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:mbu...@redhat.com] >Sent: Wednesday, February 08, 2012 11:12 AM >To: Li, David >Cc: users@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:mbu...@redhat.com] >> >Sent: Wednesday, February 08, 2012 10:35 AM >> >To: Li, David >> >Cc: users@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:mbu...@redhat.com] >> >> >Sent: Wednesday, February 08, 2012 10:11 AM >> >> >To: Li, David >> >> >Cc: users@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@ovirt.org >> >> >> http://lists.ovirt.org/mailman/listinfo/users >> >> > >> >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> >> Users mailing list >> >> Users@ovirt.org >> >> http://lists.ovirt.org/mailman/listinfo/users >> > >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Users mailing list >> Users@ovirt.org >> http://lists.ovirt.org/mailman/listinfo/users > _______________________________________________ Users mailing list Users@ovirt.org http://lists.ovirt.org/mailman/listinfo/users