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Even though the environments and systems you deploy may start to get more complicated such as with load balancers, there will always be a baseline level with which these systems can be brought to before further configuration and customization needs to be done.

There are many things that can be automated with this process, as you will see in the script below. In most round-robin load balancing scenarios, there wouldn’t be much more that needs to be done as far as configuration beyond what this script can do.

Obviously you will likely need to modify the script to suit your needs and requirements for the organization and standards therein.

Hopefully this will help you roll out many debian load balancers! May the load be split evenly between all your systems


#!/bin/sh
# Debian LVS deployer script
# Version 1.0

# script is done now - termination should happen with clean_up_and_reboot.
echo "[!] Should not be here!"
exit 1


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Growth in any organization is obviously a good thing. In the systems administrator’s perspective, however, growth can mean more time spent deploying systems and less time spent focusing on other duties.

Automating the server deployment process is the natural next step when your organization has grown to a point where time efficiency becomes more relevant and noticeable to your business owners.

This is the first in a series of posts here where we will explain and share shell scripts that automate the deployment process of several key debian linux based systems. These scripts automate the patching, configuration and implementation of said systems.

They will certainly have to be modified to fit your organization’s needs and standards obviously, but hopefully it will give you a starting point to base your automation / roll-out policies.

Making your life easier and more automated is always a good thing!


#!/bin/sh
# Debian FW deployer script
# Version 1.0

# script is done now - termination should happen with clean_up_and_reboot.
echo "[!] Should not be here!"
exit 1


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A custom iptables script is sometimes necessary to work around the limitations of the Red Hat Enterprise Linux firewall configuration tool. The procedure is as follows:

1. Make sure that the default iptables initialization script is not running:

service iptables stop

2. Execute the custom iptables script:

sh [custom iptables script]

3. Save the newly created iptables rules:

service iptables save

4. Restart the iptables service:

service iptables restart

5. Verify that the custom iptables ruleset have taken effect:

service iptables status

6. Enable automatic start up of the iptables service on boot up:

chkconfig iptables on

The custom iptables script should now be integrated into the operating system.

Sometimes it is, however. For instance, if you are brought into an environment that has not been properly managed and require some quick audits to evaluate how much actual work needs to be done bringing all the patch levels up to standard, then there are ways to produce these reports with simple bash scripting.

I have developed such a script for similar situations — quick reporting is sometimes necessary even when you are evaluating a large commercial patch management solution. It can even be implemented to coincide such solutions, for independent reporting perhaps.

This script would work well either by distributing it to each server and running the script via ssh key based authentication for centralized reporting. Alternatively, you could modify this script to perform each command via SSH over the network to gather information that way. It is probably more ideal to centrally distribute the script to each server so only one ssh command is executed per server.

Find the script below — note that it only works with RedHat / CentOS systems. Obviously if you are paying for Red Hat enterprise support you already are using satellite; If you are using CentOS then this script may be useful for you.

Enjoy!

#!/bin/sh

# Basic Information Gathering
# Star Dot Hosting
# http://www.stardothosting.com

HOSTNAME=`hostname`
UNAME=`uname -a | awk '{print $3}'`

# Begin Package Scanning

# SSH

SSHON="0"
SSHRUN="NULL"
SSHRPM="NULL"
SSHMATCH="NULL"

if [ -f /usr/sbin/sshd ]
then
        SSHON="1"
	SSHMATCH="0"
        SSHRUN=`ssh -V 2>&1 | awk 'BEGIN { FS = "_" } ; { print $2 }' | awk '{print $1}' | cut -b 0-5`
	TESTRPM=`rpm -qa openssh`
	if [ "$TESTRPM" <> 0  ]
	then
	        SSHRPM=`rpm -qa openssh | awk 'BEGIN { FS = "-" } ; { print $2 }'`
	fi
        if [ "$SSHRUN" == "$SSHRPM" ]
        then
                SSHMATCH="1"
        fi

fi

# Apache

HTTPDON="0"
HTTPDRUN="NULL"
HTTPDRPM="NULL"
HTTPDMATCH="NULL"

if [ -f /usr/sbin/httpd ]
then
        HTTPDON="1"
	HTTPDMATCH="0"
        HTTPDRUN=`httpd -v | grep version | awk 'BEGIN {FS="/"};{print$2}'`
	TESTRPM=`rpm -qa httpd`
	if [ "$TESTRPM" <> 0  ]
	then
        	HTTPDRPM=`rpm -qa httpd | awk 'BEGIN { FS = "-" } ; { print $2 }'`
	fi
        if [ "$HTTPDRUN" == "$HTTPDRPM" ]
        then
                HTTPDMATCH="1"
        fi
fi

