Opsware Server Management System Provisions
Linux, UNIX and Windows
Operating system provisioning is the bedrock on which
stable, high-performing, cost-effective applications
are built. If a server's operating system is not provisioned,
configured, and secured correctly, the applications
that run on the server have little chance of success.
Yet provisioning new servers and re-provisioning existing
servers is often a manual, highly time-consuming task
prone to errors and inconsistencies. With Opsware's
Server Management OS provisioning capabilities, administrators
have the ability to provision and re-provision systems
consistently, quickly and cost effectively. The result
is consistent, secure and flexible server baselines
- a solid foundation for applications.
Benefits of the Opsware Automated
OS Provisioning Subsystem include:
Ability to easily update server baselines without
re-imaging servers. Unlike many other OS provisioning
solutions, systems provisioned with Opsware can be easily
changed after provisioning to adapt to new requirements.
Opsware's use of "templates" and its building blocks-based
approach to provisioning provide IT with greater flexibility.
Flexible server baselines provide a hardware-independent
OS build which does not require duplicating hardware
configurations to add capacity or for building a new
site for disaster recovery.
Flexible architecture designed to work in nearly any
environment. Opsware engineers carefully designed
OS provisioning to handle many different types of Linux,
Unix and Windows servers, networks, security architectures,
and operational processes. The OS provisioning is integrated
with Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Automated Deployment
Services (ADS) to enable seamless, automated provisioning
of Windows server baseline on bare metal servers. Opsware
has also integrated with technologies like Solaris JumpStart
and Red Hat Kickstart for Unix and Linux provisioning.
Opsware works well in environments with floppy- or network-boot
environments. Provisioning can occur with scheduled
or on-demand workflows, and across a large variety of
hardware models. This flexibility ensures that you can
provision across multiple OSs, all from a single console.
Integration with other automation functions.
Because the Automated OS Provisioning Subsystem is fully
integrated with the full suite of Opsware automation
capabilities, including patch management, software provisioning,
and distributed script execution, handoffs between the
various groups within IT are seamless, leading to great
cost savings and higher quality.
These capabilities allow Opsware OS provisioning to
achieve greater cost savings and quality than are achievable
with stand-alone systems.
Opsware automates the entire process of provisioning
a comprehensive server baseline, which typically consists
of the following steps:
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