Overview

As part of configuring the BMC BladeLogic Application server, you complete the following items in the Provisioning Manager Configurations dialog box of the BMC BladeLogic Server Automation Console:

• PXE settings
• TFTP settings
• MTFTP settings
• System package types
• Image files

Configuring the PXE settings

1. From the BMC BladeLogic Server Automation Console, choose Configuration -> Provisioning Image Creation... to display the Provisioning Manager Configurations dialog box.
2. Select the PXE tab, and enter values according to the accompanying guidelines.
   
   
   
   

• Override the default values only when you have specific reasons to do so. For example, accept the Use Multicast option and any supplied multicast address.
• In the Interface to bind field, enter the ethernet card (for example, eth1) that the client uses to access the provisioning network.
• Enter a network domain in the Domain field.
• Use multicast as the internet protocol; do not select the Use Broadcast option.

Configuring the TFTP settings

1. Select the TFTP tab from the Provisioning Manager Configurations dialog box, and enter values according to the accompanying guidelines.
   
   
   
   

• Override the default values only when you have specific reasons to do so.
• In the IP Address field, enter the IP address of the network interface card that is bound to the provisioning network.

• In the base directory, enter the full path of the tftproot directory.
  
  

  Warning

  Recommendation

  If you are working in an environment with multiple PXE servers, BMC recommends that you create a new tftproot directory under the blfs folder: that is, /blfs/tftproot.
  By default, the tftproot directory resides under the NSH scripts folder: /opt/bmc/bladelogic/version_number/pxe/NSH/tftproot. Because the blfs folder acts as the client's storage folder on application servers and repeaters, it can also function as the storage folder for OS boot images.
  After you create the /blfs/tftproot directory, copy the contents of the existing /opt/bmc/bladelogic/versionNumber/pxe/NSH/tftproot directory to the newly created /blfs/tftproot directory.
  Then edit the pxe.conf file, located under /opt/bmc/bladelogic/versionNumber/pxe/NSH/br, to

  • indicate the revised tftproot directory path
  • enable the local configuration file
  • set the correct interface of the provisioning network

Configuring the MTFTP settings

Some hardware models such as the Dell PowerEdge T310s/R710s and the HP DL380G6S, have newer firmware versions that increase the MFTFP timeout from a few seconds to up to ten minutes. Consequently, the provisioning process takes longer. To prevent the extended timeout when hardware models with updated firmware versions are being provisioned, follow these steps:

1. On the TFTP tab of the Provisioning Manager Configurations dialog box, enter the following values for the MTFTP Settings:
   IP Address: 0.0.0.0
   Client port: 0
   Server port: 0
2. Next, stop and restart the blpxe service from the Control Panel (Windows) or from the command line (Linux). Enter the Linux commands from the /etc/init.d directory path:
   ./blpxe stop
   ./blpxe start

Creating or modifying the system package type

You can create a new or modify an existing system package type for the server type you are configuring.

Creating a system package type

For information on creating a system package type, refer to the the BMC BladeLogic Server Automation User Guide.

Modifying a system package type

1. Select the System Package Types tab on the Provisioning Manager Configurations dialog box. A list of available OS packages is displayed.
   
   
   
   
2. Select the OS package version from the list, and double-click to display the Configurations tab.
3. For Windows, select the processor architecture next to the Windows Architecture option.

4. Specify file paths for the OS and agent installers in the OS Installer Configuration and RSCD Installer Configuration fields.
   
   This file path is relative to the root path of the file server you specify when you provision a device. Because the system does not validate the file path string, you must ensure that it matches the file path you defined for the file server.
   
   No absolute path name is entered for the installers. Remember to use the appropriate path separator in the path name: backslash for Windows and forward slash for UNIX or Linux.
   
   

   Warning

   Tip

   The file paths are usually located under the Datastore folder you create for the PXE server.

   
   

5. For Linux, specify the boot kernel files that correspond to the OS image pxeboot files from the tftproot pxelinux directory in the Boot kernal file name and Boot image file name fields.
   
   
   
   
6. For Windows, indicate the initial partition size (megabytes) or accept the default value in the Initial Partition Size field.
7. Click OK.

Creating or modifying the PXE boot image files

The boot image (also referred to as preboot image) in BMC BladeLogic Server Automation is an object that contains a small operating system. This operating system, in turn, specifies how to start the bare metal machine or physical server and launch the installation of the actual operating system. Win PE is the boot image for Windows, and Skip Linux pre-install method is the preferred boot image for Linux.

BOOT_IMAGE_ID property

In BMC Cloud Lifecycle Management 2.1 with Service Pack 1, you are no longer required to create a BOOT_IMAGE_ID and reset it when switching from Windows to Linux provisioning.

However, for both Windows and Linux, users who have not upgraded to Service Pack 1 must create a custom property, BOOT_IMAGE_ID, in the Property Dictionary under the Device class of the BMC BladeLogic Server Automation Console.

1. Open the Property Dictionary in the BMC BladeLogic Server Automation Console.
2. In the Property Class Navigation pane, expand the Built-in Property Classes folder, and select the Device class.
   
