xCAT Stage1 HOWTO (WIP)

xCAT 1.2.0.

Generic
IBM xSeries x86
IBM Intellistation x86
IBM xSeries x380 (Intel Lion)
IBM ia64 Intellistation Z Pro (Intel Big Sur)
Intel Tiger 4
IBM xSeries x382 (Intel Tiger 2)
IBM eServer e325 (Opteron)
IBM xSeries x336/x346/x236
Support

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Follow the latest xCAT Redbook.

IANS:

IBM xSeries x86

Follow the latest xCAT Redbook.

IANS:

IBM Intellistaion (x86)

* Load Optimized Defaults

* Devices and I/O Ports:
  - Onboard LAN = Disabled (If another PXE adapter added)
  - Onboard LAN PXE Function = Disabled (If another PXE adapter added)

* Start Options:
  - Startup Sequence = Floppy, CD ROM, LAN, Hard Disk
  - Boot Up NumLock Status = Off
  - Halt On Error = Disabled

* Advanced Setup:
  - Chipset Feature:
    - AGP Aperture Size (MB) = 128

IBM xSeries x380 (Intel Lion)

* Connect Keyboard and Monitor (no Mouse)
* Cold Boot from EFI or Power on
* EFI Menu
  - Select Boot option maintenance menu
    - Edit Load File [Acpi(PNP0A03,0)/Pci(5|0)/Mac(some mac address)]
    - Assign "Ethernet" as the Description
  - From Main Menu select Change Boot Order
    - Arrow to Ethernet, and press U, repeat until Ethernet is at top,
      then Save and Exit
  - Exit Main Menu to verify that Ethernet is listed first
  - Reenter Boot option maintenance menu
  - Select Cold Reset
* Systems Management (optional)
  - Follow the instructions to create the systems management super
    disk, follow the notes to run it, and enable the EMP port as
    "always" with a rate of 19200.
  - Use the xCAT EMP support for power management.
* Disconnect Keyboard and Monitor
* Rack and stack

IBM ia64 Intellistation Z Pro (Intel Big Sur)

* Connect Keyboard and Monitor (no Mouse)
* Cold Boot from EFI or Power on
* At the Intellistation splash screen Enter Setup
    (no mouse necessary, just tab over)
  - [Right Arrow] to Save/Exit tab
  - [Tab] to Load Factory Settings, [Enter], [Tab] to Continue, [Enter]
  - [Left Arrow] to General tab
  - [Tab] to AC Power Failure Recovery Enabled, [Space] to check
  - [Tab] to Serial Port 1 (COM):, [Down Arrow] to COM1
  - [Left Arrow] to Power Events tab, check all fields ([Space],[Down Arrow])
  - [Right Arrow] to Save/Exit tab, [Tab] to Save New Settings, [Enter],
    [Tab] to Continue, [Enter]
  - [Tab] to Exit, [Enter]
* EFI Menu
  - Select Boot option maintenance menu
    - Add a Boot Option
    - Select Load File [Acpi(PNP0A03,0)/Pci(5|0)/Mac(some mac address)]
    - Assign "Ethernet" as the Description
    - Enter BootOption Data Type: N-No BootOption, Save to NVRAM: Y
    - Exit from Add a Boot Option Menu
  - From Main Menu select Change Boot Order
    - Arrow to Ethernet, and press U, repeat until Ethernet is at top,
      then Save and Exit
  - Exit Main Menu to verify that Ethernet is listed first
  - Reenter Boot option maintenance menu
  - Select Cold Reset
* Disconnect Keyboard and Monitor
* Rack and stack

