Deploying Debian systems with FAI
The Fully Automatic Installation (FAI) framework developed at the University of Cologne, Germany, relieves the headache of mass installing Debian systems. FAI offers several customization features and allows you to set up virtual systems. The new 3.2.9 [1] version supports Debian Lenny and includes a new partioning tool.
How It Works
FAI manages the installation process by automating the steps executed by the Debian installer. As shown in Figure 1, an FAI server system runs the FAI daemon and also hosts the services necessary to support network-based installation, including NFS, TFTP, and DHCP. In the most basic scenario, a client with a preboot execution environment (PXE)-based network adapter remote boots, gets an IP address from the DHCP server, then obtains the necessary files through TFTP to launch the remote installation.
FAI also works with older computers that do not have PXE support. If you don't have PXE support, you will need to launch the setup manually from a boot image on a floppy disk, CD-ROM, or USB stick. Whether or not your system supports PXE, the start routine will load a bootable kernel. The client then contacts the FAI server and uses NFS to bind its root and configuration directories. These directories contain all the information required to install the client.
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