Ignite boot-helper setup

[Coolmar]

Hi...I need to setup the Ignite boot-helper and am following HP's Setting Up the Boot-Helper System documentation, but am finding it a little confusing.

I have the main ignite server (IGNITE) and it's IP address is 10.10.10.10

Then I have servers on 20.20.20.X and servers on 30.30.30.X So, I have to create boot-helpers (BH) on each subnet so that if a new server is added to either subnet it can get to the actual image on 10.10.10.10 right?

In the documentation, it says to check that I have the correct gateway when I type "instl_adm -d" .... the gateway that shows up would be 20.20.20.1. So I am assuming that is correct.

The next part is what is confusing me. In the instl_boottab file I have to "add ips that clients can use to boot" so would that be 10.10.10.10 - the main ignite server or all the helper servers in other subnets?

So in the end, I simply can connect a new system to say 30.30.30.X and then say
"boot lan.20.20.20.5 install" and it will go through the helper and install the image from 10.10.10.10?

Thanks for the help!

[Steven E. Protter]

Shalom,

Docs
http://docs.hp.com/en/B2355-90970/apcs01.html

http://docs.hp.com/en/B2355-90153/apcs07.html

SEP

[Coolmar]

Those are the documents that I am quoting in my above text.

[Steven E. Protter]

Sorry Sally,

I was answering your question and patching systems at the same time and did not give it adequate attention. Please zero point my first post.

You put the IP's of the non-local networks in this file.

20.20.20.1 in this case.

The document could be improved.

You can't know in advance what the client IP will be, but you can and must know the IP address of the boot helper and that is what goes in the instl_boottab file.

BTW, Standard Bastille hardening will disable a boot helper, don't run it on the boot helper or restore the inetd.conf file after you are done.

SEP

[Coolmar]

Thanks Steven...I still am not sure that I understand this all still. I should explain our Ignite server. It is the one that has the address 10.10.10.10 and most servers on that same subnet can boot from there. However, we do on occasion have servers on the other subnets 20.20.20.x and 30.30.30.x (not real, just for simplicity sake). Our main ignite server on 10.10.10.10 also has vlans to 20.20.20.x and 30.30.30.x...in fact, 10.10.10.x is a vlan too. So do I really need a BH on all subnets because the ignite server is on all networks. That being said, ignite only seems to "listen" on the 10.10.10.x network.

[Steven E. Protter]

In that case, its my belief that your instl_boottab file needs entries for the 20.20.20.X network, the exact IP address that boot helper uses and the 30.30.30.X network, the exact IP address the boothelper is going to use.

I can try to remember to show the contents of a real system when I get to work on Wednesday. I don't have access rights on that box from home.

SEP

[Coolmar]

Steven, you mean the instl_boottab from the main ignite server, has to contain the BH subnet addresses? I thought the instl_boottab was for IP addresses that a new system can use temporarily until it gets an image from the ignite server?

[Coolmar]

hmmmm...after re-reading what I wrote I don't think I explained it very well. So you are saying that even though I have vlans all on the same server going to each subnet I still need boot helpers?

Then if I still need BHs, on the main Ignite server (10.10.10.10), I have to add the address of each BH server (20.20.20.10 and 30.30.30.10) to the instl_boottab file?

What about on each BH server...what addresses do I add there (in the instl_boottab file)?