OS Deployment in OME 2.0 not configurable?

Question

Has anyone tried the OS deployment feature in OME 2.0? We currently use kickstart, and are looking for a better way to completely automate installing and configuring an OS on the server.

It seems from the pdf at http://en.community.dell.com/techcenter/extras/m/white_papers/20437005, the capability, maybe because it's new in 2.0, is barebones and doesn't allow for configuration, e.g. if you don't want the default options that come with the install, or want to have things automatically installed after the OS is installed. Is that what you have seen, too?

burvil · Answer

Thanks. When I say that I don't want the default options that come with the install, I'm referring to being able to:

1. not install the RPM packages that are installed by default,

2. install with a specific disk layout

3. Disable firewall, selinux

4. set the timezone, language, keyboard, and a couple other settings

In other words, setting the options above if I installed interactively from the ISO would need me to type in specific values and not just take what the installer gives me as default options. We currently have these options in our kickstart, and I'd like to keep them if we move to using OME 2.0.

Ideally, I'd also like to be able to set the hostname, static IP/gateway, etc. as well.

DELL-Pupul M · Answer

Hi Burvil,

OME uses boot to service partition method to install OS. All you need to do is provide an unattended ISO image of the OS with a proper share and the installation will go through. What are you looking for when you say you don't want the default options that come with the install?

For anything which you want to do after installation, there needs to be script running separately. Currently OME does not do any post install configuration.

DELL-Pupul M · Answer

Hi,

So whatever settings you are doing, how were you doing it before? Was it with a manual intervention? Or you used to inject scripts to the ISO? Because this is something outside the scope of OME.

If you want to do some settings on the OS, you can do that using remote scripts through OME, but from the OS installation perspective, all OME does is take the ISO and initiates the installation. If you provide an unattended ISO, then installation will go through. If you provide an attended ISO, then you will need to do the settings manually.

burvil · Answer

So whatever settings you are doing, how were you doing it before? Was it with a manual intervention? Or you used to inject scripts to the ISO?

=====

It is mostly automated, except for interactive steps to trigger the OS install via kickstart, as well as to set the hostname and confirm the VLAN used. All other steps, e.g. disk layout, timezone, etc. are in the ks.cfg file. We use a standard kickstart setup, where we use a standard ISO that comes from Redhat and different ks.cfg files for each configuration, e.g. differing RAM, disk layout, etc. as needed. We do not change the ISO in any way; we specify different ks.cfg files for different configurations.

So, given that:

1. It seems the difference here is that the ks.cfg in included in the ISO, so for each different configuration (e.g. different disk layout, different RPMs installed, different RAID configuration), we'd need a different ks.cfg as well as Config.cfg file. Is that correct?

2. Can RAID level be left as unconfigured, e.g. for VSAN? I only see 1 and 5 as choices; not sure if other RAID configurations work but aren't documented. VMware requires that the RAID controller to be unconfigured or configured as passthrough, as it does a lot of the functionality through VSAN.

3. Is there an option to install to SD card, e.g. for ESXi?

These three are critical for my current use case.

DELL-Pupul M · Answer

Hi,

I am not an expert, but let me try to answer:

#1: I am not sure how this ks.cfg file works exactly. But if there is a way to inject it to ISO image, then yes, one way would to have to ISO images. Though, if it is possible to have a script to push ks.cfg file separately, then you can script that. You might find something here: https://access.redhat.com/documentation/en-US/Red_Hat_Enterprise_Linux/6/html/Installation_Guide/sn-automating-installation.html

#2: The configuration of RAID has nothing to do with the boot to network ISO option in OME. When you perform a deployment task, then under RAID FQDD, you can check/uncheck the options you want to deploy. Instead, you can create golden configuration and if you want to deploy the same configuration over multiple servers then you can just choose those target servers and deploy the template: Note: It is recommended to have similar hardware configuration. If VMware wants you to keep the RAID controller not configured, then you can do the same through OME.

#3. If you choose SD card as option to install OS in ks.cfg file, then OS installation should go through on the SD card.

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OS Deployment in OME 2.0 not configurable?

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