This documents explains how to set up a Rocks Linux Cluster 5.3. Useful IP setting info: The following info will be used when first installing a Rocks Linux cluster 5.3 (Only relevant if using USMnet): i) Primary DNS: 10.202.1.27; Secondary DNS: 10.202.1.6; Gateway: 10.205.19.254; Public Netmask 255.255.255.0 (alternatively 255.255.254.0). ii) When installing frontend: Private IP is 10.1.1.1. Private netmask = 255.255.0.0. Public netmask = 255.255.255.0 (alternativelty 255.255.254.0). For private netmask, use default values suggested while intalling Rocks 5.3. iii) Some useful IP: comsics.usm.my, ip: 10.205.19.208 www2.fizik.usm.my, ip: 10.205.19.205 comsics28, 10.205.19.28 anicca, 10.205.19.225 chakra, 10.205.28.205 (iv) One must know the IP address and the name of the cluster. These info have to be provided by the USM PPKT network adminstrator. Request for a named DNS and IP address can be done at Server Registration at http://infodesk.usm.my/infodesk/login.php. ############################################################################################################################ Installation procedure: 0. Assures that the boot sequence of ALL PCs are set such that CD/DVDROM is in the first boot up sequence. 1. A PC used as a frontend must have two network cards: one built-in and another plug-in with a spec of 10/100/1000 Mb/s. Connect from internet line a LAN wire into the built-in LAN port. This is identified a the eht1 port. The eth0 port (plug-in LAN card) is connected to a switch that must support 10/100/1000 Mb/s. Any other PCs used as compute-nodes must also have LAN cards of 10/100/1000 Mb/s speed (usually plug-in ones). All these plug-in LAN cards must also be connected to the switch. No LAN wire shall be connected from a compute node directly to the internet network. All LAN cable in a compute node must only be connected to the switch. 2. Initially, switch on only the frontend PC. Leave the compute node power off. The LAN switch must be on and assure that the LAN cables are connected into the frontend and the switch in the way mentioned in 2. Slot in the Rocks Cluster DVD installation disk, and type 'build' when prompted by the screen. 3. When prompted, fill in the name, some miscillaneous info of the cluster and the IP details as mentioned in 'Useful IP setting info' mentioned above. Choose automatic partition if do not wish to customise the partition. If customised partitioning is required, suggest to use the following partitioning allocation: SWAP: 1GB /var: 8GB /boot: 100 MB /: 24 GB (or larger if wised) /state: Maximum The installation will take place automatically once partitioning begins. 4. Make sure to take out the DVD when it is ejected after about 20 - 30 min when Rocks is first succesfully installed. Failure to retrive the installtion disk from the CD drive renders repeated isntallation of infinte times. 5. Rocks will reboot when finish installing for the the first time. The first screen may see black screen with some warning sign because the PC may not has NVDIA GPU installed. Simply press 'enter' when promted so that the frontend fixes the problem automatically by installing a generic display driver. A GUI shall be displayed after a step times pressing enter. Step-by-step procedure to follow: 1. When a Rocks Linux frontend is already up, in the frontend, **************************************************************************************************************** cd /root wget http://www2.fizik.usm.my/configrepo/fpatch1.conf chmod +x fpatch1.conf ./fpatch1.conf **************************************************************************************************************** A folder /share/apps/configurepo will be created, and all the content in http://www2.fizik.usm.my/home/tlyoon/repo/configrepo will be copied there. From within fpatch1.conf, cpatchfe.conf will be called. As a result, a folder /root/configrepo will be created. All the installation activities will be launched from /root/configrepo. Standby while fpatch1.conf runs. fpatch1.conf should complete withini a short while. 2. Right after fpatch1.conf is launch, do the following (while fpatch.conf is still running): In the frontend's terminal, *********************************************** insert-ethers *********************************************** When prompted, choose `Compute'. Manually slot in a Rocks Cluster installation DVD into the individial PC. They will be detected if the LAN wires are connected properly into the LAN switch via eth0. 3. After everynode in (2) is completed, do the following: cd /share/apps/configrepo chmod +x rrh_ldsoconfsa.sh sh rrh_ldsoconfsa.sh This is to replace the /etc/ld.so.conf in all nodes. 4. Do the following in the frontend: **************************************************************************************************************** su - cd /root/configrepo sh /share/apps/configrepo/movevbfe.conf **************************************************************************************************************** This will copy the virtualwindows into the appropriate location in frontend. For details see movevbfe.conf. Standby while launching sh /share/apps/configrepo/movevbfe.conf 5. Do this in the frontend ONLY after step 4 has been completed: **************************************************************************************************************** su - rocks run host 'sh /share/apps/configrepo/movevbcn.conf' **************************************************************************************************************** This will copy the virtualwindows from frontend into the appropriate location in compute nodes. For details see movevbcn.conf. This will take a long time to complete. 6. Installation of mathematica in each node, issue as su in the frontend the following command line: **************************************************************************************************************** rocks run host 'sh /share/apps/configrepo/mathematica1.conf' **************************************************************************************************************** This will install mathematica in each compute node. 7. This is an optional step, depending on whether ATI and Mathematica are successfully installed in the compute nodes in step 2. If the ATI and Mathematica fials, do step 5. Otherwise, skip it. Usually this step can be skipped (as ATI and Mathematica will be installed in step 2). For this procedure, you must physically log into each compute nodes to do the following: Log in to each compute node physically (not via ssh): **************************************************************************************************************** su - cd /root/configrepo chmod +x /share/apps/configrepo/ati.conf sh /share/apps/configrepo/ati.conf **************************************************************************************************************** This will install ati display driver in each compute node. Reboot all compute nodes after all configuration using the command (in frontend) **************************************************************************************************************** rocks run host reboot **************************************************************************************************************** 8. Finally, for the maintainence of the Rocks cluster in the context of USM School of Physics, see http://www2.fizik.usm.my/configrepo/ and see http://www2.fizik.usm.my/configrepo/howto and http://www2.fizik.usm.my/configrepo/ and see http://www2.fizik.usm.my/configrepo/maintainence