Installing Remote Installation Services
Applies To: Windows Compute Cluster Server 2003
Remote Installation Services (RIS) allows you create installation images of the Windows Server 2003 Compute Cluster Edition operating system with installed, configured Compute Cluster Pack (CCP) software for automatic addition of compute nodes. It then enables the head node to run as a RIS server and automatically images any nodes on the private network that are set to Preboot Execution Environment (PXE).
You can install RIS when you create the head node or at a later time, using the To Do List displayed in the Compute Cluster Administrator. Before installing RIS, verify that RIS is not already installed on the head node by looking at the Notifications area of the Remote Installation Services (RIS) pane of the Compute Cluster Administrator. You must have access to the original operating system CD-ROM or source media to install RIS from within the Compute Cluster Administrator snap-in.
As installed in Compute Cluster Server, RIS differs from standard RIS in the following ways:
The imaging is wizard-driven. Wizards prompt for the required information, including product key, image name, credentials, and node prefix, and pass the information to unattended setup files for fully automated installation.
Risetup images are used in place of RIPrep images.
RIS hotfix KB897616 (included in the Compute Cluster Pack prerequisites) is required. For information about changes made by this hotfix, see Knowledge Base Article 907639, " How to use Remote Installation Services (RIS) to deploy compute nodes in Windows Compute Cluster Server 2003," on the Microsoft Knowledge Base Web site (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=66899).
Prerequisites for RIS
Before RIS can be installed, ensure the following prerequisites are met:
A private network connects the cluster nodes.
The prerequisite RIS hotfix is installed on the head node.
The private network interfaces of the compute nodes are dynamically assigned IP addresses. This is accomplished either by enabling ICS on the head node during Compute Cluster Pack setup or by configuring a DHCP server on the private network.
To install Remote Installation Services
From the To Do List page of the Compute Cluster Administrator, click Install RIS (wizard) on the Remote Installation Services (RIS) tile.
After noting the tasks listed on the Before You Begin page, click Next.
On the Configure RIS page, click Install Remote Installation Services, and then click Next.
On the Update summary page, verify that the message Install remote installation services is displayed. Click Next.
The progress of the RIS installation is displayed on the Configuring Components page. When the installation is completed successfully, the Update Complete page will be displayed reporting that the installation is complete.
Click Finish to complete the installation.
Before you can use RIS, you must create a RIS image to use to image compute nodes. That image must have a valid license key applied, and might need to be modified with drivers required by your nodes.
Next steps
After installing RIS, perform the following steps in order to use the Automated Addition method of adding compute nodes:
See Also
Concepts
Compute Cluster Software Requirements License Management Modifying a RIS Image