Deploying operating systems

How you deploy an operating system to a compute node depends on the compute node architecture and how you access the compute node. Use this information to deploying operating systems to IBM® Power Systems™ compute nodes and X-Architecture compute nodes.

Power Systems compute nodes

If you are not using an unattended network-installation method to install your operating system, you must first provide a serial over LAN (SOL) connection to the compute node to install your operating system. After you have opened a SOL connection, follow the installation instructions that came with your Power Systems compute node.

X-Architecture compute nodes

There are several ways to install an operating system on an X-Architecture compute node:

Use the Remote Control function of the management software

If you want to install an operating system on an X-Architecture compute node while you are accessing the management software from a remote client, such as a laptop, see Remotely installing an operating system on an X-Architecture compute node.
If you want to install an operating system on an X-Architecture compute node while you are accessing the management software locally, see Installing an operating system on an X-Architecture compute node.
Note: With this method, the management software does not need to be connected to the data network.

Use the Deploy Compute Node Images page to deploy VMware ESXi and RHEL KVM

You can use management software to deploy VMware ESXi and RHEL Kernel-based Virtual Machine (KVM) hypervisors to multiple compute nodes quickly and easily. See Using the Deploy compute node images task to deploy operating systems for more information.

Important: Updating firmware with VMware vSphere 5 (ESXi) using the management software requires the IBM customized image. It is critical that you apply the latest patches to the vSphere system. You must reboot the vSphere system, and then wait 20 minutes after the system reboots before you apply the firmware updates. Download the VMware vSphere ESXi 5.0 with IBM Customization Patch from the IBM website at http://www-947.ibm.com/support/entry/portal/docdisplay?lndocid=MIGR-5091988&brandind=5000008.

Note: You can use Configuration Patterns to assign firmware and boot order settings for the X-Architecture compute nodes before you deploy operating systems or virtual images to them. See Modifying firmware and hardware configuration settings for more information about Configuration Patterns.