Installing and Upgrading
From Wiki@Commgate
System Requirements
Overview
General hardware requirements and recommendations are listed here.
Network Cards
PCI Network Cards
Generally, Linux does a good job at auto-detecting hardware. Most mass-market PCI network cards are supported. Refer to Red Hat Hardware Compatibility List to check the compatibility of your network card. If you see your network card listed for an older version of Red Hat, then the card is almost certainly also supported in more recent versions. If you plan on buying new network cards for CommGate and have two spare PCI slots, then save yourself some time and select the network cards that are designated 100% compatible.
ISA Network Cards
Do you only have ISA slots available or older ISA network cards around? You can still install the CommGate software, but it will take some extra work to get the network cards working. You may have to edit the driver configuration file - see ISA Network Cards.
Wireless Network Cards
Though wireless card drivers are included in CommGate, we cannot guarantee compatibility. For this reason, wireless network cards are not recommended. Instead, we suggest purchasing a dedicated wireless router for your network.
Internet Connection
CommGate supports most DSL (including PPPoE) and cable modem broadband Internet connections. We do not expect to add support for ISDN or satellite broadband at present. However, if you have had success with getting Linux working on such a system, then please let us know. We want to hear from you!
Cable Modems
Most cable modem Internet service providers will include a standard Ethernet card and external modem to enable your high-speed Internet connection. The days of proprietary software and logins are mostly behind us, so you should be able to set up CommGate without too much tinkering. However, some cable modem providers may still have some quirks. Fortunately, Vladimir Vuksan has put together a great resource of Cable Modem Providers. If you are having trouble getting CommGate to work with your cable ISP, check the following web site for some troubleshooting tips.
CommGate includes the software required to connect to Australia's Telstra Big Pond Service. Make sure you select the BPALogin option in the installation wizard.
DSL and PPPoE
During the CommGate installation process, you will be asked which type of DSL service you use - PPPoE or Standard. These are mutually exclusive implementations, so you will need to select the correct type during installation. It is very important to know how your Internet service provider configures your network. If you are not sure, ask the ISP's technical support staff before you begin.
Wireless
The software supports wireless networks. Make sure you select a supported wireless card.
ISDN
We do not support ISDN Internet service providers.
Links
Compatibility
Overview
CommGate Server 4.x is based on Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4. For the most part, hardware that is compatible with Enterprise Linux will be compatible with CommGate. For checking compatibility, check the online Red Hat Compatibility Guide - Version 4. Keep in mind, there are many other hardware products that are compatible -- the list is not exhaustive.
Here are some tips when selecting hardware:
- Avoid the latest technologies and chipsets. This will reduce the likelihood of compatibility issues and the possible reliability issues that might come with unproven hardware.
- Avoid desktop systems. You may save a few hundred dollars on a desktop system, but they are more likely to fail when used as a server/gateway.
- In case you missed the previous bullet point, avoid desktop systems.
- Check the vendors web site for Linux compatibility. If you can purchase ServerXYZ with a version of Red Hat Enterprise Linux pre-installed, then the system is very likely compatible with CommGate.
Vendors
When it comes to Linux support, some hardware vendors are better than others
Recommended
The following vendors ship servers with Linux pre-installed and have a good record when it comes to driver support. You should still check the Red Hat Compatibility Guide - Version 4, especially on any new models.
- Dell servers (not desktops')
- HP servers
- IBM servers
Not Recommended
The following vendors have a poor track record for Linux support.
- Supermicro
- Promise
- Dell Optiplex desktops
RAID Compatibility
See RAID Support.
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RAID Support
Overview
Both software and hardware RAID are supported in CommGate. If you plan on implementing hardware RAID, please read the section below regarding supported hardware. Before you decide to purchase an expensive hardware RAID controller card, consider the following passage from the experts at [1]
"Software RAID has unfortunately fallen victim to a FUD (fear, uncertainty, doubt) campaign in the system administrator community. I can't count the number of system administrators whom I've heard completely disparage all forms of software RAID, irrespective of platform. Many of these same people have admittedly not used software RAID in several years, if at all.
