Changes between Version 32 and Version 33 of WikiStart


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Timestamp:
08/17/11 12:00:15 (13 years ago)
Author:
bas
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  • WikiStart

    v32 v33  
    11[[PageOutline]]
    2 = PXE-utilities =
    32
    4 This is a release of the SARA package of utilities that we use to boot our nodes with PXE-enabled network cards. This was developed because we always want to use the PXE-enabled network card as our first boot device. With [http://syslinux.zytor.com/pxe.php pxelinux], which is a derivative of [http://syslinux.zytor.com/ syslinux],
    5 you can specify with a PXE configuration file how the node must boot. This configuration is placed in, e.g. ''/tftpboot/pxelinux.cfg'' directory.
     3= PXE-utilities =
     4This is a release of the SARA package of utilities that we use to boot our nodes with PXE-enabled network cards. This was developed because we always want to use the PXE-enabled network card as our first boot device. With [http://syslinux.zytor.com/pxe.php pxelinux], which is a derivative of [http://syslinux.zytor.com/ syslinux],  you can specify with a PXE configuration file how the node must boot. This configuration is placed in, e.g. ''/tftpboot/pxelinux.cfg'' directory.
    65
    76We use this utiltiy for the following purposes:
     7
    88 * To instruct a node to do a memory test ([http://www.memtest86.com/ memtest86] or [http://www.memtest.org/ Memtest86+]) .
    99 * To instruct a node to flash its bios firmware or other firmware via the pxe dos boot method ([http://syslinux.zytor.com/memdisk.php memdisk])
     
