:12.8px"><ul><li style=3D"margin-left:15px">If you'=
;re using an agent-based solution, have you experienced any impacts to serv=
er and/or service performance?=C2=A0<br></li></ul></div></div></blockquote>=
<div>Puppet is agent based, and no, we're not experiencing a significan=
t performance hit from having the agent installed.</div><blockquote class=
=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padd=
ing-left:1ex"><div dir=3D"ltr"><div style=3D"font-size:12.8px"><ul><li styl=
e=3D"margin-left:15px">Do these solutions apply to all servers, or is there=
a subset of servers that are excluded or held to different management prac=
tices?</li></ul></div></div></blockquote><div><br></div><div>We're quit=
e late to the config management game (we've only been doing it for abou=
t 5 years), and there are still a significant number of manually managed se=
rvers out there.</div><div><br></div><div>That number is supposed to be shr=
inking over time, but you know how it is...</div><div><br></div><div>-Paul<=
/div></div>-- <br><div class=3D"gmail_signature"><div dir=3D"ltr"><div><div=
dir=3D"ltr"><div>---------------------------------------------------------=
-------------</div><div>Paul Seward, =C2=A0 =C2=A0Senior Systems Administra=
tor, =C2=A0 =C2=A0University of Bristol</div><div><a href=3D"mailto:Paul.Se=
ward@bristol.ac.uk" target=3D"_blank">Paul.Seward@bristol.ac.uk</a> =C2=A0+=
44 (0)117 39 41148 =C2=A0 =C2=A0GPG Key ID: E24DA8A2</div><div>GPG Fingerpr=
int: =C2=A0 =C2=A07210 4E4A B5FC 7D9C 39F8 =C2=A05C3C 6759 3937 E24D A8A2</=
div></div></div></div></div>
</div></div>
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