Provisioning RHV 4.1 hypervisors using Satellite 6.2

Overview

The RHV-H 4.1 installation documentation describes a method to provision RHV-H hypervisors using PXE and/or Satellite. This document covers all steps required to archieve such configuration in a repeatable manner.

Prerequisites

  • A RHV-H installation ISO file such as RHVH-4.0-20170308.0-RHVH-x86_64-dvd1.iso downloaded into Satellite/Capsules.
  • rhviso2media.sh script (see here)

Creating the installation media in Satellite and Capsules

  • Deploy the RHV-H iso in /var/lib/pulp/tmp
  • Run the rhviso2media.sh to populate installation media directories. It will make the following files available:
    • kernel and initrd files in tftp://host/ISOFILE/vmlinuz and tftp://host/ISOFILE/initrd
    • DVD installation media in /var/www/html/pub/ISOFILE directory
    • squashfs.img file in /var/www/html/pub/ISOFILE directory

Example:

# ./rhviso2media.sh RHVH-4.0-20170308.0-RHVH-x86_64-dvd1.iso
Mounting /var/lib/pulp/tmp/RHVH-4.0-20170308.0-RHVH-x86_64-dvd1.iso in /mnt/RHVH-4.0-20170308.0-RHVH-x86_64-dvd1.iso ...
mount: /dev/loop0 is write-protected, mounting read-only
Copying ISO contents to /var/www/html/pub/RHVH-4.0-20170308.0-RHVH-x86_64-dvd1.iso ...
Extracting redhat-virtualization-host-image-update ...
./usr/share/redhat-virtualization-host/image
./usr/share/redhat-virtualization-host/image/redhat-virtualization-host-4.0-20170307.1.el7_3.squashfs.img
./usr/share/redhat-virtualization-host/image/redhat-virtualization-host-4.0-20170307.1.el7_3.squashfs.img.meta
1169874 blocks
OK
Copying squash.img to public directory . Available as http://sat62.lab.local/pub/RHVH-4.0-20170308.0-RHVH-x86_64-dvd1.iso/squashfs.img ...
Copying /mnt/RHVH-4.0-20170308.0-RHVH-x86_64-dvd1.iso/images/pxeboot/vmlinuz /mnt/RHVH-4.0-20170308.0-RHVH-x86_64-dvd1.iso/images/pxeboot/initrd.img to /varlib/tftpboot/RHVH-4.0-20170308.0-RHVH-x86_64-dvd1.iso ...
OK
Unmounting /mnt/RHVH-4.0-20170308.0-RHVH-x86_64-dvd1.iso

Create Installation media

RHVH Installation media

http://fake.url

This is not used as it the kickstart will use a liveimg url, not a media url; however Satellite is stubborn and still requires it.

Create partition table

name : RHVH Kickstart default

<%#
kind: ptable
name: Kickstart default
%>
zerombr
clearpart --all --initlabel
autopart --type=thinp

Create pxelinux for RHV

Based on Kickstart default PXELinux

```erb
<%#
kind: PXELinux
name: RHVH Kickstart default PXELinux
%>
#
# This file was deployed via '<%= @template_name %>' template
#
# Supported host/hostgroup parameters:
#
# blacklist = module1, module2
#   Blacklisted kernel modules
#
<%
options = []
if @host.params['blacklist']
    options << "modprobe.blacklist=" + @host.params['blacklist'].gsub(' ', '')
end
options = options.join(' ')
-%>

DEFAULT rhvh

LABEL rhvh
    KERNEL <%= @host.params["rhvh_image"] %>/vmlinuz <%= @kernel %>
    APPEND initrd=<%= @host.params["rhvh_image"] %>/initrd.img inst.stage2=http://<%= @host.hostgroup.subnet.tftp.name %>/pub/<%= @host.params["rhvh_image"] %>/ ks=<%= foreman_url('provision') %> intel_iommu=on ssh_pwauth=1 local_boot_trigger=<%= foreman_url("built") %> <%= options %>
    IPAPPEND 2
```

Create Kickstart for RHV

File under Satellite Kickstart Default for RHVH .

Note that the @host.hostgroup.subnet.tftp.name variable is used to point to the capsule associated to this host, rather than the Satellite server itself.

