[Freeipa-users] freeipa master server disaster recovery

[root]

Greetings FreeIPA mailing list: 

I have an FC11 environment setup for testing the FreeIPA implementation of 
kerberos+ldap w/admin utils.  Our primary purpose for kerberos right now is 
to provide auth services for coda.  However, once that gnat is squished, 
we'll of course be using kerberos for various other authentication services 
as well, and possibly using ldap for all manner of things (top of the list 
is basic server configuration information). 

So far, FreeIPA is a wonderful product and has very much simplified our 
deployment. 

My only real disappointment with FreeIPA, in fact, was seeing the notion of 
a "master server".  Moreover, I have not been able to determine what 
configuration or crucial data is stored on the master server -- of utmost 
importance, is _where_ said crucial configuration/data is stored so that we 
may suitably back it up. 

This of course raises disaster recovery questions.  Such as, in the event of 
a disaster, is it possible (and advisable?) to somehow "promote" a FreeIPA 
slave/peer server to "master" status?  Or must we deploy a new server with 
the same name as the old and then somehow sync up the non-master data from 
the slave/peer(s)?  Obviously, the best scenario would be that we could do 
either, as the decision on whether to promote or re-deploy will depend 
heavily on circumstances surrounding the failure. 


I am assuming the following scenario:
*) master server goes down
*) slave/peer(s) continue taking updates, the only exception being no 
FreeIPA servers may be deployed (correct??)
*) several days pass
*) master server is determined irreparable 

At which point, what should we have done prior to this failure, to give us 
the most options for recovery? 


Are there worse scenarios we can plan for?  Any other actions we can take 
that might save our bacon down the road? 


Just trying to think ahead.  ;) 


Many thanks for the product, and the support! 


Regards,
 -Don
Systems Administrator
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