Managing Workstation Infrastructures¶

This chapter describes how to manage client workstations with a SIMP system including GUIs, repositories, virtualization, Network File System (NFS), printing, and Virtual Network Computing (VNC).

Infrastructure Setup¶

The following sections provide examples for setting up a SIMP workstation environment.

User Workstation Setup¶

Below is an example class, /etc/puppet/modules/site/manifests/workstation.pp, that could be used to set up a user workstation.

class site::workstation {
  include 'site::gui'
  include 'site::repos'
  include 'site::virt'
  include 'site::automount'
  include 'site::print::client'

  # Make sure everyone can log into all nodes.
  # If you want to change this, simply remove this line and add
  # individual entries to your nodes as appropriate
  pam::access::manage { "Allow Users":
    comment => 'Allow all users in the "users" group to access the system from anywhere.',
    users   => '(users)',
    origins => ['ALL']
  }

  # General Use Packages
  package { [
    'pidgin',
    'git',
    'control-center-extra',
    'gconf-editor',
    'evince',
    'libreoffice-writer',
    'libreoffice-xsltfilter',
    'libreoffice-calc',
    'libreoffice-impress',
    'libreoffice-emailmerge',
    'libreoffice-base',
    'libreoffice-math',
    'libreoffice-pdfimport',
    'bluefish',
    'gnome-media',
    'pulseaudio',
    'file-roller',
    'inkscape',
    'gedit-plugins',
    'planner'
  ]: ensure => 'latest'
  }
}

Graphical Desktop Setup¶

Below is an example manifest called /etc/puppet/modules/site/manifests/gui.pp for setting up a graphical desktop on a user workstation.

class site::gui {
  include 'xwindows::gdm'
  include 'windowmanager::gnome'
  include 'vnc::client'

   # Compiz Stuff
  package { [
    'fusion-icon',
    'emerald-themes',
    'compiz-fusion-extras',
    'compiz-fusion-extras-gnome',
    'vinagre'
  ]:
    ensure => 'latest'
  }
}

Workstation Repositories¶

Below is an example manifest called /etc/puppet/modules/site/manifests/repos.pp for setting up workstation repositories.

class site::repos {
  # Whatever local yumrepo statements you need for installing
  # your packages and keeping your systems up to date
}

Virtualization on User Workstations¶

Below is an example manifest called /etc/puppet/modules/site/manifests/virt.pp for allowing virtualization on a user workstation.

# We allow users to run VMs on their workstations.
# If you don't want this, just don't include this class.
# If this is installed, VM creation and management is still limited by PolicyKit

class site::virt {
  include 'libvirt::kvm'
  include 'libvirt::ksm'
  include 'network::redhat'

  network::redhat::add_eth { "em1":
    bridge => 'br0',
    hwaddr => $::macaddress_em1
  }

  network::redhat::add_eth { "br0":
    net_type => 'Bridge',
    hwaddr => $::macaddress_em1,
    require => Network::Redhat::Add_eth["em1"]
  }

  common::swappiness::conf { 'default':
    high_swappiness => '80',
    max_swappiness => '100'
  }

  # If 80% of memory is used, flush caches.
  exec { 'flush_cache_himem':

    command => '/bin/echo 1 > /proc/sys/vm/drop-caches',
    onlyif => inline_template("/bin/<%= memoryfree.split(/\s/)[0].
    to_f/memorysize.split(/\s/)[0].to_f < 0.2 ? true : false %>")
  }

  package { 'virt-manager': ensure => 'latest' }
}

Network File System¶

Below is an example manifest called /etc/puppet/modules/site/automount.pp for Network File System setup.

#If you are not using NFS, you do not need to include this.

class site::automount {
  include 'autofs'

  file { '/net':
    ensure => 'directory',
    mode   => '0755'
  }

#A global share
Autofs::map::master { ‘share’:
  mount_point => ‘/net’,
  map_name    => ‘/etc/autofs/share.map’
}
#Map the share
autofs::map::entry { ‘share’:
  options    => ‘-fstype=nfs4, port=2049.soft’,
location    => “${::nfs_server}:/share’.
Target     => ‘share’
}
}

Setting up a Printer Environment¶

Below are example manifests for setting up a printing environment.

