Taming the Beast

Rethink backups. More than likely, when confronted with a large Linux deployment, you're going to be dealing with massive amounts of data. Deciding what data to back up requires careful coordination with stakeholders. Communicate with users so they understand backup limitations. Obviously, written policies are a must, but the occasional e-mail reminder is a good idea as well. As a general rule, you want to back up only absolutely essential data, such as home directories, unless requirements dictate otherwise.

Although it may seem antiquated, do not underestimate the value of serial console access to your Linux systems. When you find yourself in a situation where you can't access a system via SSH or other remote-access protocol, a good-old serial console potentially could be a lifesaver, particularly if you manage systems in a remote data center. Equally important is the ability to power-cycle a machine remotely. Absolutely nothing is more frustrating than having to drive to the data center at 3am to push the power button on an unresponsive system.

Many hardware devices exist for power-cycling systems remotely. I've had good luck with Avocent and APC products, but your mileage may vary. Going back to our “keep it simple” mantra, no matter what solution you select, try to standardize one particular brand if possible. More than likely, you're going to write a wrapper script around your power-cycling utilities, so you can do things like powercycle node.example.com, and having just a single hardware type keeps implementation more straightforward.

No matter how good your tools are, a solid system administration team is essential to managing any large Linux environment effectively. The number of systems managed by my group has grown from about a dozen Linux nodes eight years ago to roughly 4,000 today. We currently operate with an approximate ratio of 500 Linux servers to every one system administrator, and we do this while maintaining a high level of user satisfaction. This simply wouldn't be possible without a skilled group of individuals.

When hiring new team members, I look for Linux professionals, not enthusiasts. What do I mean by that? Many people might view Linux as a hobby or as a source of entertainment, and that's great! But the people on my team see things a little differently. To them, Linux is an awesomely powerful tool—a giant hammer that can be used to solve massive problems. The professionals on my team are curious and always thinking about more efficient ways of doing things. In my opinion, the best large-scale sysadmin is someone who wants to automate any task that needs to be repeated more than once, and someone who constantly thinks about the big picture, not just the single piece of the puzzle that they happen to be working on. Of course, an intimate knowledge of Linux is mandatory, as is a wide range of other computing skills.

In any large Linux shop, there is going to be a certain amount of mundane, low-level work that needs to be performed on a daily basis: rebooting hung systems, replacing failed hard drives and creating new user accounts. The majority of the time, these routine tasks are better suited to your junior admins, but it's beneficial for more senior people to be involved from time to time as they serve as a fresh set of eyes, potentially identifying areas that can streamlined or automated entirely. Senior admins should focus on improving system management efficiency, solving difficult issues and mentoring other team members.

We've touched a few of the areas that make large-scale Linux system administration challenging. Node installing, configuration management and monitoring are all particularly important, but you still need reliable hardware and great people. Managing a large environment can be nerve-racking at times, but never lose sight of the fact that ultimately, it's just a bunch of Linux boxes.