Install Redhat onto bl460 remotely

[jerrym]

I am trying to figure out how to install rhel-server-5.7-x86_64-dvd.iso  onto a bl460 remotely from another server. This is my first time installing on a blade in a frame so I am completely lost. I can connect to the frame web iLO or the CLI  iLO. I can't seem to find any docs on how to do this install.

[Matti_Kurkela]

Basically, you have two options for remote installation:

• use iLO virtual media functionality

This is the easiest to do if you have only one blade to install. Connect to the blade iLO using a web browser, mount the .iso file to the blade as a virtual CD/DVD media, then use the remote console to tell the blade to boot from CD/DVD. Proceed as with a regular RHEL installation.

• set up a network installation server, and configure the blade to boot from network for the installation

This is very useful if you need to install many blades, but requires a bit of effort to set up. The x86 blades use PXE network boot standard, so the features you'll need are: a) a DHCP server to supply an IP address and other necessary boot parameters to the blade, b) a TFTP server where the PXE boot code can download the bootloader, Linux kernel and initrd from, and c) a NFS or HTTP or FTP server to hold the rest of the contents of the installation media.

All these three can be combined into a single server, although if your network already has a DHCP server you must not set up another one in the same network segment (in that case, you need to have the DHCP server administrator add a few settings, so that the DHCP server will point the PXE boot code to the right server for booting).

Chapter 2.5 of the RHEL 5.x Installation Guide describes how to prepare a NFS/HTTP/FTP server to provide the installation media, and chapter 34 describes the steps required to set up a PXE network boot.

[jerrym]

I have read the docs understand that there are two ways. I was trying to access the ilo to the bay and started a console connection, but I do not get the virtual part. I only get the console and desktop of the old running OS that I want to replace. Do I have to shutdown the currently running OS or other?

[Matti_Kurkela]

Ookay, now I think I'm starting to understand where you're getting lost...

If you connect to the iLO using a web browser, there is a set of menus after logging in to the iLO. Before starting the console connection, you should find "Virtual Media" in the menus and activate it.

It should open a small window on your screen (the virtual media applet), which contains a few settings. You can either share a real CD/DVD drive from the system running the web browser to the blade, or share an .iso image that is accessible to the system running the web browser. As you said you have an .iso image, select that option and choose the file to share, then activate the sharing (I've seen people miss this last step and wonder why it does not work). Then leave the virtual media applet running and activate the console connection.

Your existing OS on the blade should now tell you someone has plugged in a USB-connected CD/DVD drive to the blade. This indicates the virtual media works: if you access the drive, you should see the contents of the .iso image file. Then shutdown the existing OS, use the blade BIOS to configure the blade to boot from the (virtual) CD/DVD drive, and proceed according to the normal RedHat installation instructions.

(The Virtual Media function runs at the hardware level of the blade, so the virtual CD/DVD is available even at boot time. At the viewpoint of the blade BIOS and OS, for all intents and purposes, the virtual media *is* a USB-connected CD/DVD drive.)

For more detailed instructions, I would need to know the exact model of your blade. Is it the original BL460c, a BL460c G5, a BL460c G6, or a BL460c G7? The newer models have iLO3, the older ones iLO2.

[jerrym]

Almost there. Got the iso image mounted on existing old OS. The model is ProLiant BL460c G6.  iLO2

Going to do shutdown and try to boot with image.

 I can't figure out hoe it boots from this mount. I selected Virtual/USBKey but what then. Should it boot off this. Can't find the doc with the key words that tell you how??

[jerrym · Accepted solution]

After hacking away I was able to get the ISO imge to boot from my PC using Virtual Media mounting the ISO image from my PC with  selction in Virtual Media window of Virtual CD/DVD-ROM and setting ROM-Based setup utility F9   on reboot to   IPL:1 CD-ROM.

Thanks for your input Matti for your input that led me in the right direction.