Re: [hobbit] hobbit, bb-host and bb-client

[Henrik Stoerner <henrik (at) hswn.dk>]

On Wed, Jan 12, 2005 at 09:32:31AM -0500, Christopher T. Beers wrote:

> 1.  It appears there are some files that need to be synced on all machines 
> (ie bb-hosts, bb-cputab, etc).  I am trying to get around this and have 
> local files be only specific to the machines they are installed on.  What 
> is required in the bb-hosts file on a client machine?  Safe to say the 
> bb-[other] files need only definitions for the localhost machine?

The client machines only need a very minimal configuration, and
syncing with the Hobbit server files really isn't needed.

Clients need:

1) A bb-hosts file that lists the client itself and the Hobbit server.
   The hobbit server should be listed with a BBDISPLAY tag. You
   dont need the BBPAGER tag, because Hobbit handles alerts very 
   differently and will in fact silently ignore any "page" messages
   sent to it.

2) bb-cputab, bb-dftab, bb-proctab, bb-msgstab, bb-bbexttab: These are
   purely local configuration files. Each client can have their own,
   listing just their own configuration.

I know that this runs contrary to the popular wisdom with BB, but for
a large setup I think it's the only way that makes sense.


For servers: If you are running separate display- and network-test
servers (BBDISPLAY and BBNET in Big Brother), then you should make
sure to keep the bb-hosts file in sync between these servers.


> 2.  Just to be curious, how do people sync these files across their 
> enterprise securely?

rsync over ssh, using SSH keys.


> 3.  Is it safe to assume that the bb-hosts file for the hobbit server is 
> not compatable with bb-clients (ie subpage, include, distinclude, etc)?  If 
> so, how do people create a sanitized file for syncing?

BB clients will ignore any tags they don't know, so using a bb-hosts
file written for Hobbit on a simple BB client should not give any
problems.


Henrik