FOG Storage Nodes

Storage Nodes

Creating a new Storage Node for FOG

As you start to create images for your workstations, you might wonder where these large image files are stored.  The answer is that they are stored on a Storage Node.  Additionally, Storage Nodes always belong to a Storage Group.  This article discusses the concept behind Storage Groups and Storage Nodes, and covers the process of creating a new Storage Node.

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What is a Storage Node?

Storage Nodes are used to store images for a FOG server.  By default you have one Storage Node, inside one Storage Group.  Here are some ideas for making better use of Storage Nodes.

Improving performance

If you would like to improve the broadcast delivery speed of your FOG installation, you could create a new Storage Node, and join it to your existing Storage Group.  This new Storage Node will replicate data from your existing Storage Node, and effectively double your bandwidth when delivering images to desktops.

Increasing capacity

If you are starting to run out of storage space, you could simply build a new Storage Node and put it into a new Storage Group.

Isolating Broadcast traffic

If you have a discrete part of your School, let's say the sixth form area, that runs off of it's own network switch, you could provide a new storage node in that area, so that the imaging traffic might be confined to that area, and therefore not affect the rest of your school.  In this scenario you would create a new Storage Node, and join it to a new Storage Group.

Initial preparation

This article assumes that you already have an initial installation of FOG.  Additionally here are some initial steps...

1. Logon to the management interface for your existing installation (eg.  http://your_fog_server/fog/management).
2. Go to About > Fog Settings > .
3. Make a note of the FOG_STORAGENODE_MYSQLUSER value (eg. fogstorage by default).
4. Also note the FOG_STORAGENODE_MYSQLPASS value.

New Storage Group

You might also need to create a new Storage Group if your design requires it (seeIncreasing capacity, and Isolating broadcast traffic above)

1. Logon to the management interface for your existing installation (eg. http://your_fog_server/fog/management).
2. Go to Storage Management.
3. Click Add Storage Group.
4. Give your new Storage Group a meaningful Name and Description.
5. Click Add.
   

Install Ubuntu

Build an Ubuntu Jeos server with the following specifications.  Alternatively you could just as easily build a new physical server.

1. Create a vm with 512 MB ram, one nic, a 20GB hard drive and one processor.
2. Hostname fognode-01.
3. WARNING:  Do not choose fog for the username.
4. Software Selection?  You don't need any for this install.
5. Static IP Address of your choice (eg 192.168.0.65)

Install wget

A bare bones Jeos installation of ubuntu doesn't include wget.

sudo apt-get install wget

Install FOG

Before installing FOG, browse to http://downloads.sourceforge.net/freeghost/ and check to see what the latest version is (it was 0.30 when I wrote this article, see below).  Then log in to your ubuntu server using your username and password, and enter the following commands...

cd /opt

sudo wget http://downloads.sourceforge.net/freeghost/fog_0.30.tar.gz

sudo tar -xvzf fog_0.30.tar.gz

cd fog_0.30/

cd bin

sudo ./installfog.sh

Install wizard

You should now see the  FOG installer screen.

1. Choose 2 (ubuntu).
2. Choose S (storage).
3. Leave the IP address as 192.168.0.61
4. Choose No when invited to change the default NIC.
5. Enter the IP address for your main FOG server.
6. Enter the FOG_STORAGENODE_MYSQLUSER from the previous section.
7. Enter the FOG_STORAGENODE_MYSQLPASS from the previous section.
8. Install additional language packs if you need them, otherwise select No.
9. Confirm Yes to the summary information.
10. IMPORTANT:  Make a note of the Username, and Password provided.
11. Your Storage Node is now installed!

Configuration

The final step is to add your new Storage Node in the FOG Management console.

1. Logon to the management interface (eg.  http://your_fog_server/fog/management).
2. Go to Storage Management > Add Storage Nodes.
3. Give your Storage Node a meaningful Name and Description.
4. Enter its IP Address.
5. Type a value for Max Clients (10 is recommended).
6. Choose a Storage Group from the drop-down list.
7. If this is the only Storage Node in the Storage Group, make it the Master Node.  Otherwise typically leave the Master Node unselected.  Be careful here!  If you make a new empty Node a Master Node, it will wipe all other Nodes in that Storage Group.
8. Enter the Image Location and don't forget the last forward-slash (eg. /images/)
9. Make sure your Storage Node is Enabled.
10. Enter the Username and Password from the previous section.

Your new Storage Node can now be selected when creating new Image definitions.