1. Diskless Remote Boot Linux
Introduction to
Diskless Remote Boot Linux
Jazz Wang
Yao-Tsung Wang

2. At First, We have “ 4 + 1 ” PC Cluster
It'd better be 2n
Manage
Scheduler

3. Each PC has AMD64 CPU x 4, 512MB RAM x 4, 120GB Disk x 4,
PCI-E Graphic Card x 3
Graphic Resource　　　　　　　　　　
Disk Resource　　　　　　　　　　
RAM Resource　　　　　　　　　　
CPU Resource　　　　　　　　　　

4. Total Resource = AMD64 CPU x 20,
512MB RAM x 20 = 10 GB RAM,
120GB Disk x 20 = 2.4 TB Disk,
PCI-E Graphic Card x 15
Graphic Resource　　　　　　　　　　
Disk Resource　　　　　　　　　　
RAM Resource　　　　　　　　　　
CPU Resource　　　　　　　　　　

5. Then, We connect 5 PCs with Gigabit Ethernet Switch
GiE Switch
10/100/1000
MBps
WAN
Add 1 NIC
for WAN

6. Compute Nodes
4 Compute Nodes will communicate via LAN Switch. Only Manage Node have Internet Access for Security!
LAN Switch
WAN
Manage Node

7. For Effective Management, We'll install DRBL Server on
DRBL Client PCs
For Effective Management,
We'll install DRBL Server on
Manage Node, and Compute Nodes
become DRBL Client.
LAN Switch
WAN
DRBL Server

8. Redhat, Fedora, CentOS, Mandriva,
1st, We install Base System of GNU/Linux on Management Node. You can choose:
Redhat, Fedora, CentOS, Mandriva,
Ubuntu, Debian, ...
Linux Kernel
Kernel Module
GNU Libc
Boot Loader

9. 2nd, We install DRBL package and configure it as DRBL Server.
There are lots of service needed:
SSHD, DHCPD, TFTPD, NFS Server,
NIS Server, YP Server ...
DHCPD
TFTPD
NFS
Bash
Perl
Network Booting YP
NIS
Account Mgnt.
DRBL Server
based on existing
Open Source and
keep Hacking!
SSHD
Linux Kernel
Kernel Module
GNU Libc
Boot Loader

10. After running “drblsrv -i” &
“drblpush -i”, there will be pxelinux, vmlinux-pex, initrd-pxe in TFTPROOT, and different configuration files for
each Compute Node in NFSROOT
NFS
TFTPD
DHCPD
SSHD
NIS YP
pxelinux
vmlinuz-pxe
initrd-pxe
Config. Files
Ex. hostname
Linux Kernel
Kernel Module
GNU Libc
Boot Loader

11. 3nd, We enable PXE function in
BIOS configuration.
BIOS PXE
BIOS PXE
BIOS PXE
BIOS PXE
NFS
TFTPD
DHCPD
SSHD
NIS YP
pxelinux
vmlinuz-pxe
initrd-pxe
Config. Files
Ex. hostname
Linux Kernel
Kernel Module
GNU Libc
Boot Loader

12. While Booting, PXE will query
IP address from DHCPD.
BIOS PXE
BIOS PXE
BIOS PXE
BIOS PXE
NFS
TFTPD
DHCPD
SSHD
NIS YP
pxelinux
vmlinuz-pxe
initrd-pxe
Config. Files
Ex. hostname
Linux Kernel
Kernel Module
GNU Libc
Boot Loader

13. While Booting, PXE will query
IP address from DHCPD.
IP 1
IP 2
IP 3
IP 4
NFS
TFTPD
DHCPD
SSHD
NIS YP
pxelinux
vmlinuz-pxe
initrd-pxe
Config. Files
Ex. hostname
Linux Kernel
Kernel Module
GNU Libc
Boot Loader

14. After PXE get its IP address, it will download booting files from TFTPD.
NFS
TFTPD
DHCPD
SSHD
NIS YP
Config. Files
Ex. hostname
Linux Kernel
Kernel Module
GNU Libc
Boot Loader
initrd-pxe
vmlinuz-pxe
pxelinux

15. pxelinux
vmlinuz
initrd
IP 1
IP 2
IP 3
IP 4
NFS
TFTPD
DHCPD
SSHD
NIS YP
Config. Files
Ex. hostname
Linux Kernel
Kernel Module
GNU Libc
Boot Loader
initrd-pxe
vmlinuz-pxe
pxelinux

16. initrd
initrd
initrd
initrd
vmlinuz
vmlinuz
vmlinuz
vmlinuz
pxelinux
pxelinux
pxelinux
pxelinux
IP 1
IP 2
IP 3
IP 4
NFS
TFTPD
DHCPD
SSHD
NIS YP
Config. Files
Ex. hostname
Linux Kernel
Kernel Module
GNU Libc
Boot Loader
After downloading booting files, scripts in initrd-pxe will config NFSROOT for each Compute Node.
initrd-pxe
vmlinuz-pxe
pxelinux

17. Config. 1
Config. 2
Config. 3
Config. 4
initrd
initrd
initrd
initrd
vmlinuz
vmlinuz
vmlinuz
vmlinuz
pxelinux
pxelinux
pxelinux
pxelinux
IP 1
IP 2
IP 3
IP 4
NFS
TFTPD
DHCPD
SSHD
NIS YP
Config. Files
Ex. hostname
Linux Kernel
Kernel Module
GNU Libc
Boot Loader
initrd-pxe
vmlinuz-pxe
pxelinux

18. Applications and Services will also deployed to each Compute Node
Bash
Perl
SSHD
Applications and Services will also deployed to each Compute Node
via NFS ....
NFS
TFTPD
DHCPD
SSHD
NIS YP
Perl
Bash
DRBL Server

19. With the help of NIS and YP, You can login each Compute Node
SSHD
SSH Client
With the help of NIS and YP,
You can login each Compute Node
with the Same ID / PASSWORD
stored in DRBL Server!
NFS
TFTPD
DHCPD
SSHD
NIS YP
DRBL Server

20. Questions?
Jazz Wang
Yao-Tsung Wang