On Wed, Dec 03, 2003 at 10:48:57AM -0800, bruce wrote: > Our goals: > * Provide Project Management > * Provide a Development Network of Servers > * Provide Test Servers > * Allow users to configure Test Servers as Required > * Allow users to build/execute/test their code on the Test Servers > > Obviously, this kind of environment has to be carefully built/implemented. > Our question is how can it be done? What are the tradeoffs that need to be > made? Has anyone constructed a network close to this? Our initial thoughts > were of University/Computer labs... But even these are a little more tied > down...
The obvious tradeoff is allowing users to signup vs security. Allowing users to configure test servers is the kind of thing that many ISPs are now offering with User Mode Linux (I have an UML host running www.steve.org.uk; it works nicely and I am unable to affect other hosted sites upon the same physical box). I would suggest that the closest thing I've seen to a build/execute/test box is the shell server collection on SourceForge which they call a "compile farm". They allow a simple menu based login to multiple hosts running different OS's. I would love to work on an UML based version of this and I can see that it allows security and ease of use; however if you think of offering such a thing you should be aware that the barrier to entry is raised. Rather than allowing a developer/team to login to one box you're expecting them to admin it too. If the UML box is running telnet they and you become vulnerable. The only think a collection of UML servers would not provide is a system of managing a project, however I would suggest that is a social process rather than a technical one, however I would suggest that is a Steve -- # Debian Security Audit Project http://www.steve.org.uk/Debian/
