Actually, your zVM doesn¹t even need FTPSERVE up; you only need the FTP client, which doesn¹t depend on the server at all to go out to another box.
So the list is reduced to z/VM, TCP/IP and the FTP program, plus CMSDDR, if that is needed to deconstruct the package. Setting up an FTP / NFS server was one of the first things we did, and we serve all of the files from there by loopback mounting the various ISO files. With the advent of the DVD ISOs, we can use NFS for the installs; prior to that, having the various CDs loopback mounted confuses NFS, because it won¹t cross a filesystem boundary, so we could only use FTP. In any case, getting this install server up and running saved a lot of future effort. For a beginning site, being able to lay down this server from DDR would be a huge help. The issues would revolve around the customization of this image once it was laid down, such as changing its IP address to fit into the local network. Making sure it was built on globally available DASD (such as being sized for 3390 mod 3¹s) would help for the sites that have no defined mod 9 or 27 devices. I can see where giving the mainframer who is new to Linux an initial, running system, with the ability to support the creation of additional images, would be very helpful. I wish it had been available when I started doing this... -- .~. Robert P. Nix Mayo Foundation /V\ RO-OE-5-55 200 First Street SW / ( ) \ 507-284-0844 Rochester, MN 55905 ^^-^^ ----- "In theory, theory and practice are the same, but ³Join the story... Ride Ural.² in practice, theory and practice are different." On 6/13/07 8:40 AM, "Mike Walter" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Maybe not addressed to the most-affected list, but IBMVM subscribers are > affected, too. Especially those getting into Linux for System z for the first > time. It took us around a year to get the first P.O.C. server installed > because our Internet Security group would not permit a CD drive on anyone's PC > to be connected to the mainframe LAN - not even for a the time it takes to > copy the ISO images. > > Eventually we received a DDR copy to tape of a running Linux FTP server which > we quickly restored in our VM system, and by jumping through extensive hoops > (inserting the CDs on a Linux blade server, then mounting them on USS in z/OS, > and then again mounting them on the new Linux for System z FTP server to > actually begin the installation). What a nightmare and what an absolute waste > of time to begin a P.O.C (all in the name of "security"!). > > I began suggesting the following on July of 2006. Thus far there has been > little-to-no response... > If Novell wants to play in the z/VM market, they should provide an easy way > for existing z/VM customers to download a stripped-down SLES FTP server using > tools that every z/VM customer already has available: the z/VM TCP/IP FTPSERVE > server, and (admittedly something requiring a download from the IBM VM > Download site): the CMSDDR package. > > The new-to-Linux on System z customer could run CMSDDR to download a running > Linux FTP server, bring that up, follow rather simple instructions to > customize it for their network, and then bring it up. Novell could also > supply access to the ISO images such that they could be downloaded directly > through either the CMS FTPSERVE svm, and/or, the newly installed bare-bones > SLES FTP server. There would be no need to permit access from someone's CD > or DVD drive to the "mainframe network", and... no need to go though MS > Windows to perform the downloads... ugh! > > Before Mark Post moved to Novell, perhaps there were insufficient z/VM skills > to make this or other ease/speed-of-installation techniques available at > Novell. Now there may be a light shining at the end of the tunnel? > > Mike Walter > Hewitt Associates > Any opinions expressed herein are mine alone and do not necessarily represent > the opinions or policies of Hewitt Associates. > > > > "Rod" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > Sent by: "The IBM z/VM Operating System" <IBMVM@LISTSERV.UARK.EDU> 06/13/2007 > 02:08 AM > Please respond to > "The IBM z/VM Operating System" <IBMVM@LISTSERV.UARK.EDU> > > > To > IBMVM@LISTSERV.UARK.EDU > cc > Subject > Re: Mini-survey: Linux usability > > > > > When I first got my mitts on this stuff I had awful trouble getting > anything working until Rob walked down the corridor and helped me out. > We then had a series of discussions concerning a bog-standard DDR > image that would get people up and running. > > That was nearly 10 years ago. Given the recent discussion about having > to send notes to Novell to generate sufficient interest to get > something similar, it depresses me to see just how far things have > come in 10 years. > > -- > Rod (Moan over - back to fixing Access dBs (sigh)...) > > > > > The information contained in this e-mail and any accompanying documents may > contain information that is confidential or otherwise protected from > disclosure. If you are not the intended recipient of this message, or if this > message has been addressed to you in error, please immediately alert the > sender by reply e-mail and then delete this message, including any > attachments. Any dissemination, distribution or other use of the contents of > this message by anyone other than the intended recipient is strictly > prohibited. >
