diff --git a/source/swupdate_about_sw_update.rst b/source/swupdate_about_sw_update.rst index 18c83c93..e9aa24f4 100644 --- a/source/swupdate_about_sw_update.rst +++ b/source/swupdate_about_sw_update.rst @@ -1,105 +1,123 @@ About software update -################################################################ +##################### -Linux*-based operating systems contain the code of several hundred, if -not thousands, of open source projects. To make this manageable, -distributions use a concept called "packages" to configure and compile -the source code of these projects into binaries, which can then be -logically installed. +The traditional way +=================== + +Traditional Linux-based operating systems are often an amalgation of +several hundred, if not thousands, of open source projects. To make them +manageable, most distributions use the concept of "packages" to configure +and compile source code into binaries for installation. Many distributions then combine these compiled binaries into so-called packages, resolving dependencies and providing everything needed to install. This is the granularity at which typical distributions deploy their software, enabling system administrators to install and update -each package individually or as a set, using tools such as "yum" and -"apt-get." +each package individually or as a set, using tools such as ``yum`` and +``apt-get``. The Clear way -------------- +============= -The Clear Linux OS for Intel® Architecture does things a bit -differently. While we use the concept of packages to manage compiling -source code into installable binaries, we do not deploy software through -packages as many distributions do. Instead, we provide "bundles" that -each contain a set of functionality for the system -administrator--functionality that is enabled by composing all the -required upstream open source projects into one logical unit: a bundle. +Clear Linux OS for Intel® Architecture has a few notable features that +distinguish it from standard OSes: bundles, versioning, updating, and update +speed. -There is another notable difference between package-based distributions -and the Clear Linux OS for Intel Architecture. On a package-based OS, a -system administrator can update each individual package or piece of -software to a newer (or older!) version. In the Clear Linux OS for Intel -Architecture, an update translates to an entirely new OS version, -containing one or many updates; it is not possible to update a piece of -the system while remaining on the same version of Clear Linux. +Bundles +------- -Why would you want this? This may sound like a huge restriction or -limitation at first, but we consider this a great feature. Imagine a -cloud environment with many machines. In this case, it is desirable and -more advantageous to have a homogeneous set of software. +While we use the concept of packages to manage compiling source code into +installable binaries, we do not deploy software through packages. Instead, +we provide "bundles" which operate as a self-contained set of functionality +for the system administrator -- functionality that gets enabled by composing +all the required upstream open-source projects into one logical unit: a +bundle. -With traditional distributions, to describe what version of software a -server is running, one might need to: -- List and keep track of the current OS release (generally - uninformative about any singular packages or functionality) +Versioning +---------- -- Keep track of all packages and repositories used, updating those as - required to keep up to date +On a traditional distribution, the process of describing current software +versioning usually involves: -- List and keep track of every package available and installed on the +- Listing and keeping track of the current OS release (generally + uninformative about any singular packages or functionality), + +- Keeping track of packages and repositories being used, updating them + individually, + +- Listing and tracking every package available and installed on the system, none of which are directly tied to the current OS release -This is done very well, but given the nearly endless combinations of +This can be done effectively, but given the nearly endless combinations of packages and versions of packages a server may have, it quickly becomes non-trivial to define what "version" the system is and what software it is running without explicitly going through each system and inspecting every package. -With the Clear Linux OS for Intel Architecture, we must keep track of: +With the Clear Linux OS for Intel Architecture, we need only track: - One single number -That number represents the current OS release, and it is sufficient to +A number representing the **current** release of the OS is sufficient to describe the versions of all the software on the OS. Each build is composed of a specific set of bundles made from a particular version of packages. This matters on a daily basis to system administrators, who need to determine which of their systems do not have the latest security -fixes, or which combinations of software have been tested with which +fixes, or which combinations of software have been tested, and on what other pieces. Every release of the same number is guaranteed to contain -the same versions of software, so there is no ambiguity between two +the same versions of software, so there's no ambiguity between two systems running the same Clear Linux OS for Intel Architecture. -Incredible update speeds ------------------------- + +Updating +-------- + +Another notable difference between package-based distributions and Clear Linux +is how updates are managed. On a package-based OS, system administrators update +each individual package or piece of software to a newer (or older!) version. With +Clear Linux OS for Intel Architecture, an update translates to an entirely new +OS version, containing one or many updates. It is not possible to update a +piece of the system while remaining on the same version of Clear Linux. + +How is this useful? Although it seems, at first, like a huge restriction +or limitation, this method has many non-obvious benefits. Imagine a +cloud environment composed of numerous machines. Here, a homogeneous set of +software makes sense -- from the system administrator's level down to the +user level. Homogeneous systems allow users the ability to focus on their +contributions and/or code, rather than configuring environments or worrying +about synchronizing versions and updates. At the system admin level, it +ensures security is tighter and makes it far easier to monitor and update +patches. + + +Update speed +------------ Software updates with Clear Linux OS for Intel Architecture are also -efficient; bundles are only describing a set of files, and the update -technology only updates files that actually changed, using so-called -binary-delta technology for efficiency. Updating using this method is -different from operating systems that use packages as the unit of -deployment. In those operating systems, the entire package gets updated -when needed, even if only one small file in that package has changed. +efficient. Bundles simply describe a set of files, and the update +technology updates *only* files that actually changed by using so-called +binary-delta technology for efficiency [1]_. Operating systems that use +packages as the unit of deployment require full package updates (thus +hogging resources), even when one small file in that package has changed. It is quite common for a full OS update fixing a security hole to be only 15 kilobytes in total update size. If only several kilobytes need to be changed, it does not make sense to re-download and reinstall an -entire package or suite of programs just to incorporate a miniscule (yet +entire package or suite of programs just to incorporate a minuscule (yet important) update. Through binary deltas, the OS is able to update only those bits that changed, yielding very small update content (deltas) -that can be applied exceedingly fast. One can then expect a major -security patch or core update to take seconds. +that can be applied exceedingly fast. As a result, major security patches +and core update take merely seconds. We realize that while our definition of bundles makes sense to us, each data center operator may have special needs and ideas. For that reason -we are working on completing a "mixer" tool, which would allow users of -Clear Linux OS for Intel Architecture to customize and add bundles and -their own software while still using the content of the operating -system, and its updates, as the base. This way system administrators can -focus on the pieces of their OS deployment that are custom to their +we're hard at work on a "mixer" tool, which allows users of Clear Linux OS +for Intel Architecture the ability to customize and add bundles and +their own software while keeping the content of the operating +system, and its updates, as the base. With this tool, system administrators +can focus on the pieces of their OS deployment that are custom to their environment, while continuing to stay on a controlled update stream. -Note: The software update technology for Clear Linux OS for Intel Architecture -was first presented at the Linux Plumbers conference in 2012. - - +.. [1] The software update technology for Clear Linux* OS for Intel Architecture + was first presented at the Linux Plumbers conference in 2012.