Ignite-UX Features

Client and Server Control

The installation sessions for multiple targets can be controlled from a single Ignite-UX server in a true client/server model. A GUI is provided to run on the server and manage multiple simultaneous client installation sessions. Alternatively, a single installation session can be controlled from the client machine. A single Ignite-UX installation server can serve multiple releases of HP-UX for different clients.

Easy-to-Use GUI

The Ignite-UX GUI uses tabs and dialog boxes for task navigation. The Ignite-UX GUI only runs on an Ignite-UX server.

Terminal User Interface

Ignite-UX uses a terminal user interface (TUI) with keyboard navigation when run from a client. Ignite may also be run in TUI mode from the server.

Command Line Interface

Commands that power Ignite-UX can be executed directly from the operating system's command shell on an Ignite-UX server or client. For the list of commands, see “Ignite-UX Commands and Manpages”.

Multi-Sourced Installations

Installations can use multiple Software Distributor (SD) depots in a single installation session. For example, you could install your base OS from one SD depot, a set of patches from another SD depot, and the applications you want from a third SD depot; all in one session.

Multiple Archive Formats

Ignite-UX supports tar, cpio, and pax format archives. (To use the pax format with 11i v2, you must have the PAX_Enh™ product installed. The pax format is not available for 11i v1.) Tools are provided to help you create a golden image if you wish to install from an archive. You can use one archive along with one or more depots containing patches or additional software.

One-Step Installation

Once you configure a system with a common configuration you want replicated to other systems, use Ignite-UX to either manually or automatically install each client system. This common configuration can include any supported HP-UX 11i operating system, and you can add any required patches and applications.

Custom Installations

It is easy to create a system that is ready to go as soon as the installation session completes. Many of the tasks that are typically done as separate steps after an installation have been incorporated into the installation process. Ignite-UX allows you to specify kernel parameters you want set and user-supplied scripts you would like to run as part of the session. In addition, the host and networking information normally supplied at first boot can be specified at install time.

Golden Images

A system that has been installed and tuned may be used to create an image. That image may be used as a custom configuration that may be applied in installations to other systems.

Automated Installations

Set up a configuration and then install it on a client with no further user interaction. This is possible for both the initial installation and the reinstallation cases.

Create a System Manifest

Scan a system and produce a report detailing what hardware is present, how the disks are used, what kernel modifications have been made, and what software has been installed. This report can be customized to meet your needs.

Create Custom Installation Media

Construct your own customized, bootable installation media. An example script, make_media_install, is provided that can help you create bootable media (tapes, CDs, and DVDs) with or without golden archives and SD depots. The example script can be found at /opt/ignite/data/scripts/examples/make_media_install.

System Recovery

Ignite-UX provides consistent, reliable recovery in the event of catastrophic hardware or software failure by creating recovery images on tape (with client access to a tape drive) or on any Ignite-UX server in your environment (with client access to the network).

Support for Multiple Architectures

Ignite-UX supports both the Precision Architecture Reduced Instruction Set Computing (PA-RISC) and the Intel®Itanium® (Itanium®-based) hardware architectures.

Support for HP Servicecontrol Manager

Ignite-UX supports installing HP-UX clients in the HP Servicecontrol Manager environment. For details, see the HP Servicecontrol Manager 3.0 User's Guide.

Support for New Hardware

Each new release of the Ignite-UX product supports the new hardware included in the corresponding release of HP-UX.