Provisioning process for HP-UX

For provisioning HP-UX servers, the BMC Server Automation system uses Hewlett-Packard Ignite software. This topic describes the phases of provisioning in the Ignite environment.

BMC Server Automation provisioning integrates with existing Ignite environments for remote provisioning. Key Ignite resources utilized in the provisioning process include the Ignite master server, Igniteboot helper server, config files, INDEX file, and INSTALLFS.

Click the thumbnail below for a full-size image depicting the provisioning process.

The following numbered steps correspond to numbers in the image shown above.

1. Create system package and data store instance, import device, and run Provision Job:
   • Create a system package that contains all the instructions needed to install an operating system over the network.
   • Create a data store instance that points to the location of a data store, which is where you store sets of installation files that are used for provisioning operating systems.
   • Register the target device's MAC address (and optional additional information) with the BMC Server Automation system by importing the device.
   • Create and run the Provision Job.
2. Reboot the target
    If your Provision Job is not set up to automatically reboot the Ignite target, you need to reboot the target by doing one of the following things
   • Run the bootsys command, using the following syntax:
     bootsys -a <target machine name>
      for example: bootsys -a itanium1
   • On the booting menu, select network boot on an active LAN device.
3. Target contacts Ignite master
    The HP-UX target contacts the Ignite master for its base operating system installation instructions.
4. Ignite master begins OS installation
    The Ignite master begins the base operating system installation as defined by the files shipped to the Ignite master by the BMC Server Automation Application Server.
5. Application Server monitors OS installation
    The BMC Server Automation Application Server monitors the base operating system installation job on the Ignite master and moves the target to "provisioned" upon its completion.
6. Target reboots to new OS
    The HP-UX target reboots and comes up to the new operating system.
    Optionally, the Ignite master installs the RSCD agent, which is necessary for managing the server with BMC Server Automation. A registration event occurs to enter the target machine's information into the BMC Server Automation system so the server can be managed from the BMC Server Automation Console.
7. Provisioning runs Batch Job for additional configuration
    Optionally, the provisioning process can run a job that performs additional configuration of the target machine. For example, a Batch Job can install and configure all necessary applications on the target machine.