Setting up a Print Client¶

Below is an example manifest called /etc/puppet/modules/site/manifests/print/client.pp for setting up a print client.

class site::print::client inherits site::print::server {
  polkit::local_authority { 'print_support':
    identity                 => ['unix_group:*'],
    action                   => 'org.opensuse.cupskhelper.mechanism.*',
    section_name       => 'Allow all print management permissions',
    result_any            => 'yes',
    result_interactive => 'yes',
    result_active         => 'yes'
  }

  package { 'cups-pdf': ensure => 'latest' }
  package { 'cups-pk-helper': ensure => 'latest' }
  package { 'system-config-printer': ensure => 'present' }
}

Setting up a Print Server¶

Below is an example manifest called /etc/puppet/modules/site/manifests/print/server.pp for setting up a print server.

class site::print::server {

  # Note, this is *not* set up for being a central print server.
  # You'll need to add the appropriate IPTables rules for that to work.
  package { 'cups': ensure => 'latest' }

  service { 'cups':
    enable     => 'true',
    ensure     => 'running',
    hasrestart => 'true',
    hasstatus  => 'true',
    require    => Package['cups']
  }
}

VNC¶

Virtual Network Computing (VNC) is a tool that is used to manage desktops and workstations remotely through the standard setup or a proxy.

VNC Standard Setup¶

Note

You must have the pupmod-vnc RPM installed to use VNC on your system!

To enable remote access via VNC on the system, include vnc::server in Hiera for the node.

The default VNC setup that comes with SIMP can only be used over SSH and includes three default settings:

Setting Type

Setting Details

Standard

Port: 5901

Resolution: 1024x768@16

Low Resolution

Port: 5902

Resolution: 800x600@16

High Resolution

Port: 5903

Resolution: 1280x1024@16

Table: VNC Default Settings

To connect to any of these settings, SSH into the system running the VNC server and provide a tunnel to 127.0.0.1:<VNC Port>. Refer to the SSH client’s documentation for specific instructions.

To set up additional VNC port settings, refer to the code in `/etc/puppet/modules/vnc/manifests/server.pp <file:///etc/puppet/modules/vnc/manifests/server.pp>`__ for examples.

Important

Multiple users can log on to the same system at the same time with no adverse effects; however, none of these sessions are persistent.

To maintain a persistent VNC session, use the vncserver application on the remote host. Type man vncserver to reference the manual for additional details.

VNC Through a Proxy¶

The section describes the process to VNC through a proxy. This setup provides the user with a persistent VNC session.

Important

In order for this setup to work, the system must have a VNC server (vserver.your.domain), a VNC client (vclnt.your.domain), and a proxy (proxy.your.domain). A vuser account must also be set up as the account being used for the VNC. The vuser is a common user that has access to the server, client, and proxy.

Modify Puppet¶

If definitions for the machines involved in the VNC do not already exist in Hiera, create an /etc/puppet/hieradata/hosts/vserv.your.domain.yaml file. In the client hosts file, modify or create the entries shown in the examples below. These additional modules will allow vserv to act as a VNC server and vclnt to act as a client.

VNC Server node

# vserv.your.domain.yaml
classes:
  - 'windowmanager::gnome'
  - 'mozilla::firefox'
  - 'vnc::server'

VNC client node

# vclnt.your.domain.yaml
classes:
  - 'windowmanager::gnome'
  - 'mozilla::firefox'
  - 'vnc::client'

Run the Server¶

As vuser on vserv.your.domain, type vncserver.

The output should mirror the following:

New ‘vserv.your.domain:<Port Number> (vuser)’ desktop is vserv.your.domain:<Port Number>

Starting applications specified in /home/vuser/.vnc/xstartup Log file is /home/vuser/.vnc/vserv.your.domain:<Port Number>.log

Note

Remember the port number; it will be needed to set up an SSH tunnel.

Set up an SSH Tunnel¶

Set up a tunnel from the client (vclnt), through the proxy server (proxy), to the server (vserv). The table below lists the steps to set up the tunnel.

On the workstation, type ssh -l vuser -L 590***<Port Number>*:localhost:590***<Port Number>***proxy.your.domain**

Note

This command takes the user to the proxy.

On the proxy, type ssh -l vuser -L 590***<Port Number>*:localhost:590***<Port Number>***vserv.your.domain**

Note

This command takes the user to the VNC server.

Table: Set Up SSH Tunnel Procedure

Note

The port number in 590<Port Number> is the same port number as previously described. For example, if the <Port Number> was 6, then all references below to 590<Port Number> become 5906.

Set Up Clients¶

On vclnt.your.domain, type vncviewer localhost:590\ ***<Port Number>*** to open the Remote Desktop viewer.

Troubleshooting VNC Issues¶

If nothing appears in the terminal window, X may have crashed. To determine if this is the case, type ps -ef | grep XKeepsCrashing

If any matches result, stop the process associated with the command and try to restart vncviewer on vclnt.your.domain.