<%#
kind: provision
name: Satellite Kickstart default
%>
<%
rhel_compatible = @host.operatingsystem.family == 'Redhat' && @host.operatingsystem.name != 'Fedora'
os_major = @host.operatingsystem.major.to_i
# safemode renderer does not support unary negation
pm_set = @host.puppetmaster.empty? ? false : true
puppet_enabled = pm_set || @host.params['force-puppet']
salt_enabled = @host.params['salt_master'] ? true : false
section_end = (rhel_compatible && os_major <= 5) ? '' : '%end'
%>
install
# not required # url --url=http://<%= @host.hostgroup.subnet.tftp.name %>/pub/<%= @host.params["rhvh_image"] %>
lang en_US.UTF-8
selinux --enforcing
keyboard es
skipx

<% subnet = @host.subnet -%>
<% if subnet.respond_to?(:dhcp_boot_mode?) -%>
<% dhcp = subnet.dhcp_boot_mode? && !@static -%>
<% else -%>
<% dhcp = !@static -%>
<% end -%>

network --bootproto <%= dhcp ? 'dhcp' : "static --ip=#{@host.ip} --netmask=#{subnet.mask} --gateway=#{subnet.gateway} --nameserver=#{[subnet.dns_primary, subnet.dns_secondary].select(&:present?).join(',')}" %> --hostname <%= @host %><%= os_major >= 6 ? " --device=#{@host.mac}" : '' -%>

rootpw --iscrypted <%= root_pass %>
firewall --<%= os_major >= 6 ? 'service=' : '' %>ssh
authconfig --useshadow --passalgo=sha256 --kickstart
timezone --utc <%= @host.params['time-zone'] || 'UTC' %>

<% if @host.operatingsystem.name == 'Fedora' and os_major <= 16 -%>
# Bootloader exception for Fedora 16:
bootloader --append="nofb quiet splash=quiet <%=ks_console%>" <%= grub_pass %>
part biosboot --fstype=biosboot --size=1
<% else -%>
bootloader --location=mbr --append="nofb quiet splash=quiet" <%= grub_pass %>
<% end -%>

<% if @dynamic -%>
%include /tmp/diskpart.cfg
<% else -%>
<%= @host.diskLayout %>
<% end -%>

text
reboot

liveimg --url=http://<%= foreman_server_fqdn %>/pub/<%= @host.params["rhvh_image"] %>/squashfs.img


%post --nochroot
exec < /dev/tty3 > /dev/tty3
#changing to VT 3 so that we can see whats going on....
/usr/bin/chvt 3
(
cp -va /etc/resolv.conf /mnt/sysimage/etc/resolv.conf
/usr/bin/chvt 1
) 2>&1 | tee /mnt/sysimage/root/install.postnochroot.log
<%= section_end -%>


%post
logger "Starting anaconda <%= @host %> postinstall"

nodectl init

exec < /dev/tty3 > /dev/tty3
#changing to VT 3 so that we can see whats going on....
/usr/bin/chvt 3
(
<% if subnet.respond_to?(:dhcp_boot_mode?) -%>
<%= snippet 'kickstart_networking_setup' %>
<% end -%>

#update local time
echo "updating system time"
/usr/sbin/ntpdate -sub <%= @host.params['ntp-server'] || '0.fedora.pool.ntp.org' %>
/usr/sbin/hwclock --systohc

<%= snippet "subscription_manager_registration" %>

<% if @host.info['parameters']['realm'] && @host.realm && @host.realm.realm_type == 'Red Hat Identity Management' -%>
<%= snippet "idm_register" %>
<% end -%>

# update all the base packages from the updates repository
#yum -t -y -e 0 update

<%= snippet('remote_execution_ssh_keys') %>

sync

<% if @provisioning_type == nil || @provisioning_type == 'host' -%>
# Inform the build system that we are done.
echo "Informing Foreman that we are built"
wget -q -O /dev/null --no-check-certificate <%= foreman_url %>
<% end -%>
) 2>&1 | tee /root/install.post.log
exit 0

<%= section_end -%>

Create new Operating system

  • Name: RHVH
  • Major Version: 7
  • Partition table: RHVH Kickstart default
  • Installation media: RHVH Installation media
  • Templates: "Kickstart default PXELinux for RHVH" and "Satellite kickstart default for RHVH"

Associate the previously-created provisioning templates with this OS.

Create a new hostgroup

Create a new host-group with a Global Parameter called rhvh_image . This parameter is used by the provisioning templates to generate the installation media paths as required.

eg:

rhvh_image = RHVH-4.0-20170308.0-RHVH-x86_64-dvd1.iso

rhviso2media

Final thoughts

Future Satellite versions of satellite might include better integration of RHV-H provisioning; however the method described above can be used in the meantime.

Happy hacking!