3.5 Configuring the AutoYaST Bundle

An AutoYaST bundle contains the location and access protocol of an AutoYaST configuration file and network installation directory for SUSE Linux. This bundle allows you to launch an automated installation of SUSE Linux using Preboot Services.

To configure an AutoYaST bundle and assign devices to the bundle:

  1. In ZENworks Control Center, click Bundles in the left pane to display the Bundles panel.

  2. Click New > Bundle to start the Create New Bundle Wizard.

  3. Select Preboot Bundle, then click Next.

  4. On the Select Bundle Category page, select AutoYaST Bundle, then click Next to display the Define Details page.

  5. Fill in the fields:

    Bundle Name: (Required) Although bundles can be identified in ZENworks Control Center by their type of icon, as well as the folder they are listed under, you should develop a naming scheme that differentiates the AutoYaST bundles that are listed together in a folder.

    For more information, see Naming Conventions in ZENworks Control Center in the ZENworks Control Center Reference.

    Folder: Browse for the location where you want the AutoYaST bundle displayed in ZENworks Control Center. The folder must exist. You cannot specify a non-existent folder, because ZENworks does not create them from this wizard.

    Icon: Browse for and select an icon if you plan to use one on your desktop for this bundle.

    Description: Provide a description to help you later recognize the exact purpose of this AutoYaST bundle.

  6. Click Next to display the Set AutoInstall Attributes page.

  7. Configure the Preboot Environment:

    1. Before configuring the Preboot environment, ensure that you have copied the RAM drive (initrd) and Linux kernel (linux) files from the SUSE Linux Enterprise Server (SLES) installation source to the /srv/tftp/ directory on your Imaging server. By default, the files are located in the /i386/boot/i386/loader/ directory in the SUSE Linux Enterprise Server installation source.

    2. Configure the following Preboot Environment variables

      • Linux Kernel Filename: Specify the relative path of linux in the tftp directory. The path should be relative to the default directory of the TFTP daemon.

        For example, if the linux file is located in the /srv/tftp/autoyast/linux directory on your Imaging server, you must specify the path of the file as autoyast/linux.

      • Initial RAM Drive Filename: Specify the relative path of initrd in the tftp directory. The path should be relative to the default directory of the TFTP daemon.

        For example, if the initrd file is located in the /srv/tftp/autoyast/initrd directory on your Imaging server, you must specify the path of the file as autoyast/initrd.

      • Additional Kernel Parameters: Specify the additional kernel parameters that your Linux kernel might need. These are not Preboot Services or ZENworks parameters. .

        You need to assign the MAXSECTOR parameter with the least starting sector number among all the available partitions.

        NOTE:This parameter is applicable for any recent SUSE operating systems (such as SLES12 onwards). As the recent Linux installation takes first 100 or more sectors of the disk, this value needs to be set as part of the AutoYaST bundle configuration to avoid the ZISD being overwritten. Hence, after the first installation of SUSE, you need to find the MAXSECTOR value.

        For example, consider the following partition details using fdisk -l:

        Device

        Start

        End

        Blocks

        Id

        System

        /dev/sda1

        2048

        4208639

        2103296

        82

        Linux swap / Solaris

        /dev/sda2

        4208640

        83886079

        39838720

        83

        Linux

        /dev/sda3

        640

        2047

        720

        83

        Linux

        In the above table, the least starting sector number among all the available partitions (sda1, sda2, and sda3) is 640. Hence, you need to specify MAXSECTOR=640. If this value is not specified, then the AutoYaST installation will overwrite the ZENworks Image Safe Data (ZISD) that is written in the lower sector ranges (starting from sector 5).

        For more information about the kernel parameters, see your Linux documentation

  8. Configure the following settings to procure the linux installation source:

    • Protocol: Select the protocol to be used to connect to the device that has the Linux installation source mounted. The available protocols are NFS, FTP, HTTP, or TFTP.

    • IP Address / DNS Name: Specify the IP address or the DNS name of the device that has the Linux installation source mounted.

    • Path to Network Install Directory (Relative to Protocol): Specify the path of the Linux installation source. The path should be relative to the default directory of the selected protocol daemon.

      For example, assume that the Linux installation source is located on a SLES 10 device in the /sles10/SLES-10-SP3-GM/i386/boot/i386/loader/ directory. If you specify HTTP as the protocol, myserver.provo.novell.com as the DNS name, and /sles10/sles-10-sp3-gm/i386/boot/i386/loader/as the path, the URL to the installation directory is:

      http://myserver.provo.novell.com/sles10/sles-10-sp3-gm/i386/boot/i386/loader/initrd

      In this example, /sles10/sles-10-sp3-gm/i386/boot/i386/loader/initrd is relative to the protocol and server ID.

