Using CentOS 5.

4 with HP Insight Control for Linux

For HP Insight Control for Linux Version 2.11 and higher

Table of Contents
Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 2 Using CentOS with Insight Control for Linux......................................................................................... 2 Step 1: Download the CentOS Distribution Software ......................................................................... 2 Step 2: Add the Distribution Software to the Repository ...................................................................... 3 Step 3: Mount the DVD Distribution ................................................................................................ 4 Step 4: Copy the Distribution to the Repository ................................................................................. 4 Step 5: Copy Installation Boot Files to Repository .............................................................................. 4 Step 6: Download the RHEL5.4 PSP and add it to Repository .............................................................. 4 Installing CentOS on a Managed System ............................................................................................ 5 Monitoring Managed Nodes with CentOS Installed .............................................................................. 6 Issues Using Older Versions of CentOS............................................................................................... 6 For more information ....................................................................................................................... 7

Introduction
CentOS, which stands for Community ENTerprise Operating System, is a free Linux distribution based on the Enterprise distribution from a prominent North American Enterprise Linux vendor (PNAELV). The CentOS project seeks to maintain 100% binary compatibility with the upstream product. Additional software archives hold later versions of some packages and other free and open source software RPMs. Support is only provided by the CentOS community, but there is an HP Linux Forum where you can give and receive help, tips, and opinions.

Using CentOS with Insight Control for Linux

HP Insight Control for Linux is a management solution for HP ProLiant servers. The Insight Control for Linux management solution works on the wide variety of ProLiant servers -- including blade, rack, tower, and scalable servers (that is, BL-, DL-, ML-, and SL- series, respectively). This white paper discusses how to set up HP Insight Control for Linux to install a CentOS 5.4 distribution; it describes the steps needed to prepare Insight Control for Linux so that it can install, capture, and deploy the CentOS 5.4 operating system. It has been demonstrated that CentOS is similar enough to the Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) 5.4 operating system to be satisfactory. While HP believes this to be true, CentOS is not an officially supported operating system under Insight Control for Linux, and HP has not fully tested it. Furthermore, HP does not guarantee that all aspects of CentOS function correctly with Insight Control for Linux. IMPORTANT: Officially, CentOS is community-supported on HP Insight Control for Linux. HP does provide a ProLiant Support Pack (PSP) for CentOS on some servers; the procedure for downloading the PSP is described in Step 6: Download the RHEL5.4 PSP and add it to Repository of this white paper. If you want options for full HP support of CentOS on Insight Control for Linux, please contact your local HP sales representative. You can also install Insight Control for Linux on a Central Management Server (CMS) installed with CentOS. This white paper does not discuss how to set up a CMS using CentOS. The HP Insight Control for Linux Installation Guide contains the instructions for setting up the CMS. Follow the instructions and RPM dependencies for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.4. Note: HP does not support Insight Control for Linux on a CMS running the CentOS operating system. This white paper uses the example of a DVD distribution of CentOS 5.4 x86_64 in the following six steps.

Step 1: Download the CentOS Distribution Software

You can download the CentOS distribution from many web sites. The CentOS web site, http://centos.org, is the best place to look for a mirror site from which to download the CentOS distribution.

From the CentOS Downloads site: Select a mirror site. Select an architecture type. Choose DVD or CD as your media distribution.

Note: All CentOS mirror sites contain an ISO file that is divided into 7 parts. Several of the mirror sites also contain a 4.3 GB single DVD ISO. HP recommends that you download the single DVD ISO file. HP has found that the 7-part ISO file does not contain the full complement of RPMs needed to install either a managed system or a CMS. This white paper discusses copying the contents of the entire DVD distribution into an ICE-Linux repository directory.

Step 2: Add the Distribution Software to the Repository

After downloading the DVD distribution image, use the following procedure to add it to the repository: 1. Open a web browser and log into the CMS. 2. For Insight Control for Linux Version 2.11, select OptionsManage ICE-Linux Repository For Insight Control for Linux Versions 6.0 and higher, select OptionsIC-LinuxManage Repository 3. Select New 4. Select Supported OS in the Item type menu, even though CentOS is not a supported OS. 5. Click Next >. 6. Select where the distribution will be hosted. For this white paper, the location is Locally (on the IC-Linux management server). 7. Click Next >. 8. 9. Enter CentOS5.4_x86_64 in the Name field. Enter CentOS 5.4 x86_64 in the Description field.

10. Select RHEL5 Server U4 x86_64 from the Operating System pull-down menu. 11. Click Save. Two new directories have now been created in the repository: A directory in which to place the installation boot files and A directory in which to place the contents of the DVD distribution.

Step 3: Mount the DVD Distribution

Now you can add the contents of the CentOS distribution to the repository. If the DVD image is a file, you can mount it using the loop-back device: # mkdir /mnt/distro # mount -o loop /iso_path/CentOS-5.4-x86_64-bin-DVD.iso /mnt/distro If you burned the downloaded ISO onto a DVD, insert the DVD in the drive and copy the files from there. NOTE: The remaining steps assume that the contents of the DVD are available from the /mnt/distro directory.

Step 4: Copy the Distribution to the Repository

After the distribution is available, copy its contents into the repository. # cp -a /mnt/distro/* /opt/repository/os/CentOS54_x86_64 After the operation is complete, you can remove the DVD from the drive, or unmount the ISO.

Step 5: Copy Installation Boot Files to Repository

Use the following commands to copy the CentOS installation kernel and its RAM disk into the repository. # cd /opt/repository/os/CentOS54_x86_64/isolinux # cp -a vmlinuz initrd.img /opt/repository/boot/CentOS54_x86_64Boot

Step 6: Download the RHEL5.4 PSP and add it to Repository

The following components must be installed so that a system can be managed by Insight Control for Linux and HP SIM: hp-health hp-OpenIPMI hp-snmp-agents hp-ilo

In addition, netxtreme2 and nx_nic might be required to handle some newer network information cards (NICs). As part of an Insight Control for Linux OS install operation, the Kickstart file for RHEL5.4/CentOS 5.4 automatically installs these components from the RHEL 5.4 PSP. HP believes these components will work properly in a CentOS 5.4 environment. Therefore, we recommend that the PSP for Red Hat RHEL 5.4 be downloaded and placed in the repository and associated with the RHEL 5.4 supported operating system.

Use the following procedure to download the ProLiant Support Pack for RHEL 5.4: 1. Open a browser to the following web address: http://www.hp.com/support# 2. Select your country or region, if prompted to do so. 3. Select the Download drivers and software (and firmware) option in Step 1. 4. Enter your server model (for example, BL460c G6) in the For product text box in Step 2 and click Go >> to search for that server. Note: The CentOS 5 ProLiant Support Pack is not available for every server. 5. Select Red Hat Enterprise Linux from the list titled Select operating system. 6. Locate the table titled Software Support Pack. 7. This support pack is downloaded in three parts. Select Download >> for each part. For information on how to install the PSP and associate it with RHEL 5.4, see the HP Insight Control for Linux User Guide. Note: Other components in the PSP for RHEL 5.4 have not been tested and might not work. Also, the install.sh script in the PSP for Red Hat only allows PSPs to deploy to systems that have the name Red Hat in the /etc/redhat-release file. Therefore, if you need to install any additional PSP components, we recommend that you download the PSP for CentOS 5.4. The PSP for CentOS 5.4 has no install.sh script and is packaged differently from the PSP for Red Hat. Thus, you will not be able to use the DeployDeploy Drivers, Firmware and AgentsIC-LinuxInstall ProLiant Support Pack (PSP) task, and must install them manually. To download the PSP for CentOS 5.4, use the procedure described in this section, replacing CentOS for Red Hat Enterprise Linux in step 5. You can place the CentOS PSP in the repository if you want one central location for all the PSPs, but you will not be able to deploy it using Insight Control for Linux.

Installing CentOS on a Managed System

At this time, CentOS is successfully integrated into Insight Control for Linux and can be installed on managed systems. To install a managed system (or a set of managed systems), select the servers to install, then choose either of the following: DeployOperating SystemRed Hat Interactive... DeployOperating SystemRed Hat (Kickstart)... There are example Kickstart files provided for RHEL5.4 that you can use as a template to build your own Kickstart files. After the installation is complete, you have an installed CentOS 5.4 system with the required HP ProLiant Service Pack agents installed.

Monitoring Managed Nodes with CentOS Installed

Managed nodes with CentOS 5.4 installed should be treated in the same manner as the RHEL5.4 managed nodes. For more information, see the section titled Setting up managed systems for monitoring of the HP Insight Control for Linux User Guide.

Issues Using Older Versions of CentOS

RHEL 5.4 supports all the latest hardware supplied with HP ProLiant G6 servers. However, older versions of RHEL/CentOS might not support all the latest hardware. If you intend to install an older version of CentOS on the newest hardware, you might need to download a new initrd file that has the latest drivers. For more information on acquiring and using newer version of initrd, see the section titled Additional prerequisites for certain ProLiant servers in the HP Insight Control for Linux User Guide. The CentOS community, not HP, provides support for newer versions of initrd.

For more information

www.hp.com/go/ic-linux www.hp.com/support/dl360G6 www.centos.org

2008, 2010 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. The information contained herein is subject to change without notice. The only warranties for HP products and services are set forth in the express warranty statements accompanying such products and services. Nothing herein should be construed as constituting an additional warranty. HP shall not be liable for technical or editorial errors or omissions contained herein. Linux is a U.S. registered trademark of Linus Torvalds. Red Hat is a registered trademark of Red Hat, Inc.

537983-003a, May 2010