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From: lnz@rainbow-warrior.UUCP (Leonard Zubkoff)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apollo
Subject: Updating Large Rings
Message-ID: <8709300505.AA05382@rainbow-warrior.lucid.com>
Date: Wed, 30-Sep-87 01:05:13 EDT
Article-I.D.: rainbow-.8709300505.AA05382
Posted: Wed Sep 30 01:05:13 1987
Date-Received: Sun, 4-Oct-87 19:39:42 EDT
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I can't say that I handle a large network, but I must admit that software
installation can be a significant undertaking even in a 10-15 node ring.  Since
our environment is mostly homogeneous, and we currently use most local disks
only for paging, I solved this problem as follows:

I prepare a prototype node, installing all software in a normal way, and
verifying that all our necessary supporting software operates properly on the
new release.  When I am ready to propagate the new release throughout the
network, I create one or more master tapes by dumping the prototype node to
cartridge tape.  I then restore the master tapes to each node in turn, either
from a local tape drive or via the network.  Minor fixups are required to
compensate for cloning the node under a new name, but I've been using this type
of procedure for almost a year without difficulties.  This typically lets me
completely replace the software on a node in about 45 minutes or so.

Another approach which I have yet to try is to use COPY_TREE (CPT) to copy the
prototype node over the network.  I suspect that for nodes without local tape
drives, this would be faster than CRPing an RBAK from tape as I do now.

If the local disk's are not to be INVOLed each time because they contain user
software beyond what cloning installs, I expect I would follow the same
procedure except for INVOLing the disk and would then merge the new system
software into the old disk, replacing only the system directories.

What do other people do to install software?  Do most people just run the
APOLLO install scripts for every node?

		Leonard Zubkoff
		LUCID, Incorporated