IBM Support

xCAT netboot image gen fails on non-management node - IBM System Cluster 1350

Troubleshooting


Problem

When creating an xCAT netboot image from a donor node (that is, a non-management node), creating the netboot image fails. (where xCAT = Extreme Cluster Administration Toolkit)

Resolving The Problem

Source

RETAIN tip: H006702

Symptom

When creating an xCAT netboot image from a donor node (that is, a non-management node), creating the netboot image fails.

(where xCAT = Extreme Cluster Administration Toolkit)

The netboot image is initially generated by the execution of the genimage program. In this situation, genimage fails to install certain packages because the necessary capability to extract files across the NFS share is absent:

 

No '/dev/log' or 'logger' included for syslog logging
Turning off host-only mode: '/sys' is not mounted!
Turning off host-only mode: '/proc' is not mounted!
Turning off host-only mode: '/run' is not mounted!
Turning off host-only mode: '/dev' is not mounted!
Could not find program "arping" required by network.
Could not find program "arping" required by network.
dracut module 'ifcfg' depends on 'network', which can't be installed
dracut module 'nfs' depends on 'network', which can't be installed
dracut-install: ERROR: installing 'udevadm'
/usr/lib/dracut/dracut-install -D /var/tmp/initramfs.AwLVYn -a udevadm cat uname blkid /etc/udev/udev.conf
Cannot find [systemd-]udevd binary!
mkinitrd failed
warning: %posttrans(kernel-3.10.0-229.el7.x86_64) scriptlet failed, exit status 1
Non-fatal POSTTRANS scriptlet failure in RPM package kernel-3.10.0-229.el7.x86_6

Error unpacking RPM package systemd-208-20.el7.x86_64
error: unpacking of archive failed on file /usr/bin/systemd-detect-virt: cpio: cap_set_file
error: systemd-208-20.el7.x86_64: install failed

------

several packages will fail with the same 'cpio: cap_set_file' message, and the genimage process will ultimately fail with this sort of output:

  sysvinit-tools.x86_64 0:2.88-14.dsf.el7                   tcp_wrappers.x86_64 0:7.6-77.el7
tcp_wrappers-libs.x86_64 0:7.6-77.el7                     tzdata.noarch 0:2015a-1.el7
ustr.x86_64 0:1.0.4-16.el7                                util-linux.x86_64 0:2.23.2-21.el7
xz.x86_64 0:5.1.2-9alpha.el7                              xz-libs.x86_64 0:5.1.2-9alpha.el7
zlib.x86_64 0:1.2.7-13.el7

Failed:
initscripts.x86_64 0:9.49.24-1.el7           iputils.x86_64 0:20121221-6.el7           systemd.x86_64 0:208-20.el7

Complete!
yum invocation failed

Affected configurations

The system may be any of the following IBM servers:

  • IBM System Cluster 1350, type 0445, any model
  • IBM System Cluster 1350, type 0448, any model
  • IBM System Cluster 1350, type 1410, any model
  • IBM System Cluster 1350, type 4667, any model
  • IBM System Cluster 1350, type 4668, any model
  • IBM System Cluster 1350, type 4669, any model
  • IBM System Cluster 1350, type 4670, any model

This tip is not software specific.

This tip is not option specific.

The system has the symptom described above.

Solution

This behavior will be corrected in a future release of xCAT.

The target date for this release is scheduled for second quarter 2016.

The file is or will be available by selecting the appropriate Product Group, type of System, Product name, Product machine type, and operating system on IBM Support's Fix Central web page, at the following URL:

     http://www.ibm.com/support/fixcentral/

Workaround

The instructions can be found here:

However, these instructions state to copy only /opt/xcat/share/xcat/netboot from the management node to the donor node.

This omits the required xCAT libraries. Copying all of /opt/xcat prevents this problem from happening.

A second issue can occur when creating the netboot image due to problems writing to the NFS-mounted install directory. In that case, the directory that the netboot image is being written to should be made a bind mount to a local directory on the donor node (this should only be for the directory the netboot image is being written to, not the entire install directory tree).

(where NFS = Network File system)

Additional information

Copying the whole /opt/xcat directory tree provides the necessary xCAT libraries for genimage and/or geninitrd to work. Creating the bind mount for the target netboot root filesystem tree prevents issues with NFS locking.

Document Location

Worldwide


Operating System

System x Integrated Solutions:Operating system independent / None


Applicable countries and regions

  • Worldwide
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Document Information

More support for:
eServer Cluster 1350

Document number:
867864

Modified date:
30 January 2019

UID

ibm1MIGR-5098660

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