# MySQL

MYSQLON="0"
MYSQLRUN="NULL"
MYSQLRPM="NULL"
MYSQLMATCH="NULL"

if [ -f /usr/bin/mysql ]
then
        MYSQLON="1"
	MYSQLMATCH="0"
        MYSQLRUN=`mysql -V | awk '{print $5}' | cut -b 0-6`
	TESTRPM=`rpm -qa mysql`
	if [ "$TESTRPM" <> 0  ]
	then
        	MYSQLRPM=`rpm -qa mysql | awk 'BEGIN { FS = "-" } ; { print $2 }'`
	fi
        if [ "$MYSQLRUN" == "$MYSQLRPM" ]
        then
                MYSQLMATCH="1"
        fi
fi

# PHP

PHPON="0"
PHPRUN="NULL"
PHPRPM="NULL"
PHPMATCH="NULL"

if [ -f /usr/bin/php ]
then
        PHPON="1"
	PHPMATCH="0"
        PHPRUN=`php -v | grep built | awk '{print $2 }'`
	TESTRPM=`rpm -qa php`
	if [ "$TESTRPM" <> 0  ]
	then
        	PHPRPM=`rpm -qa php | awk 'BEGIN { FS = "-" } ; { print $2 }'`
	fi
        if [ "$PHPRUN" == "$PHPRPM" ]
        then
                PHPMATCH="1"
        fi
fi

# Exim
# Needs to be tested on RH box

EXIMON="0"
EXIMRUN="NULL"
EXIMRPM="NULL"
EXIMMATCH="NULL"

if [ -f /usr/sbin/exim ]
then
        EXIMON="1"
	EXIMMATCH="0"
        EXIMRUN=`exim -bV | grep version | awk '{print $3}'`
	TESTRPM=`rpm -qa exim`
	if [ "$TESTRPM" <> 0  ]
	then
        	EXIMRPM=`rpm -qa exim | awk 'BEGIN { FS = "-" } ; { print $2 }'`
	fi
        if [ "$EXIMRUN" == "$EXIMRPM" ]
        then
                EXIMMATCH="1"
        fi
fi

# OpenSSL

OSSLON="0"
OSSLRUN="NULL"
OSSLRPM="NULL"
OSSLMATCH="NULL"

if [ -f /usr/bin/openssl ]
then
        OSSLON="1"
	OSSLMATCH="0"
        OSSLRUN=`openssl version | awk '{print $2}'`
	TESTRPM=`rpm -qa openssl`
	if [ "$TESTRPM" <> 0  ]
	then
        	OSSLRPM=`rpm -qa openssl | awk 'BEGIN { FS = "-" } ; { print $2 }'`
	fi
        if [ "$OSSLRUN" == "$OSSLRPM" ]
        then
                OSSLMATCH="1"
        fi
fi

# PERL

PERLON="0"
PERLRUN="NULL"
PERLRPM="NULL"
PERLMATCH="NULL"

if [ -f /usr/bin/perl ]
then
        PERLON="1"
	PERLMATCH="0"
        PERLRUN=`perl -v | grep built | awk '{print $4}' | awk 'BEGIN { FS = "v" } ; { print $2 }'`
	TESTRPM=`rpm -qa perl`
	if [ "$TESTRPM" <> 0  ]
	then
        	PERLRPM=`rpm -qa perl | awk 'BEGIN { FS = "-" } ; { print $2 }'`
	fi
        if [ "$PERLRUN" == "$PERLRPM" ]
        then
                PERLMATCH="1"
        fi
fi

# PYTHON

PYON="0"
PYRUN="NULL"
PYRPM="NULL"
PYMATCH="NULL"

if [ -f /usr/bin/python ]
then
        PYON="1"
	PYMATCH="0"
        PYRUN=`python -V 2>&1 | awk '{print $2}'`
	TESTRPM=`rpm -qa python`
	if [ "$TESTRPM" <> 0  ]
	then
        	PYRPM=`rpm -qa python | awk 'BEGIN { FS = "-" } ; { print $2 }'`
	fi
        if [ "$PYRUN" == "$PYRPM" ]
        then
                PYMATCH="1"
        fi
fi

# GPG

GPGON="0"
GPGRUN="NULL"
GPGRPM="NULL"
GPGMATCH="NULL"

if [ -f /usr/bin/gpg ]
then
        GPGON="1"
	GPGMATCH="0"
        GPGRUN=`gpg --version | grep gpg | awk '{print $3}'`
	TESTRPM=`rpm -qa gnupg`
	if [ "$TESTRPM" <> 0  ]
	then
        	GPGRPM=`rpm -qa gnupg | awk 'BEGIN { FS = "-" } ; { print $2 }'`
	fi
        if [ "$GPGRUN" == "$GPGRPM" ]
        then
                GPGMATCH="1"
        fi
fi

