General Architecture

ZENworks Linux Management is built on an all-new Services Oriented Architecture (SOA). This architecture represents significant advancements for existing ZENworks customers and is probably a familiar architecture for current ZENworks Linux Management users. Service Oriented Architectures are more scalable, Internet friendly, and secure. This section discusses the ZENworks Linux Management architecture, components, and best practices for rollout.

The first server that you install is called the primary ZENworks server. Additional ZENworks servers, called secondary servers, can be set up and then "joined" to the primary server. The only difference between the primary ZENworks server and the other secondary ZENworks servers is that the database is installed on the primary server. A collection of ZENworks servers is called a zone. ZENworks zones should be on a single LAN for better performance and scalability.

Two main components are typically installed on the primary ZENworks server:

• The database that contains the RPM packages to be delivered, device information, hardware and software inventory, and scheduled actions.

• The ZENworks Object Store, where the device objects, content objects, group memberships, and object relationships are stored.

Every Managed Device, including the ZENworks server(s), has the ZENworks Management Agent. This agent uses the Mono (.NET) runtime environment on which the web services for policies, packages, remote control, and inventory run. In addition to the ZENworks Management Agent, the ZENworks Server has the following components (see Figure 2.1):

• Java runtime for Tomcat to run the ZENworks Control Center

• Java runtime for Tiered Electronic Distribution

• PDHCP server for proxy DHCP

• Imaging server

• TFTP server

Figure 2.1. ZENworks Linux Management architecture.