Configuring provisioning attributes

As part of configuring the Application Server, you must configure a number items in the Provisioning Manager Configurations dialog box of the BMC Server Automation Console.

The following sections provide information and instructions for configuring provisioning:

Configuring the PXE settings

From the BMC Server Automation Console, choose Configuration > Provisioning Configuration to display the Provisioning Manager Configurations dialog box.
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

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 (NIC) that is bound to the provisioning network.
In the base directory, enter the full path of the tftproot directory.
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/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/pxe/NSH/tftproot directory to the newly created /blfs/tftproot directory.
Then edit the pxe.conf file, located under /opt/bmc/bladelogic/pxe/NSH/br, to
- indicate the revised tftproot directory path
- enable the local configuration file
- set the correct interface of the provisioning network

To adjust 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:

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
Stop and restart the blpxe service:
- (Windows) Stop and restart the service using the Control Panel
- (Linux) Using the command line, enter the following command from the /etc/init.d directory:
  ./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.

To create a system package type

For information about creating a system package type, see Creating-a-system-package.

To modify a system package type

Select the System Package Types tab on the Provisioning Manager Configurations dialog box. A list of available OS packages is displayed.
Double-click a system package type in the list to display the System Package Type dialog box.
For Windows, select the processor architecture next to the Windows Architecture option.
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 that 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.

Tip
The file paths are usually located under the Datastore folder that you create for the PXE server. For more information, see Creating and stocking the Data Store in the BMC Server Automation online documentation.
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.
For Windows, indicate the initial partition size (megabytes) or accept the default value in the Initial Partition Size field.
Click OK.

Creating or modifying the PXE boot image files

The boot image (also referred to as preboot image) in BMC 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. WinPE is the boot image for Windows, and the Skip Linux pre-install method is the preferred boot image for Linux.

How BMC Cloud Lifecycle Management retrieves the boot image

BMC Cloud Lifecycle Management retrieves the boot image in 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 Server Automation provisioning image to determine the appropriate match.
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 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 Server Automation provisioning image to determine the appropriate match.
Note
The preboot image is supposed to have the PRODUCT_MANUFACTURER property automatically defined from the image type.

Creating the boot image file

The procedure for creating a boot image file differs for Windows WinPE and Linux Gentoo.

To create a 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 Server Automation provisioning files from BMC Support.
Above all, carefully read the documentation about configuring WAIK in Provisioning-servers.

Create the Windows WinPE boot image:

On the BMC 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, carefully read the documentation about Windows OS provisioning and WinPE boot files in Provisioning-servers.

To create a Linux Gentoo boot image

Note

Starting in BMC Cloud Lifecycle Management 2.1 Service Pack 1 and later releases, you are no longer required to use the Gentoo boot image as long as the Skip Linux pre-install method is used.

Follow these summary guidelines:

On a PXE server, download the Gentoo ISO images for 32- and 64-bit architectures.
Download the BMC 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, carefully read the documentation about creating Gentoo boot image files in Provisioning-servers.

Modifying the boot image files

To modify Windows image files

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.
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.
Note
The wim file must have been created in the specified relative path: in this example, winpe2_x64.
If the system is 64-bit, verify that 64-bit Image is selected.
If the boot image is to be the default image based on WinPE version and processor architecture, select Set as default image.

To modify Linux image files