IBM OSCAR: Open Source Cluster Application Resources

OSCAR is a opensource Beowulf Toolkit that is developed by some IBMers. it provides a nice GUI interface and i find that it is quite easy to use. A really neat utility. For complete documentation, go to http://oscar.openclustergroup.org/

OSCAR installation procedure

  1. Install full Redhat to master node
  2. unpack OSCAR into /root
  3. configure “eth” to the correct IP address
  4. copy distribution RPMs to /tftpboot/rpm
  5. Issue commands
    • $ cd /root/oscar-1.2
      $ ./install_cluster
  6. Issue command
    • $ ./oscar_wizard
  7. Click “Step 1”
    • unselect automatic reboot
    • affirm details in the files for configuration e.g disk partitions & rpm list
    • Note “Image Name” field
    • Click “Build Image”
    • Might have to edit default RPM list for the building of image to go through
  8. Click “Step 2”
    • Enter “Image Name”
    • Enter “Domain Name”
    • Enter “Number of Host” *This is the number of clients to create
    • Enter “Starting Number”
    • Enter “Starting IP”
    • Enter “Subnet Mask”
    • Enter “Default Gateway”
    • Click “Add Clients”
  9. Click “Setup Networking”
    • Click “Setup Network Boot”
    • Click “Start Collecting”
      • Select MAC address & click “Assign Mac to node” selecting the node in turn
    • Click “Stop Collecting”
    • Click “Setup Network install”
    • Click “Setup DHCP”
  10. Ensure clients are on network boot
    • Boot Cluster in sequence of node number
  11. After installation, reboot machines & reset the system to boot first from HDD. Reboot.
  12. Ping all clients
    • $ scripts/ping_clients
    • All clients should respond
  13. Click “Complete Cluster Setup”
  14. Click “Test cluster setup”
    • enter a non-root user name/pw
    • open new terminal & login as user
    • run OSCAR_test/test_cluster
  15. If all complete without error, then installation is complete!!