DHCPD fails......

[Qcheck]

Trying to start the dhcpd and is failing. Any ideas?

I am trying to setup cobbler. Installed dhcp-3.0.5-13.el5 and failing, see the following:

[root@cognos init.d]# rpm -qa| grep dhcp
dhcpv6-client-1.0.10-4.el5_2.2
dhcp-3.0.5-13.el5
[root@cognos init.d]# service dhcpd start
Starting dhcpd: [FAILED]
[root@cognos init.d]#

Also noticed that when I edit cat /etc/cobbler/dhcp.template and save, /etc/dhcpd.conf file is not updating. What am I doing wrong?

Thank you....:confused:

[Matti_Kurkela]

To find out why dhcpd is failing, read the system log files in the /var/log/ directory. If the dhcpd does not like something in its configuration file, it will log a message identifying the error.

When you edit Cobbler's dhcp.template file, Cobbler won't automatically replace your existing dhcpd.conf as soon as you complete the edit. The template is used (only?) when you add a new system to Cobbler, with a command like:

cobbler system add --name=AA:BB:CC:DD:EE:FF --ip=192.168.1.1

MK

[Qcheck]

Oh, Okay I got the dhcpd.conf file. Thank you for the repsonse.

When I start the "service dhcpd start", it fails and I get the following in the message file:

Mar 23 08:36:05 cognos dhcpd: Internet Systems Consortium DHCP Server V3.0.5-RedHat
Mar 23 08:36:05 cognos dhcpd: Copyright 2004-2006 Internet Systems Consortium.
Mar 23 08:36:05 cognos dhcpd: All rights reserved.
Mar 23 08:36:05 cognos dhcpd: For info, please visit http://www.isc.org/sw/dhcp/
Mar 23 08:36:05 cognos dhcpd:
Mar 23 08:36:05 cognos dhcpd: ** You must add a global ddns-update-style statement to /etc/dhcpd.conf.
Mar 23 08:36:05 cognos dhcpd: To get the same behaviour as in 3.0b2pl11 and previous
Mar 23 08:36:05 cognos dhcpd: versions, add a line that says "ddns-update-style ad-hoc;"
Mar 23 08:36:05 cognos dhcpd: Please read the dhcpd.conf manual page for more information. **
Mar 23 08:36:05 cognos dhcpd:
Mar 23 08:36:05 cognos dhcpd: If you did not get this software from ftp.isc.org, please
Mar 23 08:36:05 cognos dhcpd: get the latest from ftp.isc.org and install that before
Mar 23 08:36:05 cognos dhcpd: requesting help.
Mar 23 08:36:05 cognos dhcpd:
Mar 23 08:36:05 cognos dhcpd: If you did get this software from ftp.isc.org and have not
Mar 23 08:36:05 cognos dhcpd: yet read the README, please read it before requesting help.
Mar 23 08:36:05 cognos dhcpd: If you intend to request help from the dhcp-server@isc.org
Mar 23 08:36:05 cognos dhcpd: mailing list, please read the section on the README about
Mar 23 08:36:05 cognos dhcpd: submitting bug reports and requests for help.
Mar 23 08:36:05 cognos dhcpd:
Mar 23 08:36:05 cognos dhcpd: Please do not under any circumstances send requests for
Mar 23 08:36:05 cognos dhcpd: help directly to the authors of this software - please
Mar 23 08:36:05 cognos dhcpd: send them to the appropriate mailing list as described in
Mar 23 08:36:05 cognos dhcpd: the README file.
Mar 23 08:36:05 cognos dhcpd:
Mar 23 08:36:05 cognos dhcpd: exiting.

---------------------------------------

Am I using the wrong version? Thank you

[Michael Steele_2]

Hi

This is something simple like a missing "..;.." semicolon in a config file. Verify please.

