PCCC SCore Easy Installation Tool (EIT) Version 2 Guide

Table of Contents

  1. Overview of Installation
  2. Installation Module Extraction
  3. NIS set up
  4. EIT
  5. Server Host combined with Compute Host
  6. Additional Compute Hosts after Setting
  7. Known Problems
  1. Overview of Installation

    We assume the following configuration in this document:

    The installation procedures contain mainly the following three steps:
    1. Configuration Specification using EIT
    2. Compute Hosts Installation
    3. SCore Server Configuration

    The SCore DVD contains the boot CD-ROM image for a compute host with a CD drive. Such a user must burn a CD-R using the following image: 

            # /mnt/cdrecorder/images/scoreboot.iso
    Using this CD-R, the SCore DVD must be mounted in the server host because the the server host provides all the installation images to compute hosts during the installation time.

    EIT will invoke a daemon which handles the DHCP protocol, whose port number is 1641 instead of the standard DHCP server port number, 67. After booting an installer on a compute host by the boot floppy disk, the installer obtains its IP address from the daemon. The given IP address is permanently used in the compute host. Then, the compute host mounts installation images and invokes the Red Hat anaconda with a kickstart file stored in the server.

    Be sure that you must login the server as a super user and the command path includes /sbin and /usr/sbin. That is, for example, make sure that the following command is successfully invoked: 

            # ifconfig eth0

  2. EIT setup

    If you have the SCore DVD, follow the (1) procedure. If you have the SCore DVD iso image, follow the (2) procedure.
    1. SCore DVD
      The DVD is inserted in the server host. We assume that the DVD is mounted in the /media/cdrecorder directory. Issue the following commands: 
              # mkdir -p /var/ftp/media/cdrecorder
        # mount /media/cdrecorder /var/ftp/media/cdrecorder
	# cd /var/ftp/media/cdrecorder
	# ./Install
    2. SCore DVD iso image
      Assume that the score6.0.0-centos4.4.iso image is located in the /work directory. Issue the following commands: 
              # mkdir -p /var/ftp/media/cdrecorder
        # mount -o loop /work/score6.0.0-centos4.4.iso /var/ftp/media/cdrecorder
	# cd /var/ftp/media/cdrecorder
	# ./Install

    The /opt/score directory has been installed. All documents and binaries for the server are located under the directory.

  3. Making SCore Boot CD

    • A CD drive with a compute host
      You have to make a boot CD-R using the following file. 
               /var/ftp/media/cdrecorder/images/scoreboot.iso

      If you need to eject the SCore DVD to make the CD-R, the above iso file must be copied to a local disk first. After burning the CD-R, the SCore DVD must be mounted again.

    • A DVD drive with a compute host
      SCore DVD is used to install compute hosts. Please eject the DVD. No need to burn a CD-R.
  4. NIS setup

    EIT assumes the NIS environment.
    1. In case that the NIS server exists
      1. For example, assume that NISDOMAIN is score.info, issue the following command: 
                # /opt/score/bin/configNIS client score.info
      2. Make sure that IP addresses of the server host and all compute hosts are registered in NIS.
    2. In case that the NIS server is going to be set up on the SCore server.
      1. IP addresses of the server host and all compute hosts must be registered in the /etc/hosts file.
      2. Create user accounts.
      3. The configNIS command is used as follows to set up the NIS server. In this example, the score.info NISDOMAIN name is assumed. 
                # /opt/score/bin/configNIS server score.info

  5. EIT

    起動時にXウィンドウシステムが動かないように以下の通り設定して下さい。 Disables automatic the X window system start up at the boot time, please issue the following command: 
            # telinit 3
    Then the X window system is restarted using the startx command. The following command must be invoked under the X Window System:
    1. In case that NIS and DNS are running 
      	# /opt/score/bin/eit
    2. In case that NIS is only running 
      	# /opt/score/bin/eit -nisonly
    You will see the following window:

    [Easy Installation Tool Welcome Window]

    Figure 1: Easy Installation Tool Welcome Window

    Please click the Next button to start the installation.

    1. Keyboard Selection
      You will see the keyboard selection window as shown below. Choose the keyboard type.

      [Keyboard Selection]

      Figure 2: Keyboard Selection

      Please click the Next button to configure the network information.

    2. Network Configuration
      You will see the following window:

      [Network Configuration]

      Figure 3: Network Configuration

      Basically, you do not need to modify the network configuration. If the SCore Cluster Development Kit CD-ROM image is stored in a hard disk, the "Mount Point" must be changed.
      • Server Name
        You do not need to change it.
      • Domain Name
        The domain name is the server host domain name.
      • Netmask
        If your cluster host netmask is different from the default netmask, please modify this value.
      • Gateway
        If the gateway of your compute host is different from the default gateway, please modify this value.
      • NIS
        If the NIS domain name is different from the default name, please modify this value.
      • Mount Point
        If you use SCore boot CD to install compute hosts, the directory of the SCore DVD image must be specified in this field.
      • Display
        The display host to show the installation process should be specified.
      Please click the Disk Setup button.

    3. NFS Configuration
      You may specify the NFS mount points in all compute hosts using the NFS Configuration section (Figure 6).

      [NFS Configuration]
      Figure 4: NFS Configuration

      After specifying the NFS mount, please click the Next button.
    4. Host Information
      The next step is to specify the compute host information.

