Create a Node Template

  • Article

With a node template, you can deploy an operating system image, add specific drivers and software to nodes, add a preconfigured node to your HPC cluster, or apply software updates to your nodes. To create node templates, use the Create Node Template Wizard in Configuration. The wizard includes the option to create broker node, compute node, workstation node and unmanaged server node, or Windows Azure node templates. When the template is assigned, the corresponding node role is enabled automatically. Workstation node templates also define the availability policy for the workstations (that is, how and when workstation nodes are available for running cluster jobs).

Note

Windows Azure nodes are supported starting in HPC Pack 2008 R2 with Service Pack 1 (SP1). Unmanaged server nodes are supported starting in HPC Pack 2008 R2 with SP3.

Important

If you want to create a node template to deploy an operating system image, you will need to create a new operating system image, or load an existing one. For more information, see Node Template Images.

To create a node template

  1. In the Deployment To-do List, click Create a node template. The Create Node Template Wizard appears.

  2. Follow the steps in the Create Node Template Wizard.

Note

The node templates that you create with the Create Node Template Wizard include the most common deployment and configuration tasks. You can add more tasks to the node templates that you create by using the Node Template Editor. For more information, see Edit a Node Template.

Additional considerations

  • For important information about the product key that can be specified on the Select Operating System Image page of the Create Node Template Wizard, see Understanding Product Keys in Node Templates.

  • For information about adding workstation nodes and unmanaged server nodes to your HPC cluster, see Adding Workstation Nodes in the Microsoft TechNet Library.

  • You can copy a node template and then edit the copy that you made. This helps you to efficiently make a new node template based on the task settings of an existing node template.

  • You can import and export a node template by selecting it and then clicking Import or Export in the Actions pane. This option can help you to move templates from a test cluster to a production cluster, without having to create them again. Also, you can export templates to make backup copies of them. Templates are exported as XML files.

    Note

    In a node template, the Mount Share and Install Windows tasks have optional properties that can be used to specify user or administrator credential information. For security purposes, any credentials that are specified in the node template are removed during export. When you import the template, you can re-specify the credentials by editing the template. For more information about node template tasks and their properties, see Understanding Node Templates.

    Important

    As a best practice for security in an HPC cluster, if you save or export information about an HPC cluster into XML files, we recommend that you track the location of those files and protect them from unauthorized use. For more information, see Security Considerations for File and Folder Permissions in Microsoft HPC Pack.

  • For information about using HPC Cluster Manager, see Overview of HPC Cluster Manager.

Additional references