Intel Tiger 4

* Connect Keyboard, Monitor AND Mouse
* Upgrade BIOS to latest version, cold reset and enter setup with F2
  - F9 to select Setup Defaults
  - F10 to Save and Exit
* Setup Systems Management
  - Create SMU diskette
  - Start an EFI shell
    - type: map -r
    - type: fs0:
    - type: smu
    - click: User
      - click: No User Name
        - click: Edit
          - click: Enable User
          - Enter Username: foo
          - Enter New Password: bar
          - Verify New Password: bar
            NOTE all systems must have same username and password,
            enter them in xcat/etc/passwd.tab
          - Serial User Privilege Level: No Access
          - LAN User Privilege Level: Administrator
          - click: OK
      - click: Save
      - click: OK
    - click: LAN
      - Access Mode: Always Available
      - click: Enable DHCP
      - unclick: Automatically resolve Backup Gateway MAC Address
      - click: Next >
        - click: Enable LAN Alerting
        - SNMP Community String: public
        - click: New
          - Destination IP Address: (Your Management Server IP)
          - click: OK
      - click: Next >
      - click: Save
      - click: OK
    - click: Serial/Modem
    - click: Next >
    - click: Next >
    - click: Next >
    - click: Save
    - click: OK
    - click: PEF
      - click: Enable PEF
      - click: Enable SEL Event Messages for PEF Actions
      - click: Next >
        - For each Filter Setting:
          - click: Filter
          - Edit
            - click: Enable Event Filter
            - click: Enable Alerts
            - click: OK
      - click: Next >
        - click: The first Policy Setting
        - click: Edit
          - click: Enable Policy Entry
          - select: Policy Number: 1
          - click: LAN Channel
          - select: (Your Management Server IP)
          - click: Configure Alert Settings
            - click: New
              - Alert String: "TigerAlert"
              - click: Save
      - click: Next >
        - click: Save
          - click: OK
    - click: Exit
  - type: exit
  - remove SMU diskette
* EFI Menu
  - Select Boot option maintenance menu
    - Add a Boot Option
      - Select Load File [Acpi(PNP0A03,0)/Pci(1E|0)/Pci(0|0)/Mac(xxxxxxxxxxxx)]
        - Edit Existing Boot Option: E
        - Enter New Description: Ethernet
        - Enter BootOption Data Type: <Enter>, <Enter>
        - Save changes to NVRAM: Y
        - Exit
    - Change Boot Order
        - Down arrow to "Ethernet", press "U" until Ethernet is at top
        - Exit
        - Save NVRAM? Y
    - Cold Reset
* Setup BIOS serial redirection and boot on failure (e.g. missing keyboard)
  Cold reset and enter setup with F2
  - Advanced
    - Peripheral Configuration
      - Serial Port B = Enabled
        - Base I/O Address = 2F8
        - IRQ = 3
        ESC back
      - POST Error Pause = Disabled
        Right Arrow to System Management
  - System Management
    - Console Redirection
      - Serial Console Redirection = Enabled
      - Baud Rate = (must = serialbps in site.tab)
      - Terminal Type = VT100+
      - Remove Console Reset = Enabled
        ESC back
  - F10 to Save and Exit
* Disconnect Keyboard, Monitor, and Mouse
* Rack and stack

IBM xSeries x382 (Intel Tiger 2)

* Connect Keyboard, Monitor AND Mouse
* Upgrade BIOS to latest version, cold reset and enter setup with F1,
  (F2 for Tiger 2)
  - F9 to select Setup Defaults
  - F10 to Save and Exit
* Setup Systems Management
  - Create or obtain a Diag/Util CD
  - Start an EFI shell
    - type: map -r
    - type: fs0:
    - type: cd Utilities
    - type: cd SMU
    - type: smu
    - click: User
      - click: No User Name
        - click: Edit
          - click: Enable User
          - Enter Username: foo
          - uncheck: Clear Password
          - Enter New Password: bar
          - Verify New Password: bar
            NOTE all systems must have same username and password,
            enter them in xcat/etc/passwd.tab
          - Serial User Privilege Level: No Access
          - LAN User Privilege Level: Administrator
          - click: OK
      - click: Save
      - click: OK
    - click: LAN
      - Access Mode: Always Available
      - click: Enable DHCP
      - unclick: Automatically resolve Backup Gateway MAC Address
      - click: Next >
        - click: Enable LAN Alerting
        - SNMP Community String: public
        - click: New
          - Destination IP Address: (Your Management Server IP)
          - click: OK
      - click: Next >
      - click: Save
      - click: OK
    - click: PEF
      - click: Enable PEF
      - click: Enable SEL Event Messages for PEF Actions
      - click: Next >
        - For each Filter Setting:
          - click: Filter
          - Edit
            - click: Enable Event Filter
            - click: Enable Alerts
            - click: OK
      - click: Next >
        - click: The first Policy Setting
        - click: Edit
          - click: Enable Policy Entry
          - select: Policy Number: 1
          - click: LAN Channel
          - select: (Your Management Server IP)
          - click: OK
        - click: Save
          - click: OK
    - click: Exit
  - type: exit
  - remove CD
* EFI Menu
  - Select Boot option maintenance menu
    - Add a Boot Option
      - Select Load File [Acpi(PNP0A03,0)/Pci(1F|0)/Pci(0|0)/Mac(xxxxxxxxxxxx)]
        - Make new entry: N
        - Enter New Description: Ethernet
        - Enter BootOption Data Type: <Enter>, <Enter>
        - Save changes to NVRAM: Y
        - Exit
    - Change Boot Order
        - Down arrow to "Ethernet", press "U" until Ethernet is at top
        - Down arror to "EFI Shell [Built-in]", press "U" until under CD/DVD options.
          (Boot order should be: Ethernet, CD/DVD options, EFI Shell, etc...)
        - Exit
        - Save NVRAM? Y
    - Cold Reset
* Setup BIOS serial redirection and boot on failure (e.g. missing keyboard)
  Cold reset and enter setup with F1 (F2 for Tiger 2)
  - Devices and I/O Ports (Tiger 2: Advanced/Peripheral Configuration)
    - Serial Port B = Enabled
      - Base I/O Address = 2F8
      - IRQ = 3
      ESC back
  - Advanced
      - POST Error Pause = Disabled
  - Startup Options (Tiger 2: System Management)
    - Keyboard NumLock State = 0ff (x382 only)
    - Post On Self Test = Normal (x832 only)
    - Console Redirection
      - Serial Console Redirection = Enabled
      - Baud Rate = (must = serialbps in site.tab)
      - Flow Control = XON/XOFF
      - Terminal Type = VT100+
      - Remove Console Reset = Enabled
        ESC back
  - F10 to Save and Exit
* Disconnect Keyboard, Monitor, and Mouse
* Rack and stack

