SystemBuilder Overview

Automating CentOS and Red Hat Enterprise Linux deployment and maintenance today requires costly, complex management solutions. SystemBuilder provides a standard, reliable alternative. SystemBuilder works by packaging system-specific software and configuration into compact deployment bundles, or distributions, that can be used, either standalone or in combination with existing management solutions, to install and update client machines in virtually any IT environment.

Traditional solutions are full-featured, yet costly, complex and proprietary. Deployment Models SystemBuilder leverages existing standards to provide a flexible, reliable alternative.

SystemBuilder is a lightweight solution for deploying and maintaining CentOS and Red Hat Enterprise Linux systems using complete, standard, reliable system distributions.

Complete

  • Compact. Distributions contain just the software and configuration needed by the system. Because they are small, they can be installed and updated efficiently using minimal network resources. In addition, they contain fewer components to test, secure, and maintain.
  • Software and configuration. SystemBuilder provides a uniform RPM-based approach for packaging, deploying and updating software and configuration. SystemBuilder can be used as an alternative for, or in combination with, full-featured configuration management solutions.
  • Installations and updates. Distributions supply consistent content to both new machine installations and existing machine updates. Running SystemBuilder over time refreshes distributions, making new content available for testing, deployment and maintenance.

Standard

  • Minimal infrastructure.SystemBuilder generates distributions in a standard operating system format, allowing clients to be installed and updated using only a web server and an optional network boot (TFTP) server.
  • Local and remote. In high-speed, dependable network environments, distributions can be used to deploy systems directly over the network. Over less reliable networks, distribution contents can be transferred to CD/DVDs and installed without requiring network connectivity.
  • Managed and unmanaged. Distributions can be used in combination with existing management and monitoring solutions in a data center environment. Additionally, they are well suited for unmanaged and lightly-managed environments including small business and remote offices.
  • Physical and virtual. Distributions can be used for installing both physical and virtual machines. In all cases, simply install the distribution from a CD/DVD or network installation server, just as if installing CentOS or Red Hat Enterprise Server from scratch.

Reliable

  • Self-contained. SystemBuilder creates complete, autonomous sets of software and configuration. This allows administrators full control over software components and versions, easing maintenance and providing increased overall reliability.
  • Automated. SystemBuilder allows administrators to create distributions automatically, using text-based definition files. This minimizes manual errors and allows maintenance using batch processes. Definition files also serve to document distribution contents, ensuring complete, accurate information and easy, reliable knowledge transfer.

For developing, testing and deploying Linux applications, or for managing Linux infrastructure solutions, SystemBuilder provides a clean solution for configuring, deploying and maintaining systems using complete, standard, reliable distributions.