Add Preconfigured Nodes

You can add preconfigured nodes to your HPC cluster. A preconfigured node is a computer that has Microsoft HPC Pack already installed and that is connected to the HPC cluster networks according to the network topology that you have chosen for your cluster. After HPC Pack is installed on all the nodes that you want to add to your cluster, you can use the Add Node Wizard on the head node to add the preconfigured nodes to your cluster.

Important

When you install HPC Pack on the computers that you want to preconfigure, be sure to type the correct name of your head node on the Join Cluster page of the installation wizard.

Important

To complete this procedure, you must have a template that does not include a step to deploy an operating system image, or a workstation node and unmanaged server node template, depending on the type of node that you want to add. If you do not have a template, create one by following the steps in Create a Node Template.

Note

HPC Pack supports both workstation nodes and unmanaged server nodes starting in HPC Pack 2008 R2 with Service Pack 3. In earlier versions of HPC Pack 2008 R2, only workstation nodes are supported.

To add preconfigured nodes to your cluster

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

  2. On the Select Deployment Method page, depending on the type of node that you want to add, click Add compute nodes or broker nodes that have already been configured or Add workstation nodes and unmanaged server nodes that have already been configured, and then click Next.

  3. Ensure that all the preconfigured nodes that you want to add to your cluster are turned on.

  4. After all the preconfigured nodes are turned on, on the Before Deploying page, click Next.

  5. On the Select New Nodes page, in the Node template list, click the name of the node template that you want to use. If you selected to add workstation nodes, only workstation node templates will be listed.

  6. On the list of nodes, select the preconfigured nodes that you want to add to your cluster. To select all the preconfigured nodes, click Select all.

  7. To add the selected nodes to your cluster, click Add.

  8. To track deployment progress, on the Completing the Add Node Wizard page select the Go to Node Management to track progress check box, and then click Finish.

  9. To bring online the preconfigured nodes that you added:

    Important

    Workstation nodes and unmanaged server nodes that were configured to be brought online and offline according to a weekly availability policy cannot be brought online or offline manually. They will automatically start following their weekly availability policy. To change these nodes to be brought online and offline manually, you must assign to them a different node template, or you must modify their current node template.

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

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

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

    4. In the Actions pane, click Bring Online.

Additional considerations

Additional references