  9. Click Next.

  10. Configure the location of the AutoYaST script file and the settings required to acess the file. You can either specify the script location or browse for and select the script. If the script file has system variables, you must choose the Browse for Script option to import and upload the file to the Primary Server whose ZENworks Control Center you are using so that the variables are automatically resolved while applying the bundle on the managed devices.

    • Specify Script Location: Configure the following settings to access the script:

      • Protocol: Select the protocol to be used to access the AutoYaST script. The available protocols are NFS, FTP, HTTP, TFTP, or FILE.

        If you select the TFTP protocol, you must manually copy the AutoYaST XML file that you specify on this wizard page to the TFTP server.

        If you select the FILE protocol, you must manually copy the AutoYaST XML file that you specify on this wizard page in to the initial RAM drive file that you specified on the Set AutoInstall Attributes wizard page before executing the AutoYaST bundle.

        For example, if initrd is your initial RAM drive file and autoyast.xml is your AutoYaST XML file, perform the commands in the following tables:

        Table 3-2 Obtaining and Preparing the RAM Drive File

        Command

        Description

        		 
        cd /path_to_RAM_drive_file

        Change to the directory where initrd exists.

        		 
        cp initrd initrd.bak

        Make a backup copy of your original RAM drive file (recommended).

        		 
        mv initrd initrd.gz

        Rename initrd to a temporary gzipped file.

        		 
        gzip -d initrd.gz

        Decompress the .gz file. This changes the initrd.gz filename back to initrd, but in an uncompressed mode.

        		 
        mkdir temp

        Create a temporary working directory.

        		 
        file initrd

        Determine which type of file system initrd is.

        If the type is cpio, perform the commands in Table 3-3, Updating a cpio File Type; otherwise, perform the commands in Table 3-4, Updating a non-cpio File Type.

        Table 3-3 Updating a cpio File Type

        Command

        Description

        		 
        cd temp

        Move to the temporary directory.

        		 
        cpio -idmuv < ../initrd

        Extracts cpio archive to the current directory.

        		 
        cp /path_to_autoyast.xml_file/autoyast.xml.

        Copy your AutoYaST XML file to the temp directory.

        		 
        find . | cpio -o -H newc > ../initrd

        Re-creates the archive with the AutoYaST XML file included.

        		 
        cd ..
gzip -v9 initrd
mv intird.gz initrd

        Return the file back to its compressed state with the AutoYaST XML file in it.

        Table 3-4 Updating a non-cpio File Type

        Command

        Description

        		 
        mount -o loop initrd temp

        Create a temp directory and mount the initial RAM drive file to temp.

        		 
        cp autoyast.xml temp

        Copy your AutoYaST XML file to the temp directory.

        		 
        umount temp
gzip -v9 initrd
mv intird.gz initrd

        Return the initrd file back to its compressed state with the AutoYaST XML file in it.

        After performing these commands, the initial RAM drive file (initrd) can be used with the AutoYaST XML file when this AutoYaST bundle is executed on the device.

      • IP Address / DNS Name: Specify the IP address or DNS name of the device containing the AutoYaST script.

      • Script Name and Path (Relative to Protocol Default Directory): Specify the AutoYaST XML filename and its complete path. The path should be relative to the home directory of the selected protocol daemon.

        For example, if you specify HTTP as the protocol, myserver.provo.novell.com as the DNS name, and /scripts/autoyast.xml as the path and filename, the URL to the installation directory is:

        http://myserver.provo.novell.com/scripts/autoyast.xml

        In this example, /scripts/autoyast.xml is relative to the protocol and server ID.

    • Browse for Script: Browse for the AutoYaST XML file, and upload it to the Imaging server:

      1. Click Browse icon to display the Upload File dialog box.

      2. Click Browse to browse for and select the AutoYaST XML file.

        If the imported XML file has ZENworks system variables defined, the variables are resolved when the bundle is applied to the device.

      3. When you are prompted to upload the XML file to the Primary Server whose ZENworks Control Center you are using, click OK.

        The Status field displays the upload status.

      4. Click OK.

      5. (Optional) Modify the XML file content:

        1. Click Edit Script.

          The content of the XML file is displayed in the Edit AutoYaST XML File dialog box.

        2. Edit the script content.

          You can also specify ZENworks system variables in the script. For more information, see Section 3.12.2, Managing Bundle Variables.

        3. Click Save.

  11. Click Next to display the Summary page.

  12. Do the following:

    • If you want to perform other configuration tasks after the bundle has been created, select the Define Additional Properties check box.

      For example, you can make assignments to the bundle in the Relationships tab, add actions in the Actions tab, and so on.

    • If you want to deploy the bundle as a sandbox version, ensure that Create As Sandbox check box is selected. A sandbox version of a bundle enables you to test it on your device before actually deploying it.

  13. Review the configuration, then click one of the following:

    Back: Allows you to make changes after reviewing the summary.

    Finish: Creates the AutoYaST bundle as configured per the settings listed on this Summary page.