HP XC System Software Installation Guide Version 3.1

E Customizing Client Node Disks
Use the information in this appendix to customize the disk partition layout on client node disk devices.
This appendix addresses the following topics:
• “Overview of Client Node Disk Imaging” (page 131)
• “Configure Disks Dynamically” (page 131)
• “Configure Disks Statically” (page 134)
E.1 Overview of Client Node Disk Imaging
The HP XC client node imaging process requires a single system disk on each client node on which the
operating system is installed. Client node disk devices are partitioned automatically as part of the automated
client imaging process. Table 3-6 (page 64) lists the default disk partition layout for client disks.
HP does not recommend creating user data partitions on the client system disk that contains the operating
system because the system disk is subject to a complete re-creation (new partitions and new file systems)
during the imaging installation process. HP recommends that you use a separate disk device on client
systems where user data is required. Non-system disk devices are not subject to re-creation as part of the
imaging installation process.
This appendix describes two methods to modify client disks:
• Dynamic disk configuration
Dynamic disk configuration identifies the actual client disk device type and size during the actual
autoinstallation operation. Identification is based on a list of possible disk architectures supported
within an HP XC system configuration. With one master autoinstallation script, any supported disk
device can be automatically configured (with partitions and file systems) based on dynamic logic to
identify disk type and size, using the default partition layout based on a percentage of disk size.
Dynamic disk configuration is the default method used during the HP XC imaging installation.
For information about using the dynamic configuration procedure to customize the client disk
partitions, see “Configure Disks Dynamically” (page 131).
• Static disk configuration
Static disk configuration relies on preconfigured (static) disk configuration files that describe the disk
type, size, desired partition layout, and file system type of the disks in the client nodes. Static disk
configuration files must follow a particular template, as described in autoinstallscript.conf(5).
Several predefined static disk configuration files are shipped as part of the HP XC software distribution
and are available for your use and modification. These files are located in the
/opt/hptc/systemimager/etc directory and have a .conf file extension.
For information about using static configuration files to customize client node disk partitions, see
“Configure Disks Statically” (page 134).
HP recommends the following guidelines:
• Use the procedure in “Configure Disks Dynamically” (page 131) when you want to change the size
of the existing default partitions or swap space on the client disks.
• Use the procedure in “Configure Disks Statically” (page 134) when you want to create partitions other
than the default or if you want to create file system types other than the default on the client disks.
E.2 Configure Disks Dynamically
Dynamic disk configuration identifies the actual client disk device type and size during the actual
autoinstallation operation based on a list of possible disk architectures supported within an HP XC
configuration. This method provides an alternative to attempting to predefine a static client disk
configuration based on the golden client (head) node. Configuring disks dynamically avoids issues
encountered when the golden client node disk configuration differs from the client disk configuration.
Dynamic disk configuration uses dynamic logic embedded in the component files described in this section;
these files are simple shell scripts.
Each component file is responsible for a portion of the client disk configuration during the imaging
installation and is sourced into the master autoinstallation script when the script is created. The master
autoinstallation script is created each time the cluster_config utility is run.
The component files are as follows:
E.1 Overview of Client Node Disk Imaging 131