Subject: Re: [vserver] webfrontend (was Re: [vserver] Roadmap and Future ...)
From: Jon Bendtsen <jbendtsen@laerdal.dk>
Date: Fri, 27 Feb 2009 14:41:04 +0100

On 27/02/2009, at 14.30, randall wrote:

> Jon Bendtsen wrote:
>>
>> On 27/02/2009, at 13.44, randall wrote:
>>
>>> Jon Bendtsen wrote:
>>>> I think the webfrontend deserves it's own thread, and then the  
>>>> money could be another thread.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Host managers are capable people, systemadministrators who can  
>>>> surely use SSH and the console. The console is much more powerfull.
>>> true, it would become to complicate to include all possible  
>>> functions and features that can be done much more easier on the  
>>> command line
>>>>
>>>> The guest managers may be more or less capable, they may be  
>>>> systemadministrators, and they may be somewhat technical  
>>>> interrested.
>>>>
>>>> The guest managers buy a guest from someone, and this someone is  
>>>> a Value Added Reseller (host manager). I think a common vserver  
>>>> web interface would make very little difference between VARs.
>>> i could imagine that a "guest manager" is not allowed to have  
>>> access to the host and would have to rely on the reseller for  
>>> basic functions like "stop" "start" "restart" "backup??" and maybe  
>>> some others. Being able to sell a basic control panel along with a  
>>> Vserver guest may be an added value.
>>
>> Do you really ever need to stop, start, restart and backup?
>>
>> You only need stop, start and restart when you change the kernel,  
>> something which the guest admin can not do.
> i had times that it was easier and faster to restart the whole guest  
> then to find out which process to restart,  it might be more handy  
> then essential unless you are changing the /etc/vservers/guest/fstab  
> and other configs.

i doubt guest managers will be allowed to edit in /etc/vservers on the  
host. And how often do you need more diskspace?


>> As for backup... they could just rsync all files to some other  
>> place, or rdiff, or ...
> if some way of "vserver stop" "snapshot" "vserver start" would be  
> possible it would save the trouble of finding out which files are  
> worth to backup AND doing a mysqldump, it would also enable the one  
> selling the guest to sell an easy backup option. diskspace might be  
> cheaper then bandwidth.

The system and binary programs files are so small it doesnt matter if  
you use some software that only transfers them once. That way only the  
changed data are moved every backup.


>> I only see the need for restoring an image if some apt-get dist- 
>> upgrade goes wrong. But i'm pretty sure that happens VERY rarely.
> one of the reasons i like vserver is because i can screw up and  
> experiment with new setups and then simply start over again, but  
> maybe thats just me ;)

I like that too, but i just use the console to make a new guest.


>> like webmin?
> never knew this was there already ;)
> http://www.virtualmin.com/documentation/id,setting_up_a_vservers_host_system/

neither did i.