I want to set up a cluster using FAI

[Axel Freyn]

Hi Alind,


On Wed, Sep 23, 2009 at 01:59:51PM +0530, alind sharma wrote:
> Hi Everybody.
> This is my first mail to fai mailing list.
> I want to setup a cluster using FAI.
> 
>    - I have install debian (squeeze) on master node and same on a slave
>    node.
>    -  We have a local debian repository using loop-mounted debian images on
>    another machine. Lets name it as deb_repo_machine.
>    - The master node is directly connected using ethernet card to
>    deb_repo_machine (master ip : 196.20.1.12, deb_repo_machine ip =
>    196.20.1.3).
>    - The master has infiniband network and is connected to another 16 slave
>    machines using infiniband network.
>    - I have configured the slave node 1 (master infiniband ip : 196.168.1.1
>    slave_1 infiniband ip : 196.168.1.2) such as it can directly ping and update
>    from deb_repo_machine.
>    - Master's home is nfs mounted as home on slave-1.
>    - NIS server is established on master for user accounts and groups.
> 
> I want to use FAI so that I can replicate the configuration of slave-1 on
> each other slave nodes (15 more on number, total 16 slave nodes I have). I
> want to use the same sources.list file that is available in salve-1 (which
> is basically same as master's sources.list).
> I have installed fai-server, fai-doc . I am unable to  understand the fai
> guide available in debian repo. What to do next.
To my understanding, your project is not in the spirit of FAI:-) The
idea of FAI is:
 - you create on your master node a configuration.
 - then, you boot your (uninstalled) slaves either from network oder
   from CD or USB-Key or.. (just a minimal Debian)
 - during this first boot, the slaves connect themselves to the master
   and read the configuration. Using these informations, the slaves do
   the complete Debian-Installation (including partitioning of the
   discs, installing packages, copying the configuration files).

My problem with your configuration is, that apparently you already
installed slave 1 by hand - which is against this idea:-) So maybe FAI
is not exactly what you are looking for.

So I would suggest, either to install all slaves by FAI (so: not copying
anything from slave 1), or to use e.g. cfengine (cfengine (has nothing
to do with FAI:-) is a tool which just copies configuration files etc
between slaves which are already installed), or you use some mirroring
software to clone the hard-disc of slave 1 to the other 15 slaves.
The question is, what your precise goals are...


HTH,

Axel