Understanding configuration profiles

I have been going through your docs and I am trying to understand the concept of configuration profiles in the Linode manager.

Is tying disk images(with a OS) to a configuration profile equivalent to having one machine(server)? Does that mean if I get an extra IP, i can have 2 machines? (one IP per configuration profile)

I am suspecting that "1 linode = 1 machine". If so, what is the advantage of having multiple configuration profiles and multiple IPs in 1 machine? Thank you.

5 Replies

config = 1 VM

If you create multiple configs, it doesn't matter, because only one can be booted at a time per linode.

The idea behind multiple configs would be if you want to test a kernel before rolling into production.

@ironic_username:

… what is the advantage of having multiple configuration profiles and multiple IPs in 1 machine?
The most common reason for having multiple IPs on one machine is to run multiple SSL/TLS web servers - you can only have one https server per IP.

Config profiles are like entries in your grub/lilo menu: Different ways to boot your machine (kernels, root partitions, run levels, etc).

@mwalling:

Config profiles are like entries in your grub/lilo menu: Different ways to boot your machine (kernels, root partitions, run levels, etc).
This is probably the best way to explain it I've heard yet.

@ironic_username:

I have been going through your docs and I am trying to understand the concept of configuration profiles in the Linode manager.
As mwalling said, think of them as different systems. Most of the Linodes I administer have two configuration profiles – production and recovery; in this case, the disks attached are the same, and the difference lies in the kernel, initrd, and one disk image (all configured for Finnix).

Thanks all for the quick responses!

mwalling:The grub/lilo comparison did it for me

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