From b2678a9b3a34994703220e09475db03f0383c819 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Katie Drake Date: Tue, 10 Jun 2025 14:43:22 -0400 Subject: [PATCH] HCIDOCS-75: Add IPI installation workflow information to our documentation --- .../ipi/ipi-install-prerequisites.adoc | 2 + modules/ref_ipi-installation-overview.adoc | 52 +++++++++++++++++++ 2 files changed, 54 insertions(+) create mode 100644 modules/ref_ipi-installation-overview.adoc diff --git a/installing/installing_bare_metal/ipi/ipi-install-prerequisites.adoc b/installing/installing_bare_metal/ipi/ipi-install-prerequisites.adoc index c50f567ffb03..0d7b1dcc22c1 100644 --- a/installing/installing_bare_metal/ipi/ipi-install-prerequisites.adoc +++ b/installing/installing_bare_metal/ipi/ipi-install-prerequisites.adoc @@ -60,3 +60,5 @@ include::modules/ipi-install-out-of-band-management.adoc[leveloffset=+1] include::modules/ipi-install-required-data-for-installation.adoc[leveloffset=+1] include::modules/ipi-install-validation-checklist-for-nodes.adoc[leveloffset=+1] + +include::modules/ref_ipi-installation-overview.adoc[leveloffset=+1] diff --git a/modules/ref_ipi-installation-overview.adoc b/modules/ref_ipi-installation-overview.adoc new file mode 100644 index 000000000000..cb24affa66c0 --- /dev/null +++ b/modules/ref_ipi-installation-overview.adoc @@ -0,0 +1,52 @@ +// Module included in the following assemblies: +// +// * installing/installing_bare_metal/ipi/ipi-install-prerequisites.adoc + +:_mod-docs-content-type: REFERENCE + +[id="installation-overview_{context}"] += Installation overview + +The installation program supports interactive mode. However, you can prepare an `install-config.yaml` file containing the provisioning details for all of the bare-metal hosts, and the relevant cluster details, in advance. + +The installation program loads the `install-config.yaml` file and the administrator generates the manifests and verifies all prerequisites. + +The installation program performs the following tasks: + +* Enrolls all nodes in the cluster +* Starts the bootstrap virtual machine (VM) +* Starts the metal platform components as `systemd` services, which have the following containers: + +** Ironic-dnsmasq: The DHCP server responsible for handing over the IP addresses to the provisioning interface of various nodes on the provisioning network. Ironic-dnsmasq is only enabled when you deploy an {product-title} cluster with a provisioning network. +** Ironic-httpd: The HTTP server that is used to ship the images to the nodes. +** Image-customization +** Ironic +** Ironic-inspector (available in {product-title} 4.16 and earlier) +** Ironic-ramdisk-logs +** Extract-machine-os +** Provisioning-interface +** Metal3-baremetal-operator + +The nodes enter the validation phase, where each node moves to a _manageable_ state after Ironic validates the credentials to access the Baseboard Management Controller (BMC). + +When the node is in the manageable state, the _inspection_ phase starts. The inspection phase ensures that the hardware meets the minimum requirements needed for a successful deployment of {product-title}. + +The `install-config.yaml` file details the provisioning network. On the bootstrap VM, the installation program uses PXE to push a live image to every node with the Ironic Python Agent (IPA) loaded. When using virtual media, it connects directly to the BMC of each node to virtually attach the image. + +When using PXE boot, all nodes reboot to start the process: + +* The `ironic-dnsmasq` service running on the bootstrap VM provides the IP address of the node and the TFTP boot server. +* The first-boot software loads the root file system over HTTP. +* The `ironic` service on the bootstrap VM receives the hardware information from each node. + +The nodes enter the cleaning state, where each node must clean all the disks before continuing with the configuration. + +Once the cleaning state finishes, the nodes enter the available state and the installation program moves the nodes to the deploying state. + +IPA runs the `coreos-installer` command to install the {op-system-first} image on the disk defined by the `rootDeviceHints` parameter in the `install-config.yaml` file. The node boots by using {op-system}. + +After the installation program configures the control plane nodes, it moves control from the bootstrap VM to the control plane nodes and deletes the bootstrap VM. + +The Bare Metal Operator continues the deployment of the workers, storage, and infra nodes. + +After the installation completes, the nodes move to the active state. You can then proceed with postinstallation configuration and other Day 2 tasks.