Configuration for Diskless Installation

1. Specify dependence package [required for RHEL and SLES]

1. Copy a correct pkglist file shipped by xCAT according your environment to the /install/custom/netboot/<ostype>/ directory

   cp /opt/xcat/share/xcat/netboot/<ostype>/compute.<osver>.<arch>.pkglist \
      /install/custom/netboot/<ostype>/compute.<osver>.<arch>.pkglist
   

2. Edit your /install/custom/netboot/<ostype>/<profile>.pkglist and add below line

#INCLUDE:/opt/xcat/share/xcat/ib/netboot/<ostype>/ib.<osver>.<arch>.pkglist#

Take RHEL 6.4 on x86_64 for example

cp /opt/xcat/share/xcat/netboot/rh/compute.rhels6.x86_64.pkglist \
/install/custom/netboot/rh/compute.rhels6.x86_64.pkglist

Edit the /install/custom/netboot/rh/compute.rhels6.x86_64.pkglist and add below line #INCLUDE:/opt/xcat/share/xcat/ib/netboot/rh/ib.rhels6.x86_64.pkglist#

Then /install/custom/netboot/rh/compute.rhels6.x86_64.pkglist looks like below

#INCLUDE:/opt/xcat/share/xcat/ib/netboot/rh/ib.rhels6.x86_64.pkglist#
bash
nfs-utils
openssl
dhclient
.....

2. Prepare postinstall scripts

1. Specify a correct postinstall script shipped by xCAT

   mkdir -p /install/custom/netboot/<ostype>/
   
   cp /opt/xcat/share/xcat/netboot/<ostype>/<profile>.postinstall \
      /install/custom/netboot/<ostype>/
   
   chmod +x /install/custom/netboot/<ostype>/<profile>.postinstall
   

Take RHEL 6.4 on x86_64 for example

mkdir -p /install/custom/netboot/rh/
cp /opt/xcat/share/xcat/netboot/rh/compute.rhels6.x86_64.postinstall \
       /install/custom/netboot/rh/
chmod +x /install/custom/netboot/rh/compute.rhels6.x86_64.postinstall

2. Edit /install/custom/netboot/<ostype>/<profile>.postinstall and add below line in the end

   /install/postscripts/mlnxofed_ib_install \
   -p /install/<path>/<MLNX_OFED_LINUX.iso> -i $1 -n genimage
   

[Note] If you want ot customized kernel version (i.e the kernel version of the diskless image you want to generate is different with the kernel version of you management node), you need to pass --add-kernel-support attribute to Mellanox. the line added into <profile>.postinstall should like below

/install/postscripts/mlnxofed_ib_install \
-p /install/<path>/<MLNX_OFED_LINUX.iso> -m --add-kernel-support -end- -i $1 -n genimage

Below steps maybe helpful for you to do judgment if you belong to this situation.

Get the kernel version of your management node

uname -r

Get the kernel version of target image. take generating a diskless image of rhels7.0 on x86_64 for example

[root@server]# lsdef -t osimage rhels7.0-x86_64-install-compute  -i pkgdir
Object name: rhels7.0-x86_64-install-compute
pkgdir=/install/rhels7.0/x86_64

[root@server]#  ls -l /install/rhels7.0/x86_64/Packages/ |grep kernel*
.......
-r--r--r-- 1 root root 30264588 May  5  2014 kernel-3.10.0-123.el7.x86_64.rpm
.......

3. Set the related osimage using the customized pkglist and compute.postinsall

• [RHEL/SLES]

  chdef  -t osimage -o <osver>-<arch>-netboot-compute \
          pkglist=/install/custom/netboot/<ostype>/compute.<osver>.<arch>.pkglist \
          postinstall=/install/custom/netboot/<ostype>/<profile>.postinstall
  

• [Ubuntu]

  chdef  -t osimage -o <osver>-<arch>-netboot-compute \
              postinstall=/install/custom/netboot/<ostype>/<profile>.postinstall
  

4. Generate and package image for diskless installation

   genimage   <osver>-<arch>-netboot-compute
   packimage  <osver>-<arch>-netboot-compute
   

5. Install node

   nodeset <nodename> osimage=<osver>-<arch>-netboot-compute
   rsetboot <nodename> net
   rpower <nodename> reset
   

After installation, you can login target ndoe and issue ibstat command to verify if your IB driver works well. if everything is fine, you can get the IB apater information

[root@server ~]# ibstat
CA 'mlx4_0'
    CA type: MT4099
    Number of ports: 2
    Firmware version: 2.11.500
    Hardware version: 0
    Node GUID: 0x5cf3fc000004ec02
    System image GUID: 0x5cf3fc000004ec05
    Port 1:
            State: Initializing
            Physical state: LinkUp
            Rate: 40 (FDR10)
            Base lid: 0
            LMC: 0
            SM lid: 0
            Capability mask: 0x02594868
            Port GUID: 0x5cf3fc000004ec03
            Link layer: InfiniBand
    Port 2:
            State: Down
            Physical state: Disabled
            Rate: 10
            Base lid: 0
            LMC: 0
            SM lid: 0
            Capability mask: 0x02594868
            Port GUID: 0x5cf3fc000004ec04
            Link layer: InfiniBand