[CentOS] Stateless client

[Rushton Martin]

I'm trying to configure an old 64-bit desktop machine as a client for a
CentOS server.  The client must have no modifiable storage at all so my
options seem to be:
1)  Stateless network boot
2)  Live DVD

I've been looking at the latter route, does anyone know if there is a
convenient hook so that the live dvd will automatically download  and
execute a file during bootstrapping?  I need to have some state, but
held on the server.  If there are any instructions for hacking the
CentOS live dvd, please point me at them.

I'd prefer not to go for a complete stateless network boot, the server
will be booted in a number of configurations and it would mean
reconfiguring xCAT or similar on each set of disks.  Just to be even
more awkward, there is no external network connection to the server,
which will be running a 64-bit variant.

Martin Rushton
HPC System Manager, Weapons Technologies
Tel: 01959 514777, Mobile: 07939 219057
email: jmrush...@qinetiq.com
www.QinetiQ.com
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Re: [CentOS] Stateless client

[m . roth]

Rushton Martin wrote:
 I'm trying to configure an old 64-bit desktop machine as a client for a
 CentOS server.  The client must have no modifiable storage at all so my
 options seem to be:
 1)Stateless network boot
 2)Live DVD

 I've been looking at the latter route, does anyone know if there is a
 convenient hook so that the live dvd will automatically download  and
 execute a file during bootstrapping?  I need to have some state, but
 held on the server.  If there are any instructions for hacking the
 CentOS live dvd, please point me at them.

Not CentOS, but perhaps you might be interested in LPS
http://www.spi.dod.mil/lipose.htm

No mounted storage at all, and built by a team from the US DoD, who
*ought* to be paranoid enough for you. I've put it on a USB key, and have
been saying for a month or so I need to try it (this would be for work,
where I *have* to use a PIV smart card to get in from outside).

mark

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