[Qcheck]

This is what the dhcp.template file looks like:

[root@cognos cobbler]# cat dhcp.template
# ******************************************************************
# Cobbler managed dhcpd.conf file
#
# generated from cobbler dhcp.conf template ($date)
# Do NOT make changes to /etc/dhcpd.conf. Instead, make your changes
# in /etc/cobbler/dhcp.template, as /etc/dhcpd.conf will be
# overwritten.
#
# ******************************************************************

ddns-update-style interim;
#ddns-update-style ad-hoc interim;

allow booting;
allow bootp;
#if $omapi_enabled
omapi-port $omapi_port;
#end if

ignore client-updates;
set vendorclass = option vendor-class-identifier;

subnet 192.168.30.0 netmask 255.255.255.0 {
#option routers 192.168.30.5;
#option domain-name-servers 192.168.30.61;
option subnet-mask 255.255.255.0;
range dynamic-bootp 192.168.30.100 192.168.30.254;
filename "/pxelinux.0";
default-lease-time 21600;
max-lease-time 43200;
next-server $next_server;
}

#for dhcp_tag in $dhcp_tags.keys():
## group could be subnet if your dhcp tags line up with your subnets
## or really any valid dhcpd.conf construct ... if you only use the
## default dhcp tag in cobbler, the group block can be deleted for a
## flat configuration
# group for Cobbler DHCP tag: $dhcp_tag
group {
#for mac in $dhcp_tags[$dhcp_tag].keys():
#set iface = $dhcp_tags[$dhcp_tag][$mac]
host $iface.name {
hardware ethernet $mac;
#if $iface.ip_address:
fixed-address $iface.ip_address;
#end if
#if $iface.hostname:
option host-name "$iface.hostname";
#end if
#if $iface.subnet:
option subnet-mask $iface.subnet;
#end if
#if $iface.gateway:
option routers $iface.gateway;
#end if
filename "$iface.filename";
## Cobbler defaults to $next_server, but some users
## may like to use $iface.system.server for proxied setups
next-server $next_server;
## next-server $iface.next_server;
}
#end for
}
#end for

[root@cognos cobbler]#

And /etc/dhcpd.conf is empty.

[Michael Steele_2]

k

So, what does your /etc/sysconfig/network-scripts/ifcfg-eth0 file look like?

Note: I am assuming you are using NIC device eth0, if not, then please provide.

[Michael Steele_2]

Question: Sorry, meant to ask you earlier, are you configuring a client or a DHCP server?

[Qcheck]

Micheal,

I configured the server as bonded interfaces with bond1(eth0) and bond2(eth1). That was the part of my kickstart profile. May be I need to remove the bond and just use the nic cards?

[Qcheck]

Micheal,

I am configuring this server as the cobbler provisioning server, then it should be dhcp server right?

[Michael Steele_2]

Well I'm confused. If you have kickstart then you have PXE and TFTP bootup as well as DHCP already set up over the network.

Do you have a PXE image?

[Qcheck]

I am sorry, I confused you.

Well, I have one kickstart server and we have no backups and no dev node. Only prod node we have. So I planned to configure a kickstart server which will be my dev kickstart node if something happens to the prod node.

So I want to build the kickstart on a new node. Instead of building from RHEL5.3 cds, I build the server with the kickstart image. And now, I want to install cobbler and configure as the cobbler provisioning server so that I can exercise the process of cobbler kickstart process.

Did I clear you now?

[Michael Steele_2]

Cobbler is installed and you've set your ifcfg-eth0 file to dhcp?

