Microsoft Word Hardware Reconfiguration Methodology V final2

Executive summary

Long-term operating system maintenance: A Linux case study
Carbone, R.; DRDC Valcartier TN 2007-150; Defence R&D Canada – Valcartier; January 2008.

The Canadian Navy’s Directorate of Maritime Ship Support (DMSS), under the auspice of the Halifax Modernized Command Control System (HMCCS) project requested that DRDC Valcartier perform an evaluation verifying if the Linux operating system has the ability to withstand various hardware upgrades over its expected lifetime as the new Halifax-class C2 operating system. This has been examined in Operating system hardware reconfiguration: A case study for Linux, a study that examined Linux-based hardware migration and operating system hardware reconfiguration. Prior to this study, other work mandated by the Navy requested that DRDC Valcartier examine various long-tem support strategies appropriate for the long-term maintenance of a FOSS-based operating system such as Linux. These findings were laid out in Life-Cycle Support for Information Systems Based on Free and Open Source Software.

Once the long-term support strategies and necessary reconfiguration capabilities have been established, an appropriate methodology could be developed for upgrading and updating an operating system in order to ensure a smooth transition to newer hardware via operating system hardware reconfiguration or hardware migration. Therefore, this study proposes a methodology for upgrading and updating an operating system so that installing a newer operating system is not required in order to support newer hardware. Developing a suitable methodology for maintaining an operating system so that it can adapt to hardware changes due to periodic hardware changes was not trivial. Many factors had to be examined and taken into account. It is highly suggested that the reader have some basic knowledge of Linux, UNIX, and system administration before reading this study.

This study should not be construed as authoritative but rather as a guide for performing the necessary system administration related tasks required for system updating and upgrading. Additionally, a section on backup-related issues has been included so that readers can familiarize themselves with it prior to undertaking any system maintenance-related task.

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