[Users] Pxeboot

[Li, David]

Mike,

If I understand this correctly, today I should be able to pxeboot and nfs mount the root fs from a remote server.  Apart from setting up the pxe stuff, I 'd have to populate the ovirt node root fs on the server - perhaps steal it from a disk install.  In other words I am concerned about the point from which the kernel starts to execute /init script (in the initramfs) to the point /init is able to mount the final root fs from a remote server. 

I understand the challenge you talked about.  But this is the very first step.  I looked at the archipel but couldn't figure out where it stands on this. No one from their mailing list responded either. 

David

>-----Original Message-----
>From: Mike Burns [mailto:mburns at redhat.com]
>Sent: Wednesday, February 08, 2012 11:12 AM
>To: Li, David
>Cc: users at ovirt.org
>Subject: Re: [Users] Pxeboot
>
>On Wed, 2012-02-08 at 10:51 -0800, Li, David wrote:
>> Mike,
>>
>> I 'd like to understand what it takes to do this.
>> Do we need a special initramfs for oVirt node to help with the stateless
>pxeboot? Some tools like Dracut and Dracut-network to create such an
>initramfs?
>
>There are a few things needed, many of which are discussed on the
>Node_Stateless wiki page.  There was some work done by some other people
>to get a stateless node working for archipel that I haven't pulled back into the
>node yet.
>
>The biggest challenge is that pieces of the oVirt project require there to be
>persistent storage locally.  For example, when you register a node with the
>engine, a manual step is required to approve the node.  After this manual step,
>some certificates are copied locally into the node and stored.  That way, the
>node can immediately identify itself with the engine and start working with no
>need to identify itself.
>
>To solve this problem, we need to either 1.  remove the need to store stuff
>locally 2.  provide some way to package up this config and store it somewhere,
>then retrieve on boot 3.  embed some sort of key or certificate in the pxe
>image that allows the engine to know that this valid machine and
>automatically approve it.
>
>The archipel stuff doesn't deal with all of that.  My understanding is that they
>just start using whatever clients identify themselves.
>
>I do have a task on my plate to pull the stuff from archipel-node back into
>ovirt-node and incorporate what they've done into the overall stateless
>design.
>
>Mike
>
>>
>> David
>>
>> >-----Original Message-----
>> >From: Mike Burns [mailto:mburns at redhat.com]
>> >Sent: Wednesday, February 08, 2012 10:35 AM
>> >To: Li, David
>> >Cc: users at ovirt.org
>> >Subject: Re: [Users] Pxeboot
>> >
>> >On Wed, 2012-02-08 at 10:24 -0800, Li, David wrote:
>> >> Hi Mike,
>> >>
>> >> I read the oVirt node  Wiki and had an impression it's not ready in 2.3 yet:
>> >http://ovirt.org/wiki/Node_Stateless .
>> >>
>> >> Ok, I saw that tool in the ISO. Let me dig in to how to use it.
>> >> The real question now is if I can nfs mount the the real rootfs
>> >> which would
>> >also be on the TFTP/DHCP server in the final pxe booting stage.  Is
>> >that something you are doing too?
>> >
>> >Ok, I think I see where the confusion is now.  We support using
>> >pxeboot to install to a local disk, but not full stateless booting
>> >and pulling the configuration from elsewhere.
>> >
>> >It won't really be feasible to so something like this until we have
>> >stateless support worked out, but you're welcome to work with us to get it
>working.
>> >
>> >Mike
>> >
>> >>
>> >> David
>> >>
>> >> >-----Original Message-----
>> >> >From: Mike Burns [mailto:mburns at redhat.com]
>> >> >Sent: Wednesday, February 08, 2012 10:11 AM
>> >> >To: Li, David
>> >> >Cc: users at ovirt.org
>> >> >Subject: Re: [Users] Pxeboot
>> >> >
>> >> >On Wed, 2012-02-08 at 09:53 -0800, Li, David wrote:
>> >> >> Since oVirt node doesn’t support pxeboot in the current release,
>> >> >> does anyone know if I can use RHEV-H to pxeboot and nfs mout the
>> >rootfs?
>> >> >
>> >> >Where does it say that ovirt-node doesn't support pxe boot?  I use
>> >> >PXE in my testing.  I haven't heard of any issues with PXE either.
>> >> >
>> >> >The livecd-iso-to-pxeboot script in livecd-tools will create the
>> >> >initrd and vmlinuz files for you to import into your PXE server.
>> >> >
>> >> >Mike
>> >> >>
>> >> >> David
>> >> >>
>> >> >>
>> >> >>
>> >> >>
>> >> >> _______________________________________________
>> >> >> Users mailing list
>> >> >> Users at ovirt.org
>> >> >> http://lists.ovirt.org/mailman/listinfo/users
>> >> >
>> >>
>> >> _______________________________________________
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>> >
>>
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