Deploy Nodes from Bare Metal
Applies To: Microsoft HPC Pack 2008 R2, Microsoft HPC Pack 2012, Microsoft HPC Pack 2012 R2
You can add nodes to your HPC cluster from bare metal by using a node template that includes a step to deploy an operating system image.
Important
If you are deploying nodes from bare metal, it is strongly recommended that you validate your environment first, to find common problems that can affect node deployment. For more information, see Validate your Environment Before Deploying Nodes.
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 node for this procedure, verify in the configuration of the BIOS of that computer that the 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
The default in Microsoft® HPC Pack is to respond only to Pre-boot Execution Environment (PXE) requests that come from existing 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.
To deploy nodes from bare metal
In Node Management, in the Actions pane, click Add Node. The Add Node Wizard appears.
On the Select Deployment Method page, click Deploy nodes from bare metal using an operating system image, and then click Next.
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.
Turn on the computers that you want to add as 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 Node Naming Series.
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.
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 nodes.
To track deployment progress, select the Go to Node Management to track progress check box, and then click Finish.
During the deployment process of a node, its node state is set to Provisioning. When the deployment process completes successfully, the node state changes to Offline. To bring online the nodes that have finished deploying:
In Node Management, in the Navigation Pane, click Nodes.
To see only nodes that are currently offline, under Nodes, under By Node State, click Offline.
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.
If the deployment process of a node fails, the node state of that node is set to Unknown and the node health is set to Unapproved. To determine the reason of the failure, review the provisioning log for that node:
In Node Management, in the Navigation Pane, click Nodes.
To see only nodes that failed to deploy, under Nodes, under By Node Health, click Unapproved.
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 of the Microsoft HPC Pack Technical Library.
Additional considerations
- For information about using HPC Cluster Manager, see Overview of HPC Cluster Manager.