Hello!

 

Unattended is currently a great start, but I have some ideas for expansion
on the software. To be brief, here are the key features I would change.

 

 

-          Add replication to multiple servers, or distribute certain
packages to different servers (No one server can handle the load of 30
computers installing itself over a gigabit lan)

-          Create an 'unattendedD' to coordinate clients and evenly spread
the load across various servers (a client every time a simple smb connection
would be made, would instead contact a centralized server which will point
the client to another serverP

-          Add a GUI to automate and simplify the package configuration
process

-          Add better Active Directory integration

-          Use smbios information to add computer descriptions, and have
each computer placed into a database

-          Create a software database of all the software able to be
installed, and the software which is installed on each client. 

-          Ability to upgrade software based off a server push model 

-          Add software remotely

-          Perform diagnostics on a regular interval and send the results
back to the server

-          Simplify the linux boot cd process by distributing a binary
collection of the contents of the cd, and having an easy method to change
where the cd looks for files 

-          ---- or possibly modifying the cd to look across the entire
network for the unattendedD and automatically connect to it

-          Easier pxe support (more out-of-the-box)

 

 

My initial thoughts were to use a C# windows interface, connecting to an
ODBC driver which could point to either a unix or (preferably, for ease) a
windows2003 server which would host the central databases and server code

 

I started writing some interface code, but crunch time is here, and I cant
spend any more time customizing the system. I am looking to get a prototype
of this up by spring and a full-fledged version by summer of next year
(Maybe I can get it right next time)

 

 

If there is any interest, or any previous development in this direction,
please let me know

 

 

--Sean M. McCullough

 

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