Massively Multiple Boot

[jaeddy]

Here is what I need to do:

The lab guys are constantly re-configuring their network to work out various customer scenarios. What they need is the ability to restore various configurations at will. The quick and ugly solution is to snap-shot each configuration with Norton Ghost or the like, store the images and restore them at need.

Here is what I'd like to do:

Use some sort of disk array with each drive containing a different configuration, then simply adjust the NT boot parameters to point to a different drive in the array to boot to a specific configuration. I know that NT can boot across a network, but what I am lacking here is any experience with this sort of arrangement.

Is this pratical and what sort of an array should I be looking at if it is?

TIA

 

[french01]

A simpler solution; If you are prepared to ware the cost of a drive per system.

Use a removable HDD bay system with multiple drawers to choose from.

Hard wire the bay to primary master.
Have multiple drawers to fit, all pinned as master drives.
Have a different OS installed on each.
Only one in the box at any one time.

Change over time from system #1 to system #64 = Shutdown+DrawerSwap+Boot (about 2 minutes tops)

Works for me
-Hugh

 

[jaeddy]

That was actually suggested and rejected (believe it or not). I've been researching this further and I suspect we will be re-visiting that solution in the very near future.

 

[pbxman]

VMware..
It can boot any operating system within the OS itself. Example...

You are running NT4.0...use VMWARE to load Windows 98 and Linux in windowed-sessions as you need it.
You still have your NT workstation goin...but you can dual-triple-miltiboot O/S'es in a Virtual Machine, and actually run a Win98 game in a window on your NT desktop!

Check it out -

Http://www.vmware.com