In the two-tiered Administration Server and Branch Server architecture, the Branch Servers are assumed to be in a remote environment, sometimes far from knowledgeable Linux administrators. To simplify Branch Server installation, Novell® Linux Point of Service 9 provides a toolkit that enables administrators to create autoinstall media to automatically install and set up Branch Servers with very little on-site effort.
This functionality is provided through AutoYaST. AutoYaST provides an automatic installation option that allows new branches to be set up at minimal expense. An AutoYaST control file is provided for the basic setup and the description files are generated from the LDAP directory. The resulting ISO file is then burned to a CD for deployment at the Branch Server site.
NOTE:Automatic Branch Server images are created only in ISO format; therefore, CD is the only supported media.
This section outlines the steps required to build an Automatic Branch Server Installation image: