Step 6: PXE Boot the Nodes Using the PXE Boot Utility

After successful execution of the BuildStreaM pipeline, use the set_pxe_boot.yml playbook utility to configure PXE boot for the target nodes. This playbook restarts the nodes and automatically loads the diskless images on the nodes.

Warning

The set_pxe_boot.yml playbook will restart your servers and power them on if they are off. Any unsaved data will be lost.

Prerequisites

  • Dell iDRAC BMCs must be reachable from the Omnia Infrastructure Manager (OIM).

  • PXE boot order must be set/enabled in the BIOS/UEFI settings of the target nodes.

  • PXE support must be enabled in the NIC firmware.

  • iDRAC firmware must support the Boot Source Override API (iDRAC9 and later).

  • The TFTP/NFS/HTTP server providing the PXE boot image must be reachable by the target nodes.

Procedure

  1. Generate the inventory file based on the mapping file.

Note

The inventory must contain a bmc group with at least one BMC IP address.

For the sample map and inventory files, see Sample Files.

Example inventory:

[bmc]
172.17.107.43
172.17.107.44
172.17.107.43

  1. Run the set_pxe_boot.yml playbook to configure PXE boot and restart the nodes:

    ssh omnia_core
cd /omnia/utils
ansible-playbook set_pxe_boot.yml -i inventory

The playbook will: - Restart the nodes - Power them on if they are off - Configure PXE boot order - Load the diskless image provided by the Omnia Infrastructure Manager (OIM)

Next Steps

(Optional) Initialize telemetry collection for the nodes. See buildstream_telemetry for detailed instructions.

If you have any feedback about Omnia documentation, please reach out at omnia.readme@dell.com.