Why the stigma? Well, there are a couple of reasons. For one, when software RAID first saw the light of day, computers were still slow and expensive (at least by today's standards). Offloading a high-performance task like RAID I/O onto a CPU that was likely already heavily overused meant that performing fundamental tasks such as file operations required a tremendous amount of CPU overhead. (...) But today, even multiprocessor systems are both inexpensive and common."
The rest of the passage is available online in the sample chapter: Managing RAID on Linux from O'Reilly. The book is an excellent resource and highly recommended!
Software RAID
You can implement software RAID in CommGate by selecting the Advanced Partitioning option during the installation wizard and then following the detailed instructions in the Red Hat 9 User Guide:
Hardware RAID
Some hardware RAID controller cards are not true hardware controller cards. They are simple IDE controllers with BIOS and drivers to do software RAID. If redundancy is your primary concern, then software RAID will serve you better than a quasi-hardware RAID card. To quote (again) from the Managing RAID on Linux book from O'Reilly:
"The low-end (RAID) controllers are, in essence, software RAID controllers because they rely on the operating system to handle RAID operations and because they store array configuration information on individual component disk. The real value of the controller is in the extra ATA channels."
Supported hardware RAID cards:
- Adaptec SCSI - 200x, 21xx, 22xx, 27xx, 28xx, 29xx, 32xx, 34xx, 39xx, 54xx
- Adaptec IDE - 2400A
- 3ware - 5xxx/6xxx/7xxx/8xxx/9500S/9550SX(U)/9590S
Non-supported, but may work:
- Check the ATA (SATA) on Linux web site
Non-supported and not recommended:
- Most Promise hardware, notably FastTrak100 TX and FastTrak TX2000
- Adaptec ATA RAID 12xx
As a rule of thumb, if a hardware card is under USD $150, then it is probably not true hardware RAID (and therefore likely not supported).
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Starting the Install
Installation CD
A bootable CD drive is required to install the CommGate software. The rest of the software is installed from the CD-ROM or directly over your high-speed Internet connection.
Starting the Installation
**Warning!** The contents of all your hard disks on the target computer will be completely erased.
- If necessary, change your BIOS settings to run bootable CDs
- Insert the CommGate CD
- Turn on your target computer
- Follow the installation wizard
Links
Serial ATA (SATA) Technical Guide
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Configuration Options
Selecting Your Server Type
CommGate now supports standalone server mode. This mode is used to create a server on a local area network (behind an existing firewall). Only one network card is required. Gateway Mode allows your system to act as a firewall and server on your local network and at least two network cards. If you have two or more network cards installed in the server and want to protect your local network against threats originating from the Internet, then select gateway mode.
Selecting Your Network Connection Type
If you are installing with a CD-ROM, you will need to select the type of Internet connection you have (DSL, DSL/PPPoE, Cable).
Selecting Your Network Card Drivers
You will need to manually configure your network card settings if the installer does not automatically detect the driver. Most ISA-based network cards may also require the I/O and IRQ settings for the driver. See the Linux Ethernet HOWTO and ISA Network Cards for some tips and tricks.
Configuring Your Network
Unless your Internet Service Provider (ISP) provides a static IP address, it is recommended that you use Dynamic IP Configuration. If your ISP assigns a static IP you will need to enter the individual TCP/IP settings as provided by your ISP. Make sure you have these settings available during the installation process.
Configuring Your Network - PPPoE
CommGate supports PPPoE DSL connections. Add the username and password provided by your ISP on this screen. If they have also specified DNS servers (usually, not), then enter the primary and secondary name servers here.
Configuring Your LAN IP Address
If you are installing CommGate as a gateway, you must specify the network settings for your local area network. The LAN hostname can be used instead of the IP address for many network tools. For instance, you will be able to access the web-based administration tool at https://<LAN-hostname>:81 in your web browser.
Selecting Your Hostname - Password - Timezone
The next few screens will ask for your system name, system password and time zone.
**Warning!** Do not forget your system password!
Selecting Your Hard Disk Partitioning Settings
If you would like to specify your own partition scheme, then you should select "yes" on the "Select Partition Type" screen. The Advanced Partitioning screen will appear in the second stage of the installation process... don't panic!
Selecting Your Software
Select the software components to install on your system. Not all the modules (including AppleTalk and Junkbuster) are shown here - don't panic. With the CommGate web-based configuration, you can add other modules at any time.