    1111
    1212== Setup example ==
     13[http://www.sara.nl SARA] uses the following setup for:
    1314
    14 [http://www.sara.nl SARA] uses the following setup for:
    1515 * [http://www.systemimager.org Systemimager]
    1616 * [http://subtrac.sara.nl/oss/sali Sali] is a systemimager fork/rewrite
    17  
    18 We have a default setup. The default setup is to boot from harddisk. When a node boots it fetches the default configuration file and the configuration file instructs the node to boot from the harddisk.
     17
     18 We have a default setup. The default setup is to boot from harddisk. When a node boots it fetches the default configuration file and the configuration file instructs the node to boot from the harddisk.
    1919
    2020At SARA we have developed the following strategy to install a fresh node.
    2121
    22  1. The ip-address in our setup is known for the new node. So we make a link in the ''/tftpboot/pxelinux.cfg'' directory to a
    23     pxe config file which instructs that it has to fetch the kernel and root filesystem from our bootserver, eg:  {{{ 0A000A02 ---> default.node_install (10.0.10.2) }}}
    24  1.  The client starts and  uses the systemimager software to install the node. The installation script connects to a daemon on the bootserver. This daemon will remove the PXE config file for this node.
     22 1. The ip-address in our setup is known for the new node. So we make a link in the ''/tftpboot/pxelinux.cfg'' directory to a pxe config file which instructs that it has to fetch the kernel and root filesystem from our bootserver, eg:  ` 0A000A02 ---> default.node_install (10.0.10.2) `
     23 1. The client starts and  uses the systemimager software to install the node. The installation script connects to a daemon on the bootserver. This daemon will remove the PXE config file for this node.
    2524 1. The node reboots and will use the default pxe config file which will instruct the node to boot from harddisk.
    26 
    2725
    2826== Utilities ==
    2927This release contains the following utilities (All utilities are written in Python):
    3028
    31  pxeconfigd::
    32   * This is daemon that removes the pxe configuration file of a node.
     29 pxeconfigd::
    3330
    34  pxeconfig::
    35   * With this program we can specify which pxe config file a node or nodes must use. This utility will create the links in ''/tftpboot/pxelinux.cfg''
     31 * This is daemon that removes the pxe configuration file of a node.
    3632
    37  hexls::
    38   * Is a utility that diplays a directory, and, if in this directory contains HEX files, it will convert them to IP-numbers and hostnames.
     33 pxeconfig::
     34
     35 * With this program we can specify which pxe config file a node or nodes must use. This utility will create the links in ''/tftpboot/pxelinux.cfg''
     36
     37 hexls::
     38
     39 * Is a utility that diplays a directory, and, if in this directory contains HEX files, it will convert them to IP-numbers and hostnames.
    3940
    4041== PXE menu tools ==
     42Also included in this package are the PXE-menu tools which are used to control the booting of networked computers directly from the computer's console at the BIOS level before any operating system has been loaded. You get an on-screen hierarchical menu system which you navigate with the keyboard,  and this allows you to select dynamically the tool or disk image to be booted. The PXE menus are based on the [http://syslinux.zytor.com/menu.php SYSLINUX menu systems].
    4143
    42 Also included in this package are the PXE-menu tools which are used to control the booting of networked computers
    43 directly from the computer's console at the BIOS level before any operating system has been loaded.
    44 You get an on-screen hierarchical menu system which you navigate with the keyboard,
    45 and this allows you to select dynamically the tool or disk image to be booted.
    46 The PXE menus are based on the [http://syslinux.zytor.com/menu.php SYSLINUX menu systems].
     44The PXE menus are extremely useful for diagnostic purposes, for firmware upgrades, or for selecting an operating system installation method, of an individual computer while you work at its console  (for remote management of multiple computers you probably want to use the ''pxeconfig'' tool in stead).
    4745
    48 The PXE menus are extremely useful for diagnostic purposes, for firmware upgrades,
    49 or for selecting an operating system installation method, of an individual computer while you work at its console
    50 (for remote management of multiple computers you probably want to use the ''pxeconfig'' tool in stead).
    51 
    52 For Linux cluster node booting it is recommended to let the PXE menus [source:trunk/pxemenu/pxelinux.cfg/default.menu default.menu]
    53 be the ''default'' PXE boot method:
    54 With the example configuration the computer console will display the PXE menus for 5 seconds,
    55 allowing manual intervention if desired.
    56 After the 5 second timeout the computer will boot automatically from the hard disk.
     46For Linux cluster node booting it is recommended to let the PXE menus [source:trunk/pxemenu/pxelinux.cfg/default.menu default.menu] be the ''default'' PXE boot method: With the example configuration the computer console will display the PXE menus for 5 seconds, allowing manual intervention if desired. After the 5 second timeout the computer will boot automatically from the hard disk.
    5747
    5848== Documentation ==
     49How to install and make use of the '''pxeconfig''' package:
    5950
    60 How to install and make use of the '''pxeconfig''' package:
    61   * [wiki:PxeInstallation Installation]
    62   * [wiki:PxeUsage Usage]
     51 * [wiki:PxeInstallation Installation]
     52 * [wiki:PxeUsage Usage]
    6353
    6454A useful link about how to use Systemimager and the pxeconfig tools is:
     55
    6556 * https://wiki.fysik.dtu.dk/niflheim/System_administration
    6657
    6758How to install and use the '''PXE menu''' tools:
    68   * Installation: Please see the file [source:trunk/INSTALL-pxemenu INSTALL-pxemenu]
    69   * Usage: Please see the file [source:trunk/README-pxemenu README-pxemenu]
     59
     60 * Installation: Please see the file [source:trunk/INSTALL-pxemenu INSTALL-pxemenu]
     61 * Usage: Please see the file [source:trunk/README-pxemenu README-pxemenu]
    7062
    7163A more detailed discussion of the PXE menu tools is currently in:
    72   * https://wiki.fysik.dtu.dk/niflheim/PXE-booting
     64
     65 * https://wiki.fysik.dtu.dk/niflheim/PXE-booting
    7366
    7467== How to use the trac system ==
     68The system is configured for the following tasks:
    7569
    76 The system is configured for the following tasks:
    7770 * Submit problems via [report:1 ticket system] or via email to [mailto:pxeconfig@sara.nl pxeconfig emailing list]
    7871 * Can checkout the sources via subversion:
     
    8073   * svn co https://subtrac.sara.nl/oss/svn/pxeconfig/trunk for the latest source
    8174 * Browse the [source: sources]
    82  * Everybody can add or change documentation.
    83 
     75 * Everybody can add or change documentation.