[Voyage-linux] Automatic Deployment and Configuration

[Martin Kos]

Hi all

i have the need to deploy a lot of alix boards with voyage linux running
on them. the have a "common" configuration, but still each alix has it's
own settings.
one thing is the inital configuration of the alix, but then when they
are deployed and i want to make changes to the configurations, that
should be automated and scalable. the problem is that not all of the
boxes are reachable from outside, so they need to have some "call home"
feature.
i have thought about using puppet for this purpose? but haven't checked
the details yet.
one idea was to make some kind of dual boot system, where one system is
a "read only, never change" system that can make the inital installation
of the seconde "real" system, and that will "always" work. which means
that in case of any damage to the real system, the other system can
boot, download the whole real system and configure it. so also upgrades
to newer version of voyage linux etc would be possible, or just "reset"
the system to the inital state.
what do you think about this ideas? anybody tried something simliar?

greets
 KoS