Plan The Deployment; Select A Workstation; Select A Boot Mechanism; Linux Boot Files - HP Integrity rx1620 Deployment Manual

The utilities run in a Linux environment. The kit provides Linux boot files (boot loader,
kernel, root file system, and boot configuration) for you to copy onto the boot device
(Figure 1-3).
Figure 1-3 Linux Boot Files
• The SSTK boot device — a CD or DVD, a network share, or a USB flash drive — holds files
that allow servers to boot to the toolkit environment. You can also use the SSTK boot device
to hold the repository of scripts, utilities, configuration files, OS files, and application files.
• The target servers are the machines you want to set up as replicas.

Plan the deployment

The following sections provide guidance on the various ways in which you can set up these three
components. The server replication process depends on what you select here.

Select a workstation

The workstation is any recent PC, equipped with a CD writer or DVD writer (and in some cases
a USB or PXE capability), running any version of Windows or any distribution of Linux. You
will use the workstation to download the SSTK, unpack the SSTK software package, edit the
sample scripts, and create a bootable device. You can also use the workstation to host the
repository of custom scripts, utilities, hardware configuration files, OS files, and application files.
You must select to use either a Windows workstation or a Linux workstation. If you plan to do
extensive customization of either the scripts or the Linux boot files in the toolkit environment,
consider using a Linux workstation. If not, a Windows workstation may fit more easily into your
usual workspace.

Select a boot mechanism

The SSTK supports three boot mechanisms — CD/DVD, USB flash or network boot via a
PXE-enabled NIC. The boot mechanism holds the files that boot the server to the toolkit
environment and run the main script. The main script gets configuration files, OS files, and
application files from the repository, configures the hardware, and installs the software. You can
also use the DVD, a USB or network share to host the repository, which would gather all runtime
components in one place.
Several factors affect your choice of the boot mechanism:
• Capacity: The choice between the CD and DVD is function of the capacity of the disk. You
may need a DVD if you plan to host the repository (including the OS files along with the
configuration files, scripts, and utilities) on the same device as the boot files (toolkit
environment). In particular, the Japanese edition of the OS and the English edition with
Plan the deployment 17