Towards a High-Level Machine Configuration System

This paper presents a machine configuration system which stores all configuration parameters in a central ``database''. The system is dynamic in the sense that machines reconfigure themselves to reflect any changes in the database whenever they are rebooted. The use of a central database allows configurations to be validated, and correct configurations to be automatically generated from policy rules and high-level descriptions of the network. A permanent record of every machine configuration is always available and the system is extensible to handle configuration of new subsystems in a modular way. The paper includes a review of previously published work and common techniques for cloning and configuring workstations.