Re: [9fans] Maintenance of an auth server files vs a dns+dhcp+tftp server

[Stanley Lieber <sl@9front.org>]

Anthony Sorace <a@9srv.net> wrote:

>I'm not sure there's a single "canonical" answer, but many
>installations have run the auth server off its own file system, as
>James originally described. It's been several years now so my memory
>could be fuzzy, but I believe this is what they did at the main Bell
>Labs installation. 
>
>> On Nov 15, 2016, at 14:05, Stanley Lieber <sl@9front.org> wrote:
>> 
>> "James A. Robinson" <jim.robinson@gmail.com> wrote:
>> 
>>> So in a canonical installation the auth server mounts its root from
>the
>>> file server?
>>> 
>>>> On Tue, Nov 15, 2016 at 10:47 AM Stanley Lieber <sl@9front.org>
>wrote:
>>>> 
>>>> The idea is that there is one file system shared by all the
>>> neighboring
>>>> systems. The canonical Plan 9 installation comprises one disk file
>>> server
>>>> and many diskless computing machines (auth servers, cpu servers,
>>> terminals).
>>>> 
>> 
>> Yes. You can arrange for hands-free booting by storing  the same
>authid/authdom/password in the nvram of both the file server and the
>auth server. I usually boot the auth server from a 9fat partition or a
>USB key, then tcp (actually, tls) mount the root file system from the
>file server.
>> 
>> sl
>> 

The reason I used the term "canonical" is because this was the arrangement described in the Plan 9 papers. The single file system was touted as one of the central features of the system, and one of its major benefits.

Example benefit: When a diskless system crashes, there is no danger of damage being done to the file system.

sl