Tip: If you experience issues installing the Rocky Linux OS on your secondary nodes from the jump node, or encounter other scenarios where a network boot installation may fail, the OS can be installed directly onto the secondary nodes via the provided HCI ISO file. From this point, you can skip the below steps and proceed directly to the Install Kubernetes and HCI menu options in the deployment tool to install both Rancher Kubernetes Engine 2 (RKE2) and HCI. See Install Kubernetes and HCI menu options.
The following is a detailed description of the menu options available to you when selecting Install Operating System, Kubernetes, and HCI. These steps should be followed in sequential order.
- Generate and Update Configuration File: Creates and opens a new config.ini file requiring the following cluster information:
- hostname: The hostname of your cluster.
For example, if your cluster's fully qualified doman name (FQDN) is cluster348.lab.test.com, then your hostname value is lab.test.com.
- The following sequential IP address values:
- front_ip_range_start: The start of your frontend IP range, or the address with the lowest value.
- front_ip_range_end: The end of your frontend IP range.
- back_ip_range_start: The start of your backend IP range, or the address with the lowest value.
- back_ip_range_end: The end of your backend IP range.
- The following non-sequential IP address values (if you are choosing not to enter sequential IP addresses):
- front_ip_address_list: A comma-separated list of non-sequential frontend IP addresses. This value can be left blank if you've already added sequential IP address ranges above.
- back_ip_address_list: A comma-separated list of non-sequential backend IP addresses. This value can be left blank if you've already added sequential IP address ranges above.
Important: You are required to enter either your sequential IP address values or your non-sequential IP address lists. Both are not required to complete your configuration file. - front_ip_network: The frontend CIDR.
- back_ip_network: The backend CIDR.
- cluster_network_cidr: The internal network range to be used for all of the pods and services on your Kubernetes cluster. This CIDR range should be fully available and distinct from the CIDR ranges specified above.
- product_fqdn: The FQDN of your HCI cluster. This will be the URL used to access the product.
- macaddresses: The backend MAC addresses of your remaining nodes, excluding the jump node, listed as comma-separated values.
- hostname: The hostname of your cluster.
- Verify Configuration File:
- The deployment tool verifies the values previously entered in your config.ini file.
- It also autofills in the secondary information and displays the results in the terminal for your review.
- Install OS by Network Boot on Secondary Nodes:
- Performs the necessary steps to start the network boot process.
- You will be asked to set your root password for your secondary nodes. Once completed, you can then network boot across all of your remaining nodes.
- You must verify upon reboot that the node has booted successfully from the hard disk.
- You must wait 500 seconds for all of the associated cron jobs to finish running before moving to step 4.
- Confirm OS Deployment on All Nodes:
- Once you have ensured that the cron jobs on all the nodes are completed and networking is functional, select this step.
- The deployment tool will SSH into each node to confirm the success network setup.
Note: Networking must be set up on all of your secondary nodes prior to choosing this step. - Install Private registries: Installs your private registries on all nodes.
- Install 3rd Party (RKE2 and Rancher) on all nodes: Installs RKE2, Calico, Longhorn, and Rancher on all your nodes.
- Deploy HCI and Security Hardening on all nodes: Securely deploys HCI onto all of the nodes on your system.
- Return to Main Menu: Returns you back to the main menu.