Configure Partitioning and RAID
Overview
For some installations, you may want to define a custom partition scheme instead of using the default.
Typically, custom partitioning is required for:
- Software RAID
- Creating a separate /home partition
- Data redundancy with DRBD
Select Advanced Partitioning
If you do not wish to use the default partitioning scheme on your system, then select advanced partitioning in the installation wizard (see screenshot).
Warning! The tool for creating partitions will appear at a later stage in the installer. Continue with the rest of the installation wizard after selecting the partition type on this screen.
Using the Disk Druid Partition Tool
When the installer displays a disk partitioning setup page, select the Disk Druid option on this screen. The documentation for this partitioning tool is available here:
Example: Software RAID 1
Using software RAID is a common way to protect against a hard disk failure. Here is a step-by-step guide to implement Software RAID 1 on regular IDE hard disks.
Preparing the Hardware
For software RAID 1, you need two hard disks. Since the RAID partitions on both the hard disks must be of equal size, it is a good idea to use two hard disks with (roughly) the same storage capacity. In our example, we are using two IDE disks on two different disk controllers. These hard disks are detected in Linux as:
- /dev/hda
- /dev/hdc
Deleting Existing Partitions
Some hard disks may have partitions already defined. These existing partitions (if any) must first be deleted.
- Use the tab key to move to the main window (one tab after highlighting the Back button)
- Use the up/down arrows to select a partition
- Use the tab key to highlight the Delete button and hit return
- Repeat until all partitions are deleted
Creating the Swap Partition
After all the partitions are deleted, we can start our RAID configuration. First, we are going to start with the swap memory partitions. Putting swap memory on a software RAID partition is not recommended. For this reason, simply create swap partitions on both hard disks.
- Tab to the New button and hit return
- Tab down to File System Type and select swap
- Tab to Allowable Drives and mark only hda and take the mark off of hdc.
- Tab down to Size (MB) and type in the size of your RAM in megabytes (MB)
- Tab down to OK and hit return.
Repeat the same process, but this time mark hdc as an allowable drive and take the mark off of hda.
Creating RAID Partitions
The boot partition (/boot) is where we are going to start with our RAID solution.
- Tab to the New button and hit return
- Tab down to File System Type and select software raid
- Tab to Allowable Drives and mark only hda and take the mark off of hdc.
- Tab down to Size (MB) and type in 100
- Tab down to OK and hit return.
Repeat the same process, but this time mark hdc as an allowable drive and take the mark off of hda. Now that we have two identical 100 MB partitions on both disks, we can create the software RAID disk:
- Tab to the RAID button and hit return
- Type in /boot in the Mount Point field
- Tab to RAID Level and select RAID1
- Tab to RAID Members and make sure the two partitions created earlier are selected
This example creates the /boot partition. Go through the same process for the root partition (/) and optionally any other partition that you want to create (/home, /var, etc.).
Configuring the Boot Loader
We are almost done with the software RAID configuration. Next, the installation wizard will ask for the boot loader settings.
- Select Grub as your boot loader
- Disable the boot password (unless you really need it)
Warning! If have trouble booting up your system with Grub, you can use the Lilo boot loader as an alternative. However, you will need to type the following on the first installation screen: linux lilo.
If the secondary disk fails (/dev/hdc), then the system will still be bootable. If the primary disk fails (/dev/hda), then your system will not boot. In order to make the secondary disk bootable as well, run the following command:
grub-install /dev/hdc
Or:
grub-install --recheck /dev/hdc
Testing Software RAID
If you would like to sanity check your RAID system, then:
- Power down the machine
- Unplug the data connector from the drive (just unplugging the power is going to make the BIOS unhappy and the system will not be bootable)
- Power up the machine
Links
Red Hat Installation Guide
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Troubleshooting
There are thousands of pieces of hardware and related drivers available for use in the PC world. The advantage: consumer choice. The disadvantage: hardware compatibility issues are common. There are several debug screens in the installer that can help when an installation fails. Use the Alt-FX key combination to view:
- Alt-F1: main install screen
- Alt-F2: command line (not always available)
- Alt-F3: general log
- Alt-F4: driver log
- Alt-F5: hard disk / CD log