IBM eServer e325 (Opteron)


* Flash Management Processor (BMC) to 1.42 or later.

* Flash BIOS to latest version (1.31 or later).  Remove the power cord.  Count to 10,
  restore power cord.

* Reboot and press [F1] to enter BIOS.

* Load Default Settings

* Devices and I/O Ports
  - Serial Port Setup...
    - Serial port A: Enabled
    - Base I/O address: 3F8
    - Interrupe: IRQ 4
    - Serial port B: Disabled

* Startup Options
  - Startup Sequence
    - First Startup Device: Network
    - Second Startup Device: CD/DVD-ROM
    - Third Startup Device: Removable
    - Forth Startup Device: Hard Disk
  - QuickBoot Mode: Disabled
  - Boot Diagnostic Screen: Enabled
  - Boot Fail Count: Disabled
  - NumLock: Off

* Advanced Setup
  - Chipset Configuration
    - SRAT ACPI Table: Enabled (for NUMA aware OS)
    - Node Memory Interleave: Disabled (for NUMA aware OS)
    - Node Memory Interleave: Enabled (for non-NUMA aware OS)
  - Console Redirection
    - Console Redirection: On-board COM A
    - Baud Rate: 57.6k
    - Console Type: vt100 plus
    - Flow Control: XON/XOFF
    - Console connection: Direct
    - Continue C.R. after POST: On

SOL Notes:

* Advanced Setup
  - Console Redirection
    - Console Redirection: On-board COM A
    - Baud Rate: 9600
    - Console Type: vt100
    - Flow Control: CTS/RTS
    - Console connection: Direct
    - Continue C.R. after POST: On
  - Baseboard Management Controller
    - Change COM port Setting: Yes
    - COM post on BMC: CLI

* Save Settings

* Collect MACs (stage2), then stage3 the node.

IBM xSeries x336/x346/x236


* Flash Management Processor (BMC) to 1.03 or later.

* Flash BIOS to latest version (1.04 or later).  Remove the power cord.  Count to 10,
  restore power cord.

* Reboot and press [F1] to enter BIOS.

* Load Default Settings

* Devices and I/O Ports
  - Serial port A: Port 3F8, IRQ 4
  - Serial port B: Disabled
  - Remote Console Redirection
    - Remote Console Active: Enabled
    - Remote Console COM Port: COM 1
    - Remote Console Baud Rate: 9600 (anything is supported, 9600 was tested)
    - Remote Console Text Emulation: VT100/VT220
    - Remote Console Keyboard Emulation: VT100/VT220
    - Remote Console After Boot: Enabled
    - Remote Console Flow Control: Hardware

* Startup Options
  - Startup Sequence
    - First Startup Device: CD ROM
    - Second Startup Device: Diskette Drive 0
    - Third Startup Device: Network
    - Forth Startup Device: Hard Disk
    - Wale On LAN: Disabled
  - Planer Ethernet PXE/DHCP: Planer Ethernet 1
  - Boot Fail Count: Disabled

* Advanced Setup
  - CPU Options
    - Hyper-Threading Technology: Disabled

SOL Notes:

You must have smbridge RPM installed.  Use the xCAT sol.x336 method in conserver.cf.  Look at $XCATROOT/samples/etc/conserver.cf for an example.

Addtional Settings (do the above first)

* Devices and I/O Ports
  - Remote Console Redirection
    - Remote Console Baud Rate: 19200
* Advanced Setup
  - Baseboard Management Controller (BMC) Settings
    - System BMC Serial Port Sharing: Enabled
    - BMC Serial Port Access Mode: Dedicated

* Save Settings

* If you switched to using SOL, you must remove the power cord for 5 sec.

* Collect MACs (stage2), then stage3 the node.

Support

http://xcat.org


Egan Ford
egan@us.ibm.com
January  2005