As an application of all the skills and topics you've encountered in your time here, we will now look to apply them as we create a viable computing environment (think “mini-LAIR”) that is not only functional, but well-documented enabling for even further learning.

Using the 10.80.3.0/24 subnet, where all these resources will be located, I want you all, as a class, collaboratively, to set up a computing environment that provides the following services:

• router
  • communicates with internal and external (ie rest of LAIR) networks
  • provides DNS and DHCP services (if this doesn', SOMETHING needs to)
  • I'd recommend OpenBSD so we can use pf for the firewall
• authentication server
  • stores and manages user credentials
  • NIS, LDAP, and Hesiod are choices for such services
• file server
  • where all user home directories will be located
  • provides network shares to clients on the 10.80.30/24 network
  • NFS would probably be the best thing to run
• web server
  • run an internal web server to better test things
  • potential choices likely include:
    • apache
    • cherokee
    • nginx
    • lighttpd
• database server
  • provide SQL resources for web-based and other services
  • likely choices include:
    • MySQL
    • mariaDB
    • postgreSQL
• network log server
  • collects log data in one place for better diagnostics
  • potential choices could include: rsyslog, syslog-ng
• mail server
  • enables the transmission of mail between users on various machines on this subnet

This is just the core functionality… as part of the general “work on projects” mantra of HPC Experience, having this environment in place will enable you to undertake other projects of interest by using these resources.

REQUIREMENT: You all have to document this (on the course notes wiki). The documentation needs to enable anyone else in the class to recreate said service. I will be asking people to redo random things to test the clarity and viability of the available documentation.

While we have our scheduled class time each week, you may come in to work on this anytime the LAIR is open. The intention is that this project will be involved, and take some time to get to a fully functional state.