Understanding Radmind


Radmind uses transcripts to list all file system objects to be managed. Positive transcripts list objects that must match filename, date, privileges, size, and an optional checksum of the file contents. Negative transcripts list objects that must match only certain attributes depending on the object type. For example, the /Users directory is listed in the negative transcript. Radmind ensures its ownership and privileges are correct, but does not check its contents. This allows you to preserve the contents of users' home directories.

Initially, a client starts with a positive base load transcript, and a negative transcript. This combination tells Radmind what files to manage, and provides a basic system on the client, or loadset. Overload transcripts then can be added in any combination. For example, all of the clients may get security update overloads, but only the video-editing clients get video editing software overloads. All of the administrative clients could get office productivity overloads, while the kiosk clients get a locked-down browser overload.

The list of overloads each client gets is called a command file, with a .K extension, and is simply a list of precedence-ordered transcripts. When a client is first updated, it retrieves its command file. This tells the client what transcripts it needs, and the client retrieves them. Next, Radmind on the client cross checks every hard drive file'against the transcripts and creates a list of each file that needs to be reset or replaced. Finally, the client loads those files from the Radmind server and replaces them. As in all of Mac OS X, Radmind consists of a number of shell scripts, so a filesystem check can be initiated on the client in any number of ways:

  • Automated scripts that are run periodically during off-hours

  • After each logout

  • On startup

  • When a user named "radmind" logs in

  • Manually by an administrator

The server runs the Radmind service that listens for client requests. The server data includes a configuration list of all the clients it manages, the command file for each of those clients, a copy of all the transcripts, and a copy of each of the files that should be managed on the clients.




Apple Training Series(c) Mac OS X v10. 4 System Administration Reference
Apple Training Series: Mac OS X v10.4 System Administration Reference, Volume 2
ISBN: 0321423151
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2006
Pages: 128

flylib.com © 2008-2017.
If you may any questions please contact us: flylib@qtcs.net