Provisioning a new linux facility

A customer needs to set up a small web cluster in a datacenter. A small engagement will typically include:

• Network Layout and Documentation - describe the hosts, IP addresses, virtual IP addressses, access policies, and access rules that the network would be required to support
• Firewall Setup - Shorewall / IPTables on a small linux server with NAT configuration
• Bandwidth Monitoring - MRTG / SNMP installation
• Fault Tolerance - Balance implementation to provide HTTP load balancing across a set of small servers in the datacenter
• Load Test - JMeter throughput test to certify firewall performance
• Bastion Host Configuration - set up hardened SSH service from known networks to allow remote administration.
• Backup Scripting- making sure your critical files are preserved from harm.

Planning documentation is created before the engagement begins. We review the planned deployment with the customer before the implementation date to make sure it meets the client's needs. These documents include:

• Planned network layout / addressing scheme
• Firewall policy
• Firewall rules - overrides to the default policies
• Performance Targets

Once the deployment is complete, we compare the build notes with the planning documentation, and develop the final build documentation. This includes:

• Actual network layout
• Physical layout
• Firewall configuration
• Load handling certification test results
• Network Services Summary
• Configuration Manifest

These deliverables help guarantee that our customers have complete confidence that their new facility is fully documented, secure, and manageable.