      [Host Information]
      Figure 5: Host Information

      In the host information section (Figure 5),
      1. Specify the number of compute hosts in the Number of Hosts field. For example, if your cluster will have one server and eight compute hosts, change this value to 8.
      2. Each compute host name will be a string specified in the Name Prefix filed followed by a number whose number system is selected from the buttons, digit, hex and oct. If you select none, then no number is added.
      3. The number is started from the value specified in the Start field.
      4. Figure of the number is specified in the Figure field.
        For example, if you want to have four compute hosts with the postfix having the form 005, 006, 007, and 008, then enter 5 in the Start field and 3 in the Figure part.

      5. If compute hosts are SMPs, the number of processors is set in the # of Processors field.

      6. Click the Add button

      7. A Hosts Configuration dialog box will be displayed showing all the hostnames that will be used, starting from 0 (Figure 8):

        [Hosts Configuration]
        Figure 6: Hosts Configuration

      8. Select OK to accept this list, or Cancel to start again

      If you finish to specify all compute hosts, please click the Next button.

    5. Cluster Network Configuration
      The Cluster Network Configuration section will be displayed (Figure 7).

      [Cluster Network Configuration]
      Figure 7: Cluster Network Configuration (1)

      To specify the cluster group with network types, please click the New button. You will see the following window (Figure 8).

      [Cluster Network Configuration]
      Figure 7: Group Creation (1)

      1. Enter the name of the group in the text field at the top.
      2. Below the group name specification field, each network type has a toggle button. Select the networks that you wish to use by toggling the buttons. If you also select "Shmem" for SMPs enter the process count in the text field to the right. The process count should not be larger than the number of CPUs in the SMP machine.

      3. On the left-hand side of the window is a box of candidate hosts. If the number of hosts cannot be displayed in the window you can scroll the window with the scroll bar. Select the hosts that you want for the group. The selected hosts will be displayed in the box on the right-hand side.

        A button under the candidates and selected windows should be selected if you want to select all of machines, half of machines, or quarter machines. For example, if you want to select the first half of machines, click the 1/2 button. If you want to select the last half of machines, click the 2/2 button.

        After entering the information you will see a window similar to the following (Figure 11).

        [Group Creation]
        Figure 8: Group Creation (2)

      4. Click the OK button to accept this group, or Cancel to start again. If you select the OK button, you will see the following window (Figure 12).

        [Group Creation]
        Figure 10: Cluster Network Configuration (2)

        To go to the next step, please click the Next button.

    6. Cluster Setup

      After the boot floppy creation section and the Cluster Setup section is displayed, it is ready to install all compute hosts.

      [Cluster Setup]
      Figure 11: Cluster Setup (1)

      1. Insert a SCore boot CD or SCore DVD into the compute host 0 and power on.
      2. Few minutes later, you will see the compute host 0 MAC address and IP address in the Cluster Setup Window as shown in Figure 12.

        [Cluster Setup 2]
        Figure 12: Cluster Setup (2)

        At this time, the EIT daemon gives the IP address to the compute host. In case of using the boot CD disk, you may eject the boot CD disk and insert it to the next compute host and power it on to start the installation. In case of using the DVD disk, you cannot eject the DVD because the installer uses the DVD to extract the images.

      3. The following window will be displayed during the installation sequence:

        [Installing Packages]\
        Figure 13: Installing Packages

      4. When the installation has completed, you will see the following window. Please click the "Exit" button. The compute host will be rebooted.

        [Congratulation Window]
        Figure 14: Congratulation Window

      If all compute hosts have been installed, then proceed the next step.

    7. Server Setup

      After installing all compute hosts, click the Next button in the EIT window to set up the server host.

      [Server Setup]
      Figure 15: Server Setup

      The following message will appear when the server host set up is done.

      [Server Setup Done]
      Figure 16: Server Setup Done

      [Congratulation]
      Figure 17: Congratulation !

      Before testing the cluster, you have to logout and login again so that the shell environment variables, defined under the /etc/profile.d, become effective.

  6. Server Host combined with Compute Host

    If you want to configure that the Server host is also a compute host, the server host must be also included in compute host lists.

    For example, let us add the server host to the compute hosts in the example configuration. That is, assume the eight compute hosts have been registered and the server host name is server.pccluster.org.

    Assume that you have not configured the SCore system, i.e., not yet proceeded the Cluster Network Configuration section. If you have configured compute hosts already, See the Additional Compute Hosts after Setting section.

    1. In the host information section shown in Figure 25,
      1. Specify 1 in the Number of Hosts field,
      2. Fill the letter server in the Name Prefix field,
      3. Select the none button
      And then the Add button is clicked.

      Figure 18: Host Information

      Then, you will see the following window. Click the OK button.

      Figure 19: Hosts Configuration

    2. Click the "New" button in the Cluster Network Configuration section and then specify the network.

    If you will add more compute hosts in your cluster in the future, it is better that a server host is the compute host number 0 instead of the last number. If you want to set up this, the server host name is firstly registered in the host information section, and then other compute host names are registered.

  7. Additional Compute Hosts after Setting

    If you want to add more compute hosts after configured, please do the following:

    1. Invoking /opt/score/bin/eit
    2. Click the Load button so that the configuration information is loaded.
    3. Specify the new additional compute hosts in the Host Information. A new compute host can be the server host. You may specify the server host name in the Host Information.
    4. Modify the existing network group or create a new network group in the Cluster Network Configuration section.
    5. Then click the Next button in the Cluster Network Configuration section. You will see the following dialog. Please click the No button because existing compute hosts do not need to be reconfigured.

      Figure 20: Reconfiguration Confirmation

      Click the No button !

    6. If you still keep boot floppies, use them to set up the new compute hosts. If you do not have them, create boot floppies in the Create Boot Floppy section.
    7. If the new compute hosts include the server host, the server host must be rebooted.

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