Running JSS on a virtualized server?

Not applicable

Is anyone running the JSS on a virtualized server? We had some modest
success with our testing on a "real" test server, but since the JSS was
migrated to an Xserve running multiple virtual servers under Fusion, we've
been unable to NetBoot/NetRestore with or without Casper. An error we
commonly get in the NetBoot service log is: bootpd[620]: subnets: Failed to
convert 'router': Invalid IP address.

Thanks,
Ric

--
Ric Getter
Portland Community College/Sylvania
Coordinator, Computer Resource Center
(503)977-8036

3 REPLIES 3

ernstcs
Contributor III

I'm not really sure how the two things relate; running a JSS virtually and
having issues with NetBoot/NetRestore. Are you running a NetBoot server in a
VM instance?

The only connection I can see is setting a NetBoot server in your JSS and
getting clients to point to it properly at a reboot.

I don't run my primary JSS in virtual space, but I've been using a
development JSS on my second Mac Xserve that's in Parallels Server just
fine. NetBoot is not virtualized here either.

For Macs to see NetBoot properly they need to be in the same subnet, or you
need to provide them a helper address across the network. If you have a VM
NetBoot server is it getting it's own IP address on the network or doing
NAT.

Perhaps I'm just reading the question wrong, but I can't quite follow your
setup to provide a better answer.

Good reference material:
http://www.bombich.com/mactips/netboot.html

Craig E

donmontalvo
Esteemed Contributor III

I'm also interested in how JSS behaves when virtualized, but I'm even more interested in seeing a white paper on daisy chaining multiple instances of virtualized JSS (perhaps spinning off the MySQL database onto an existing server). With some of our larger clients spanning states/countries/continents, we really need a way to provide the requisite resilience/redundancy. Lack of this is he reason we crossed Casper Suite off the list of proposed solutions in past projects. Hoping the fly on the wall is listening...

NetBoot isn't something I would virtualize either. :)

Don

--
https://donmontalvo.com

Not applicable

We are (or, should I say, attempting to) run the JSS on a virtualized server
and attempting to netboot to that virtualized server. We have one Xserve
(and a fair amount of external RAID storage) running four virtual instances
of Leopard Server under VMWare Fusion 3.0.x. The JSS is running on one of
those virtual servers and the basic Apple management tools (ARD, netboot,
etc.) running on another.

Our attempts to netboot both as Casper clients to the JSS and as a "plain
vanilla" Apple netboot (using the Bombich Netboot Across Subnets tool), have
failed in this configuration.

Based on the responses so far, I get the impression that working with
virtualized servers for imaging is not overwhelmingly popular. At PCC (90%+
PC) pretty much all the servers used at the college are virtualized.
Interestingly, there have been some issues with Symantec Ghost running on
virtual servers, though it still isn't clear whether there could be some
external network issues involved. Virtualization makes network issues far
more interesting.

Thanks,
Ric

--
Ric Getter
Portland Community College/Sylvania
Coordinator, Computer Resource Center
(503)977-8036