Deploy Compute Nodes from Bare Metal

  • Article

Applies To: Windows HPC Server 2008

You can add compute nodes to your HPC cluster from bare metal by using a node template that includes a step to deploy an operating system image.

Important

To complete this procedure, you must have a template that includes a step to deploy an operating system image. If you do not have a template that includes a step to deploy an operating system image, create one by following the steps in Create a Node Template.

Important

Before turning on a compute node for this procedure, verify in the configuration of the BIOS of that computer that the compute node will boot from the network adapter that is connected to the private network, instead of booting from the local hard drive or another device, and that Pre-boot Execution Environment (PXE) boot is enabled for that network adapter.

Important

Unlike previous versions of Windows HPC Server 2008, the default in Windows HPC Server 2008 is to respond only to Pre-boot Execution Environment (PXE) requests that come from existing compute nodes. This default setting is automatically changed when you add nodes from bare metal using the Add Node Wizard. Also, you can manually change this setting at any time. For more information, see Set the Windows Deployment Services Mode.

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

To deploy compute nodes from bare metal

  1. In Node Management, in the Actions pane, click Add Node. The Add Node Wizard appears.

  2. On the Select Deployment Method page, click Deploy compute nodes from bare metal using an operating system image, and then click Next.

  3. On the Select New Nodes page, in the Node template list, click the name of a node template that includes a step to deploy an operating system image.

  4. Turn on the computers that you want to add as compute nodes to your cluster. Computers will be listed on the Add Node Wizard as they contact the head node during PXE boot. They will be named using the naming series that you specified when you configured the head node. For more information, see Specify the Compute Node Naming Series.

  5. When all computers that you have turned on are listed, click Select all, and then click Deploy. If you see a node that you do not want to deploy at this time, you can unselect it.

  6. On the Completing the Add Node Wizard page, if you will be deploying more nodes, click Continue responding to all PXE requests. If you will not be deploying more nodes, click Respond only to PXE requests that come from existing compute nodes.

  7. To track deployment progress, select the Go to Node Management to track progress check box, and then click Finish.

  8. During the deployment process of a compute node, its state is set to Provisioning. When the deployment process completes successfully, the state changes to Offline. To bring online the nodes that have finished deploying:

    1. In Node Management, in the Navigation Pane, click Nodes.

    2. To see only compute nodes that are currently offline, under Nodes, under By State, click Offline.

    3. Select all the nodes that you want to bring online. To select all the nodes that are currently offline, on the views pane, click any node and then press CTRL+A.

    4.  

  9. If the deployment process of a compute node fails, the state of that node is set to Unknown and the health is set to Provisioning Failed. To determine the reason of the failure, review the provisioning log for that node:

    1. In Node Management, in the Navigation Pane, click Nodes.

    2. To see only compute nodes that failed to deploy, under Nodes, under By Health, click Provisioning Failed.

    3. In the views pane, double-click the node for which you want to review the provisioning log, and then click the Provisioning Log tab.

    Note

    For more information about troubleshooting node deployment, see the Troubleshooting section (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=122091) of the Windows HPC Server 2008 Technical Library.

Additional considerations

  • To open HPC Cluster Manager, click Start, point to All Programs, click Microsoft HPC Pack, and then click HPC Cluster Manager. If the User Account Control dialog box appears, confirm that the action it displays is what you want, and then click Continue.

Additional references