# RPM

RPMON="0"
RPMRUN="NULL"
RPMRPM="NULL"
RPMMATCH="NULL"

if [ -f /bin/rpm ]
then
        RPMON="1"
	RPMMATCH="0"
        RPMRUN=`rpm --version | awk '{print $3}'`
	TESTRPM=`rpm -qa rpm`
	if [ "$TESTRPM" <> 0  ]
	then
        	RPMRPM=`rpm -qa rpm | awk 'BEGIN { FS = "-" } ; { print $2 }'`
	fi
        if [ "$RPMRUN" == "$RPMRPM" ]
        then
                RPMMATCH="1"
        fi
fi

# SENDMAIL

SENDON="0"
SENDRUN="NULL"
SENDRPM="NULL"
SENDMATCH="NULL"

if [ -f /usr/sbin/sendmail ]
then
        SENDON="1"
        SENDMATCH="0"
        SENDRUN=`echo 'quit' | nc localhost 25 | grep Sendmail | awk '{print $5}' | awk 'BEGIN { FS = "/" } ; { print $1 }'`
	TESTRPM=`rpm -qa sendmail`
	if [ "$TESTRPM" <> 0  ]
	then
	        SENDRPM=`rpm -qa sendmail | awk 'BEGIN { FS = "-" } ; { print $2 }'`
	fi
        if [ "$SENDRUN" == "$SENDRPM" ]
        then
                SENDMATCH="1"
        fi
fi

### Non running packages

# bind-libs

BINDLIB="NULL"
TESTRPM=`rpm -qa bind-libs`
if [ "$TESTRPM" <> 0  ]
then
	BINDLIB=`rpm -qa bind-libs | awk 'BEGIN { FS = "-" } ; { print $3 }'`
fi

# bind-utils

BINDUTIL="NULL"
TESTRPM=`rpm -qa bind-utils`
if [ "$TESTRPM" <> 0  ]
then
	BINDUTIL=`rpm -qa bind-utils | awk 'BEGIN { FS = "-" } ; { print $3 }'`
fi

# coreutils

COREUTIL="NULL"
TESTRPM=`rpm -qa coreutils`
if [ "$TESTRPM" <> 0  ]
then
	COREUTIL=`rpm -qa coreutils | awk 'BEGIN { FS = "-" } ; { print $2 }'`
fi

# chkconfig

CHKCONFIG="NULL"
TESTRPM=`rpm -qa chkconfig`
if [ "$TESTRPM" <> 0  ]
then
	CHKCONFIG=`rpm -qa chkconfig | awk 'BEGIN { FS = "-" } ; { print $2 }'`
fi

# initscripts

INITSCR="NULL"
TESTRPM=`rpm -qa initscripts`
if [ "$TESTRPM" <> 0  ]
then
	INITSCR=`rpm -qa initscripts | awk 'BEGIN { FS = "-" } ; { print $2 }'`
fi

# redhat-release

RHRELEASE="NULL"
TESTRPM=`rpm -qa redhat-release`
if [ "$TESTRPM" <> 0  ]
then
	RHRELEASE=`rpm -qa redhat-release | awk 'BEGIN { FS = "-" } ; { print $3"-"$4 }'`
fi

echo $HOSTNAME,$UNAME,$SSHMATCH,$HTTPDMATCH,$MYSQLMATCH,$PHPMATCH,$EXIMMATCH,$OSSLMATCH,$PYMATCH,$PERLMATCH,$GPGMATCH,
$RPMMATCH,$SENDMATCH,$BINDLIB,$BINDUTIL,$COREUTIL,$CHKCONFIG,$INITSCR,$RHRELEASE,$SSHON,$SSHRUN,$SSHRPM,$HTTPDON,$HTTPDRUN,
$HTTPDRPM,$MYSQLON,$MYSQLRUN,$MYSQLRPM,$PHPON,$PHPRUN,$PHPRPM,$EXIMON,$EXIMRUN,$EXIMRPM,$OSSLON,$OSSLRUN,$OSSLRPM,$PERLON,
$PERLRUN,$PERLRPM,$PYON,$PYRUN,$PYRPM,$GPGON,$GPGRUN,$GPGRPM,$RPMON,$RPMRUN,$RPMRPM,$SENDON,$SENDRUN,$SENDRPM

Note that you can modify the echo output to produce whatever output you need in order to present it in a nice human readable report.

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