We're actually considering creating a free downloadable ISO version that basically takes the software inside the Intrepid and can be used to burn a DVD. You could then take this DVD, boot off it, and turn a random machine into a a homebrew version of the appliance.
Would this be interesting to the OSS community?
If so, how many machines do you think the average OSS guy who might use the DVD would want to manage?
For those who would like more details on how the Levanta technology, and specifically the Intrepid M, works, I thought I'd jot down a quick response. After LinuxWorld, we plan to update the website with additional technical information, as well as a conceptual Flash demo, that should help answer some of the technical questions.
In the meantime...
As a basic concept, the Levanta technology marries network-boot provisioning with data virtualization and change control. MapFS, a GPLed Linux kernel-loadable module, is an integral part of this process, as is PXE-boot.
However, rather than trying to post a white paper's worth of content here, with limited space and no ability to draw diagrams (you don't want to see my ASCII art), it's probably best to refer those who are interested to a recent report published by Illuminata, a niche technology research firm specializing in grids, clusters, virtualization, and other leading edge stuff. Illuminata does a good job of giving an introduction to the architecture, including a few basic diagrams.
You can access the Illuminata paper below, no registration necessary:
[Full Disclosure: Levanta did not commission this paper from Illuminata and it's available to Illuminata subscribers. However, we did purchase redistribution rights to it.]
Currently, Levanta supports managing Linux servers and workstations, although we're seriously considering adding Open Solaris support for next year. Right now, officially supported Linux distros cover Fedora, SuSE, and RedHat, although other RPM-based distros like CentOS are sometimes possible. Levanta can manage these distros running on x86 hardware (racks, blades, boxes), VMWare virtual machines, and z/VM sessions on zSeries mainframes.
Levanta Release 3.3 exists as two software products that support x86 and zSeries. The new Intrepid is actually running Release 4 of the Levanta software. We currently plan to port the new features of Release 4 to the software product lines in the near future.
For those who were asking, "Why sell a device?", there were many factors that contributed to our decision:
-Some were technical. For example, the Levanta Manager needs access to shared storage to act as the data store. Many customers like having the idea of the storage 'built in', especially if they don't already have ready access to NFS, iSCSI, or SAN.
-It costs less. The Intrepid appliance licenses actually cost less than the standalone software. With an appliance, there are fewer things like a multitude of shared storage device drivers and SMIS differences to worry about, which reduces our R&D and support costs. This, in turn, lets us come out with a lower-priced product.
-Simplicity. One of our key goals was to make a product that is easier for a broader range of people to use. This is especially important now that Linux is growing beyond universities, data centers, and hobbyists and (hopefully) is on its way to becoming more mainstream. It was easier to make the technology more 'plug and play' by putting it in a box.
If you plan to be at the SF LinuxWorld, feel free to pop by and ask questions.
Slashdot Mirror
We're actually considering creating a free downloadable ISO version that basically takes the software inside the Intrepid and can be used to burn a DVD. You could then take this DVD, boot off it, and turn a random machine into a a homebrew version of the appliance. Would this be interesting to the OSS community? If so, how many machines do you think the average OSS guy who might use the DVD would want to manage?
For those who would like more details on how the Levanta technology, and specifically the Intrepid M, works, I thought I'd jot down a quick response. After LinuxWorld, we plan to update the website with additional technical information, as well as a conceptual Flash demo, that should help answer some of the technical questions.
o sting.pdf
In the meantime...
As a basic concept, the Levanta technology marries network-boot provisioning with data virtualization and change control. MapFS, a GPLed Linux kernel-loadable module, is an integral part of this process, as is PXE-boot.
However, rather than trying to post a white paper's worth of content here, with limited space and no ability to draw diagrams (you don't want to see my ASCII art), it's probably best to refer those who are interested to a recent report published by Illuminata, a niche technology research firm specializing in grids, clusters, virtualization, and other leading edge stuff. Illuminata does a good job of giving an introduction to the architecture, including a few basic diagrams.
You can access the Illuminata paper below, no registration necessary:
http://www.levanta.com/downloads/docs/levantaPDFp
[Full Disclosure: Levanta did not commission this paper from Illuminata and it's available to Illuminata subscribers. However, we did purchase redistribution rights to it.]
Currently, Levanta supports managing Linux servers and workstations, although we're seriously considering adding Open Solaris support for next year. Right now, officially supported Linux distros cover Fedora, SuSE, and RedHat, although other RPM-based distros like CentOS are sometimes possible. Levanta can manage these distros running on x86 hardware (racks, blades, boxes), VMWare virtual machines, and z/VM sessions on zSeries mainframes.
Levanta Release 3.3 exists as two software products that support x86 and zSeries. The new Intrepid is actually running Release 4 of the Levanta software. We currently plan to port the new features of Release 4 to the software product lines in the near future.
For those who were asking, "Why sell a device?", there were many factors that contributed to our decision:
-Some were technical. For example, the Levanta Manager needs access to shared storage to act as the data store. Many customers like having the idea of the storage 'built in', especially if they don't already have ready access to NFS, iSCSI, or SAN.
-It costs less. The Intrepid appliance licenses actually cost less than the standalone software. With an appliance, there are fewer things like a multitude of shared storage device drivers and SMIS differences to worry about, which reduces our R&D and support costs. This, in turn, lets us come out with a lower-priced product.
-Simplicity. One of our key goals was to make a product that is easier for a broader range of people to use. This is especially important now that Linux is growing beyond universities, data centers, and hobbyists and (hopefully) is on its way to becoming more mainstream. It was easier to make the technology more 'plug and play' by putting it in a box.
If you plan to be at the SF LinuxWorld, feel free to pop by and ask questions.