Network Deletion Device (RIS?)

[sicarie]

Hey everyone. My place of employment hosts several thousand servers, and - as you can guess - we go through drives pretty quickly. Before we can dispose of the drives, we have to make sure nothing is on them. I was using a Solaris jumpstart server, but it has been ... tempramental at best.

I'm looking for a way to use RIS to do this - I would like to be able to just hook it up to a separate network and have it delete itself, and I was wondering what ideas or tips people had on this.

[Chrisjc]

Hey everyone. My place of employment hosts several thousand servers, and - as you can guess - we go through drives pretty quickly. Before we can dispose of the drives, we have to make sure nothing is on them. I was using a Solaris jumpstart server, but it has been ... tempramental at best.

I'm looking for a way to use RIS to do this - I would like to be able to just hook it up to a separate network and have it delete itself, and I was wondering what ideas or tips people had on this.

I am not to sure I am fully understanding your question here.. how ever take a look here this might help you out

http://www.microsoft.c om/whdc/archive/risover.mspx

Good luck, If maybe you explain abit better or give more "detail" I can help you out.

[sicarie]

I am not to sure I am fully understanding your question here.. how ever take a look here this might help you out

http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/archive/risover.mspx

Good luck, If maybe you explain abit better or give more "detail" I can help you out.

Chris-

Thanks for the link - I'll check that out. Sorry about the lack of info - my hand slipped while writing, and submitted it, and then I only posted a quick edit (as the time you are allowed to edit a post is limited) to finish it up.

I'm just looking to replace the JumpStart server we have. We have a tool to do individual multiple-overwrite deletions, but the JumpStart server requires a lot of maintenance (every time you switch disks, it requires a removal and ... resync I guess is the best word, with the JS server). I want to automate this as much as possible - have a server, a switch, and be able to connect machines to it, turn them on, and have them delete.

Anyway, thanks again for the link!

[Chrisjc]

Chris-

Thanks for the link - I'll check that out. Sorry about the lack of info - my hand slipped while writing, and submitted it, and then I only posted a quick edit (as the time you are allowed to edit a post is limited) to finish it up.

I'm just looking to replace the JumpStart server we have. We have a tool to do individual multiple-overwrite deletions, but the JumpStart server requires a lot of maintenance (every time you switch disks, it requires a removal and ... resync I guess is the best word, with the JS server). I want to automate this as much as possible - have a server, a switch, and be able to connect machines to it, turn them on, and have them delete.

Anyway, thanks again for the link!

Rather large project... can be done how ever its more of what software do you want to use? Like do you plan to use the same computer? or bring the whole computer in and have it do it??

There are a lot of things you gotta work out.. what kind of interface the drive has and so on, like if its an SATA Controller that needs a driver first or just a normal IDE, However now that I think of it RIS could do it because you can make custom welcome screens.... I am not sure if its a running a striped down version of dots... or just some Microsoft crap... hmm how many dives come in during a busy time???

Reason I ask is because I learned that shortcuts don't always work.... if you spend an hour each time trying to remember how you setup the big system... if that only happens once every few months or more. In other words...

What I mean is yes doing FIVE computers one at a time can be BS, But if you just make a CD and it... it could still be less work than keeping a full RIS server going, Unless you got like 20 going at a time then I can see a grate use for it.. So let me know and in the mean time I will keep my mind open to this...

[sicarie]

Rather large project... can be done how ever its more of what software do you want to use? Like do you plan to use the same computer? or bring the whole computer in and have it do it??

There are a lot of things you gotta work out.. what kind of interface the drive has and so on, like if its an SATA Controller that needs a driver first or just a normal IDE, However now that I think of it RIS could do it because you can make custom welcome screens.... I am not sure if its a running a striped down version of dots... or just some Microsoft crap... hmm how many dives come in during a busy time???

Reason I ask is because I learned that shortcuts don't always work.... if you spend an hour each time trying to remember how you setup the big system... if that only happens once every few months or more. In other words...

What I mean is yes doing FIVE computers one at a time can be BS, But if you just make a CD and it... it could still be less work than keeping a full RIS server going, Unless you got like 20 going at a time then I can see a grate use for it.. So let me know and in the mean time I will keep my mind open to this...

Yeah, I have as much time as I need for this project, as long as I do end up with a workable result. Many, many drives come in - the last time I took down a single machine, it had an array attached to it with both banks full - so a slow period is 12-16 hd's... I'd say every month or two (so far, I've only been here for 6 months, but we run a LOT of servers, each of which requires redundancy...). The other thing is that we have past hd's. A box up to my waist of them. So if I can create something huge and (relatively) dummy-proof, that won't care if it's SATA, IDE, SCSI, then as long as I can get it onto a server, it'll work.

I'm trying to avoid programming my own multiple-pass disk writer - and use PXE or something else to deploy some freeware or open source tool that already exists (that would be ideal). Thanks for the input so far!

[Chrisjc]

Yeah, I have as much time as I need for this project, as long as I do end up with a workable result. Many, many drives come in - the last time I took down a single machine, it had an array attached to it with both banks full - so a slow period is 12-16 hd's... I'd say every month or two (so far, I've only been here for 6 months, but we run a LOT of servers, each of which requires redundancy...). The other thing is that we have past hd's. A box up to my waist of them. So if I can create something huge and (relatively) dummy-proof, that won't care if it's SATA, IDE, SCSI, then as long as I can get it onto a server, it'll work.

I'm trying to avoid programming my own multiple-pass disk writer - and use PXE or something else to deploy some freeware or open source tool that already exists (that would be ideal). Thanks for the input so far!

Ahh well I will skip my long talk and just take a look at these I am sure you will be rather happy...

http://dban.sourceforge.net/

http://www.nu2.nu/scsitool/#0 I used this back in the day and just recalled it alittle while ago its been years but take a look see.. I find the first link might be more of what your seeking

I am sure this will help you. Any questions let me know

Good luck

[sicarie]

Ahh well I will skip my long talk and just take a look at these I am sure you will be rather happy...

http://dban.sourceforge.net/

http://www.nu2.nu/scsitool/#0 I used this back in the day and just recalled it alittle while ago its been years but take a look see.. I find the first link might be more of what your seeking

I am sure this will help you. Any questions let me know

Good luck

Thanks for the links, looks (so far) like I'm going to be using DBAN modified to not prompt for anything, put onto an image sent out by something like PXELinux.

Thanks again!

[Chrisjc]

Thanks for the links, looks (so far) like I'm going to be using DBAN modified to not prompt for anything, put onto an image sent out by something like PXELinux.

Thanks again!

Anytime let me know how it all comes together.. Been awhile sense I got to clear any HD's sounds like a rather fun project to have had but once completed id be rather bored just running it haha