[Info-vax] satellite with more than one boot server

[Stephen Hoffman]

On 2013-02-02 16:39:19 +0000, Phillip Helbig---undress to reply said:

> In article <kejele$co6$1 at dont-email.me>, Stephen Hoffman
> <seaohveh at hoffmanlabs.invalid> writes:
> 
>>> A related question: for a satellite with 2 ethernet cards, would it be
>>> best to configure 2 identical virtual satellites, differing only in the
>>> ethernet address?  They would never be used at the same time.  (I'm
>>> assuming that one can't enter more than one ethernet address in the
>>> satellite config.)
>> 
>> What's your goal here?   Complexity?  Uptime?   Screwing around?
> 
> Comfort.

Add some padding and a pillow, or a mattress across the top of a larger server.

> If one ethernet card goes flaky, I can just swap the cable and
> reboot.

How often do you have failed NICs, and why are they failing?

NIC failures are very rare, barring mechanical damage, near lightning 
strikes or surges, or such.

> It's a DS10, so RMC is there.

So do you have a remote serial connection into that available?

> The idea here is not multiple NICs, separating traffic etc but just to
> have a backup if one fails.

>From here, this approach looks to add complexity, difficulty, problems, 
and hassles.

In the rare case of a NIC failure, swap the NIC, reconfigure the 
interfaces in TCP/IP and in LANCP, and you're back online.  Or get rid 
of the server, and roll back to the local box.  Having a "warm" NIC can 
mean as many problems when that lights up, as that might not be 
expected, or might not be tested.  You spend time and effort to get 
that configuration going, and a subsequent operations-level error can 
cause weird problems.  If you're going to spend time with uptime, then 
get InfoServer or related going, and get set up to debug the system — 
which includes the NIC — from the local server.  Redundent "warm" NICs? 
 Until you've got much higher uptime requirements, have addressed 
diagnostics and other details, have budgeted for more spare parts and a 
redundant network, and you really a need for it.... Why bother?

Now if your goal is a "just-for-giggles" configuration and not serious, 
and just something you're looking to use and play with, sure, have at.  
Add more NICs.  Add more video controllers.  Create some custom server 
cabinetry.  SCSI controllers.  Racks and racks of disks.  Whatever 
floats your boat...


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