Provisioning RHEL using NFS

This page is a review of the steps required to configure Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) provisioning using NFS (without IIS, DHCP, PXE and TFTP).

• Installing the NFS Server
• Sharing the DataStore
• Adding the PXE DataStore instance
• Creating a system package
• Adding a device
• Creating a Provisioning Job
• Installing Bare Metal

Installing the NFS Server

1. Click Add Role.
   
2. Click Next.
   
3. Select File Service, and then click Next.
   
4. Select Services for NFS and then click Next.
   
5. Click Install.
   
   The NFS Server is installed.
   
6. Click Close.
   
7. Verify that the NFS Server is installed.
   
8. Copy RHEL5.x DVD dump in C:\share\RHES5.
   

Sharing the DataStore

1. Right-click the share folder and select Properties.
   
2. Click Manage NFS Sharing on the NFS Sharing tab.
   
3. Select Options as in the image (right side) and then click Permissions.
   
4. Set Type of Access = Read-Only.
   Allow root access.
   
5. Verify that the share folder is shared using NFS from Server Manager.
   

Adding the PXE DataStore instance

1. Through the TrueSight Server Automation Console, select Configuration > Property Dictionary View.
   
2. Open the Pxe DataStore property class. On the Instance tab, click Add (+ sign in green).
   
3. Type a name for the instance and specify values for all underlined properties in the following image.
   
4. Click Finish.
   

Creating a system package

1. Right-click the Depot folder and select New > System Package.
   
2. Type a name for the system package and specify where to save it in the Depot folder.
   Set the System Package Type to RedHat AS 5.0 (as we are provisioning RHEL 5.3).
   
3. Click Next.
   
4. Click Finish.
   
5. Set Partitions Setting under Disk Partition Tab.
   
6. Type Computer Name, Password, Kickstart Network Device and Boot Kernel Parameters.
   
7. Set Time Zone.
   
8. Specify Packages to install.
   
9. Set IP Address setting for the machine to be provisioned.
   
10. Customize Kickstart File to specify NFS Server and Directory
    
11. Type IP Address of Application Server.
    
12. Save and close the System Package.

Adding a device

1. Right Click Devices Group – Add Device
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2. Enter the following settings:
   • Type MAC Address
   • Boot Image File = Skip Linux Pre-Install
   • Provisioning Method = PXE
     
3. Click Next.
4. Click Finish.
   

Creating a Provisioning Job

1. Right-click the Device that you created in the previous task and select Provision > RedHat.
   
2. Type the Name and Set Job Folder, and then click Next.
   
3. Specify the path to System Package that we created above. Also, specify the DATA_STORE that we created above from the Property Dictionary.
   
4. Accept the default settings and step through the next few wizard pages, by clicking Next.
   
   
   
   
5. Select the Execute Job Now check box, and then click Next.
   
6. Click Next on the Properties page.
   
7. Click Finish.
   
   
   The Job Executes.
   
   The job creates a file with Device (MAC Address) Name, which is a Kickstart file, that will be used for provisioning.
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Installing Bare Metal

1. Boot a bare metal (New Machine) with RHEL DVD or burn boot.iso file in CD and boot from it.
   
   Type following (shown in the image left) at Boot Prompt and Press Enter
   
   Where
   10.98.241.196 = NFS Server (which is our Application Server)10.98.241.196:/share/00-50-56-88-38-E6 = Kickstart location
   
   10.98.241.146 = IP Address for the New Machine255.255.255.0 = Subnet Mask for the New Machine10.98.241.1 = Gateway Address for the New Machine
   
   
   Installation starts.
   
   
2. After installation completes, verify the IP Address setting by running the ifconfig command.