Getting openQRM 3.1

There are three ways you can get openQRM 3.1:

• Use the openQRM-Pro trial package. This package includes a complete set of components and a super-simple installation script that makes sure you have everything pre-configured and ready to work. If you want to quickly evaluate openQRM-Pro, this is the route for you. 
  See here for more details on this package.
  
  
• Take the RPMs from SourceForge. These packages allow you to install and use the base openQRM and configure it yourself. If you are a more advanced user and would like to configure openQRM for your needs, this is the route for you.
  Take the files from our SourceForge section.
  
  
• Take the sources and build it yourself. If you want to use openQRM on your own flavor of Linux and are an advanced user, this may be the route for you.
  See here for more details on building openQRM 3.1 from source.
  

This installation guide will walk you through the steps needed in order to install and configure openQRM 3.1.

Note: that this installation guide does not apply to you if you are installing the openQRM-Pro trial package.  Instead, please download the openQRM-Pro trial package and use its simple and pre-configured install script.

Preparing for the installation:.

• In this example we will be using Linux Kernel NFS running on the openQRM server.   openQRM also supports pushing the images to local storage, iSCSI and SAN technologies.
  
• Centos = yum install nfs-utils
  
  
• Determine which network interface (NIC) on your openQRM server you will use to talk to the managed nodes and configure it.  This will often be 'eth0'.  If you only have one interface, you can use a virtual interface like eth0:qrm.  This interface needs to be defined and up before you start the openQRM installation.  It should have an IP address that is available to all nodes in the same subnet.  If your nodes are on multiple networks, the openQRM server IP should be a route-able IP address from the managed nodes.  This means that you will need to have a default gateway setup in your DHCP configuration

Installing openQRM 3.1

• You will want to dedicate one of your machines as the openQRM Server. 
  
• Click here for system requirements.
  
  
• The openQRM software consists of a base RPM and many plugins.  For a more detailed explanation of openQRM's plugin-based architecture, click here or here .
  
  
• A typical, minimum installation would use the following rpms:
• openqrm-core-base
• openqrm-plugin-tftpd
• openqrm-plugin-dhcpd
• openqrm-extras-local_nfs
  
• openqrm-extras-mysql
  
  
• Install the RPMs as root.  The openQRM software is now installed under /opt/qrm.
  

• Run the openQRM installation program:
• /opt/qrm/qrm-installer
• Follow the on-screen instructions.
• Click here for step-by-step instructions for using the installation utility.
  
  
• openQRM is now installed and running.  Point your browser to the openQRM server and log in using:
• userid=qrm
• password=qrm
  
  
• At this point we need to do four things in order to have a fully functioning linux provisioning system:

1. Add some kernels for deploying onto the nodes
2. Add some filesystem images for deploying onto the nodes
3. Add some nodes
4. provision a kernel image and a filesystem image onto a node

• openQRM will also provision Windows, FreeBSD, Centos, FedoraCore
• openQRM can provision to local storage, iSCSI initiators, SAN luns and soon AtaOverEthernet.
• openQRM can provision virtual machines using VMWare ESX, Xen, Qemu.

Comments (6)

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ilya said:

Additional Notes for 3.1 Instalation: This generally applies to servers that have MySQL preinstalled using default RedHat/CentOS distribution, MySQL version 4.1 If your QRM server won't start / fail during install and your /var/log/qrm/qrm.log file has an error like: ------------- 2006-12-10 18:01:46,668 FATAL [ContainerServices] (main:Initial TX) openQRM ser ver doesn't suport REPEATABLE-READ transaction isolation level Please check your database configuration ------------- You need to modify your TRANSACTION ISOLATION LEVEL to READ COMMITED. Log in to your mysql server and run the following command. mysql> SET GLOBAL TRANSACTION ISOLATION LEVEL READ COMMITTED; Quit MySQL session and restart qrm server in shell: # service qrm-server start ----------------------------------

December 10, 2006

ilya said:

This message refers to previous post about not being able to start QRM after the installation and configuration with pre-installed MySQL edition (non QRM). To make read committed changes permanent to your pre-installed MySQL server, edit /etc/my.cnf and add the following under [mysqld] directive: [mysqld] transaction-isolation = READ-COMMITTED Save and exit the file Restart mysql, restart QRM.

December 12, 2006

Piero said:

The latest debian packeges (as of Apr. 29th 2007) won't install without forcing because the three components openqrm-plugin-tftpd, openqrm-plugin-dhcpd, openqrm-extras-local_nfs say they depend on openqrm_core-base. This is a typo, should be openqrm-core-base. To fix use "dpkg -i --force-depends [package]" but this leaves you with a dirty package database information which I don't know how to fix. Besides that there is an error in the install scripts: /opt/qrm/plugins/mysql/include/mysql-functions: line 82: [: too many arguments which I don't know whether has an impact. Will see and report if it does.

April 29, 2007

Matt R. said:

Ciao Piero, many thanks for your feedback ! We will re-check the debian dependencies for the next release. Please notice that those Debian packages are still "beta" and have known-problems e.g. the default boot-image created from a Debian-system will not work because the debian-kernel is using cramfs instead of a ext2 initrd. The work-around for this issue for now is to re-create the default "qrm" boot-image using the qrm-boot-image tool from a system with a non-Debian/cramfs-kernel. The error message you got from the mysql-functions file should not be a problem is mysqld was installed correctly and is running after the installation. Many thanks again for your testing and have a nice day, Matt

April 30, 2007

Li Fu said:

I installed QRM in one server with a static IP address, it works fine. But after I changed the IP address to anther one, the qrm service can't start. How to solve this issue? Thanks in advance. Li

May 29, 2007

Matt R. said:

Hi Li, in case you need/want to change the ip-address of the openQRM-server you need to adjust the nodes- and the "default" pxe-configuration files in /opt/qrm/tftpboot/pxelinux.cfg/* The parameter you need to change in there is the "qrm=[ip-address]" Via this pxe-kernel-commandline parameter the booting nodes get to know their openQRM-server ip-address. -> the openQRM-server init script at /etc/init.d/qrm-server contains a check that the ip-address of the interface given in /opt/qrm/etc/qrm.xml as the openQRM-interface has the same ip than configured in the "default" pxe-configuration file. You will also need to adjust the "next-server" parameter in the dhcpd-server configuration. In case you are using the dhcpd-plugin you find this config file at /opt/qrm/plugins/dhcpd/etc/dhcpd.conf. many thanks all the best, Matt

June 03, 2007