Installation Instructions for Cluster Corp Rocks+ on the HP Proliant DL145 G2-based Cluster
< Go Back
This document describes installing the free Cluster Corp version of the NPACI Rocks Linux-based clustering package onto a set of HP Proliant DL145 G2 servers.
Overall, the installation has relatively few steps. This is mainly because many of the decisions on the configuration of the cluster have already been made in the scripts that comprise the installation procedure. The process should take approximately an hour and a half to two hours for a small cluster, but the result is an almost “one size fits all” cluster.
One issue with this technique is that several configuration options like the address of the master node are fixed at the time of installation. Although it is theoretically possible to change this value, it is easier to reinstall the cluster than to change all of the configuration files that are involved.
These installation instructions describe each step of the process, beginning with a check of the hardware and firmware in each system. If possible, follow the homogeneity guidelines and check everything. Clean the disks. Configure the network. Install the keyboard, video, and mouse (KVM) switch, and install the head node. If the head node has a DVD drive, you can use that for the installation media. Power on and boot the system, and then start the installation script. Make the necessary software settings on each screen, following the detailed guidance provided in the instructions. Install the Compute Nodes, and execute a simple command across the cluster to test that the cluster is operating properly.