   
   
   
3. Add the BOOT_IMAGE_ID property to the class.
4. For Windows, set the value to 201, for the WinPE image. For Linux, set the value to 101, for the Gentoo 64 image.

Creating the boot image file

Windows WinPE boot image

Follow these summary guidelines to create a Windows WinPE boot image.
Make the necessary preparations on a system running the RSCD Agent:

• Install and configure the Windows Automated Installation Kit (WAIK), plus any additional utilities as required.
• Download the BMC BladeLogic Server Automation provisioning files from BMC Support.
• Above all, read carefully the documentation about configuring WAIK in the BMC BladeLogic Server Automation User Guide.

Create the Windows WinPE boot image:

• On the BMC BladeLogic Server Automation Console, open the Configuration > Provisioning Image Creation... dialog box, and follow the four-step wizard process.
  
  
  
  
• For the Boot Image Target Directory field, if applicable, specify a file path that resides under the updated /blfs/tftproot/ root directory path: for example, /blfs/tftproot/x64, where x64 indicates the processor architecture.
• Extract the WinPE boot files bootmgr.exe and pxeboot.0 so that the boot image can copy them to every TFTP server (application servers and repeaters).
• Above all, read carefully the documentation about Windows OS provisioning and WinPE boot files in the BMC BladeLogic Server Automation User Guide.

Linux Gentoo boot image

Follow these summary guidelines:

• On a PXE server, download the Gentoo ISO images for 32- and 64-bit architectures.
• Download the BMC BladeLogic Server Automation provisioning files from BMC Support.
• Execute the mkgen2img.sh command contained in the provisioning files to generate the Gentoo 32-bit and Gentoo 64-bit boot image files.
• Above all, read carefully the documentation on creating Gentoo boot image files in the BMC BladeLogic Server Automation User Guide.

Modifying the boot image files

Windows image files

1. Select the Image Files tab from the Provisioning Manager Configurations dialog box to display a list of the available image types, and double-click the WinPE image type for the boot image you want to modify. The Edit Image File dialog box is displayed.
   
   
   

2. In the Image Path field, specify the relative path to the Windows boot image (the wim file), which is defined under the /blfs/tftproot/ directory you have already specified. For example, if the boot image resides under /blfs/tftproot/X86PC/pxelinux/winpe2_x64, then enter winpe2_x64.
   

   Warning

   Note

   The wim file must have been created in the specified relative path: in this example, winpe2_x64.

3. If the system is 64-bit, verify that 64-bit Image is selected.
4. If the boot image is to be the default image based on WinPE version and processor architecture, the select Set as default image.

Linux image files

1. Select the Image Files tab from the Provisioning Manager Configurations dialog box to display a list of the available image types, and double-click the Gentoo image type for the boot image you want to modify: for example, Linux Gentoo64_2008_sp6/gentoord.gz. The Edit Image File dialog box is displayed.
   
   
   
2. In the Image Path field, specify the relative path to the pxelinux directory where the Linux boot image resides. It is defined under the /blfs/tftproot/ directory you have already specified. For example, if the boot image resides under /blfs/tftproot/X86PC/pxelinux/Gentoo64_2008_sp6, then enter Gentoo64_2008_sp6/gentoord.gz.
   
3. In the Kernel name field, specify the relative path to the pxelinux directory where the boot image resides, as in step 2.
4. In the Kernel commandline field, enter ????.
5. If the system is 64-bit, verify that 64-bit Image is selected.
6. If the boot image is to be the default image based on Gentoo version and processor architecture, the select Set as default image.

How BMC Cloud Lifecycle Management retrieves the boot image

BMC Cloud Lifecycle Management retrieves the boot image in either of two ways:

• by selecting a hard-coded BOOT_IMAGE_ID property definition on the device. This property definition can have a default value if all your physical server devices use the same boot image.

• by attempting to match an appropriate boot image ID from the manufacturer attributes in BMC Cloud Lifecycle Management with the device. BMC Cloud Lifecycle Management uses the PRODUCT_MANUFACTURER property on the BMC BladeLogic Server Automation provisioning image to determine the appropriate match.
  

  Warning

  Note

  The preboot image is supposed to have The PRODUCT_MANUFACTURER property automatically defined from the image type.

When executing a provisioning command, you indicate which preboot image to use. BMC Cloud Lifecycle Management retrieves the preboot image in either of two ways:

• by selecting a hard-coded BOOT_IMAGE_ID property definition on the device. This property definition can have a default value if all your physical server devices use the same boot image.

• by attempting to match an appropriate boot image ID from the manufacturer attributes in BMC Cloud Lifecycle Management with the device. BMC Cloud Lifecycle Management uses the PRODUCT_MANUFACTURER property on the BMC BladeLogic Server Automation provisioning image to determine the appropriate match.
  

  Warning

  Note

  The preboot image is supposed to have The PRODUCT_MANUFACTURER property automatically defined from the image type.

Next steps

For physical servers and bare metal virtual machines, configure the PXE server.

For virtual guest servers, create a system package.