Importing operating system images

Before you can view operating systems in the IBM Flex System Manager management software and deploy a licensed operating system to compute nodes, you must first copy the image to a management node directory and import it to the management software.

Before you begin

The IBM Flex System Manager management node supports a maximum of five operating system images in local storage. A version of the VMware vSphere Hypervisor (ESXi) 5.1 with IBM customization is preloaded on the management node; therefore, you can import four additional operating system image on the management node and then deploy those images to the X-Architecture compute nodes.

The import process for an operating system image is a one-time requirement; you do not need to import a separate operating system image for each compute node.

Note: If you already have five images loaded on the IBM Flex System Manager management node, you will need to first delete one of those images before attempting to import another image. For example, you can delete the VMware vSphere Hypervisor (ESXi) 5.1 image if needed. Complete the following steps to delete an operating system image from the management node:

Access the management node using SSH.
Log in to the IBM Flex System Manager user interface using a user account with administrator privileges (such as USERID).
Use the command smcli lsosimages to list all images stored on the IBM Flex System Manager management node.
Use the command smcli deleteosimage to delete one or more of the images.

About this task

Complete the following steps to import an operating system to the IBM Flex System Manager management node:

Procedure

Obtain a licensed ISO image of the operating system.

Use one of the following methods to copy the ISO image to an accessible directory on the management node, such as /home/USERID:

Use Secure Copy (SCP):

Use an SCP tool on a laptop or workstation attached to the management or data network to send the ISO image to the management node.
Use the scp command in the management software command-line interface to retrieve the ISO image from an SSH server on the management or data network. See the following examples:
From the IBM Flex System Manager management node where you are logged in using a user account with administrator privileges (such as USERID):

scp USERID @<remote_host_name>:/directory/* /home/*

From a remote server or workstation:

scp * USERID@<management_node_host_name>:/home/USERID/*

Copy the ISO image from a USB storage device:

Insert a USB storage device into the USB port on the front of the management node.
Access the management node using SSH.
Log in using a user account with administrator privileges (such as USERID).
Use the command lsmediadev to list the storage media devices that are available for use on the system and identify the USB storage device. The resulting output will be similar to the following, where vdi1 is the USB storage device:
```
device=/dev/vdi1,mount_point=/media/vdi1,type=3,description=USB flash memory device
```
Type mount /dev/vdi1 and press Enter.
Use the command cp to copy the files. For example:
```
cp /media/vdi1/<file_name> /home/USERID/.
```

Import the ISO image using the command smcli importosimage smcli importosimage. For example:
```
smcli importosimage /home/USERID/RHEL6.4-2012.0-Server-x86_64.iso
```

Results

After you import the image, it will be displayed in the Image to Deploy column.