[Qcheck]

Michael, I removed the bonding and using just eth0 and eth1, still can't start the dhcpd. Please see the files dhcpd, eth0 and eth1 below and /etc/cobbler/setting file in the attachment:

[root@cognos sysconfig]# cat /etc/sysconfig/dhcpd
# Command line options here
DHCPDARGS=eth0
[root@cognos sysconfig]# cat /etc/sysconfig/network-scripts/ifcfg-eth1
DEVICE=eth1
BOOTPROTO=none
ONBOOT=yes
#MASTER=bond2
#SLAVE=yes
USERCTL=no
IPADDR=192.168.31.34
NETMASK=255.255.255.0
NETWORK=192.168.31.0
BROADCAST=192.168.31.255
[root@cognos sysconfig]# cat /etc/sysconfig/network-scripts/ifcfg-eth0
DEVICE=eth0
BOOTPROTO=none
ONBOOT=yes
#MASTER=bond1
#SLAVE=yes
USERCTL=no
IPADDR=192.168.30.34
NETMASK=255.255.255.0
NETWORK=192.168.30.0
BROADCAST=192.168.30.255
[root@cognos sysconfig]#

[Michael Steele_2 · Accepted solution]

DHCP Server Configuration:

http://www.redhat.com/docs/manuals/linux/RHL-9-Manual/custom-guide/s1-dhcp-configuring-server.html

DHCP Client

http://www.redhat.com/docs/manuals/linux/RHL-7.3-Manual/custom-guide/s1-dhcp-configuring-client.html

[Qcheck]

Michael,

So is that mean, I need to configure the DHCP server right?

Thank you.

[Michael Steele_2]

As far as I can tell about Cobbler, which advertises that it combines DHCP into kickstart by combining both servers into one.

What I don't get is your statement about using a kickstart image. Was this via cd?

Kickstart uses PXE images over the network to isntall, which is where you want to end up. And PXE uses the network protocols of both 'bootp' and 'DHCP' in order to load a small basic kernel before the installation processess.

Where are your cobbler installation instructions?

Didn't you load a cobler package onto your server?

[Qcheck]

Michael,

Yes, I did install cobbler and relevant rpm packages.

Following the cobbler configurations as following the link:
http://searchenterpriselinux.techtarget.com/tip/0,289483,sid39_gci1365101_mem1,00.html?ShortReg=1&mboxConv=searchEnterpriseLinux_RegActivate_Submit&

Thank you

[Qcheck]

Michael,

I could able to start the dhcpd. I added the following:

ddns-update-style ad-hoc;
ddns-update-style interim;

allow booting;
allow bootp;
#if $omapi_enabled
omapi-port 647;
#end if

ignore client-updates;
set vendorclass = option vendor-class-identifier;

subnet 192.168.30.0 netmask 255.255.255.0 {
option routers 192.168.30.5;
option domain-name-servers 192.168.30.61;
option subnet-mask 255.255.255.0;
range dynamic-bootp 192.168.30.100 192.168.30.254;
}

--------------
It is working. So now, I need to add import a server and try to kickstart a server. Will see if it works?

[Michael Steele_2]

Coool. I'm interested in what you are doing. I'm sure many who log in here are also interested. For future reference, please post your procedure from start to finish.

Good Luck!!!

[Qcheck]

Micheal, Sure, I will be glad to post the details once it is all set to work.

I am new to this project. So I only have a production kickstart server. No backups to restore and I am not authorize to use the backups. So want to clone the prod-kickstart server and build a dev-kickstart server so that I can play with the dev-kickstart server.

So I installed and configured mondorescue on prod-kickstart server. Took the backup and burned the mondorescue backup images to the dvd. Tried multiple times to boot up with the dvd image on laptop but failing after 13% completion.

So next, tried to boot with that mondorescue dvd to a Dell optiplex 170L desktop. It didn't recognize the DVD. So tried the external dvd, still doesn't recognize. So gave up that.

Next, want to install on fresh rac node. Since I don't have any linux5.3 O/S bootable dvd, I installed 5.3 on a test rac node with the prod-kickstart server. It was a base installation. Then installed all the python,createrepo, http, dhcp, cobbler, etc for cobbler. So now everything is working and now I want to add a system to build a node from this newly configured kickstart server.

Now, I am stuck to get the default username and password for the Cobbler GUI interface. Anyone know?

Once everything works, sure, I will put up the procedure together.

Thank you so much for your valuable time.