Re: Large-scale configuration backup with GIT?

["Martin Langhoff" <martin.langhoff@gmail.com>]

On 9/3/07, Junio C Hamano <gitster@pobox.com> wrote:
> This is something similar to what I and others in my group did
> long time before git was even invented.  I'd suggest you go in
> the opposite direction.

Agreed. The infrustructures.org crowd has been exploring this space
quite a bit, and developing tools like isconf that allow you to manage
a huge number of machines across various unixen.

And recently someone's integrated Debian APT with git tracking config
files (called IsiSetup http://www.isisetup.ch/ ). I haven't reviewed
it in detail, but it'd be first on my list.

> If you have 5 configurations, each of which have 20 machines
> that _should_ share that configuration (modulo obvious
> differences that come from hostname, IP address assignment,
> etc), then

Indeed. I ended up liking the makefile-stanzas approach it is
incredibly simple and flexible. Add debian/rpm packages, some of the
tools in the cfengine toolchain, git to track your
scripts/configuration and you are golden.

For the Windows side of things, see "Real Men Don't Click"
<http://isg.ee.ethz.ch/tools/realmen/> -- a bunch of unixy sysadmins
with the "infrastructures.org" background took on Windows
servers/desktops management -- and succeeded. PG-rated, fun for the
whole family. ;-)

HTH,



martin-who-survived-the-sysadmin-wars