Frontend Installation
Stacki requires a single server that will host all the software and services used to build out other servers. We call this server the frontend, and the first step to running Stacki is to build a frontend.
The process is fairly simple and looks similar to a standard Linux build with the addition of a wizard to capture site-specific networking information.
A frontend has the following hardware requirements.
| Resource | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| System Memory | 2 GB | 16 GB |
| Network Interfaces | 2 | 2 |
| Disk Capacity | 64 GB | 200GB |
| CD/DVD Device | 1 | 1 |
BIOS boot order
- CD/DVD Device
- Hard Disk
Stacki allows you to place only the frontend on your public network and to then deploy all backend servers on an isolated private network. This recommended setup is shown below.
You may also place all backend nodes on the public network and use only a single network interface from the Stacki frontend, as shown below. If you choose to run in this configuration there are two additional requirements. First, the public network cannot have a DHCP server that would answer a DHCP request from a backend server. (This is the frontend's job.) Second, when in the installation wizard, you will still need to configure both interfaces. But in this case, simply configure the public and private with the same network information but only cable the private one (yes this is odd, but it is required when you only have one interface for the frontend, and hey, it works).
Stacki can build a new frontend from bare metal or it can be added on top of an existing server. If you wish to install Stacki on top of an existing system, skip to the section labeled existing.
Download the Stacki jumbo DVD here and burn the file to a DVD or mount it on the virtual media for the server to be installed. Installing a frontend will completely erase and reformat the hard disks in the server, so be careful which server you decide to become your frontend.
Boot the server with the DVD (or virtual media mounted) and the following screen will appear after the BIOS is initialized:
If you don't see the above screen, go back to the requirements section and make sure the DVD is the first entry in the boot order.
You can hit enter or just wait a few seconds and the Stacki frontend installation will begin, and you will soon see the Installation Wizard.
A Stacki frontend can be installed on top of an existing Red Hat based server. The server must be running the x86_64 version of CentOS 6.x or RHEL 6.x.
To perform this installation, log into the Gnome (or generic X11) environment on the servers console as root. You must be root and X11 is required.
To start the installation, download two ISOs and put them on your server:
-
Stacki. The Stacki ISO can be found here.
-
CentOS or RHEL installation ISO. A CentOS installation ISO can be found here.
(If using RHEL, a DVD ISO should be available through your Red Hat subscription.)
Mount the Stacki ISO:
# mount -o loop stacki*iso /media
Copy frontend-install.py from the ISO to your local disk:
# cp /media/frontend-install.py /tmp
Execute frontend-install.py:
# /tmp/frontend-install.py /path/to/stacki*iso stacki 1.0 /path/to/CentOS*iso CentOS 6.6
The above step will run several commands and will eventually display the Installation Wizard.
The first screen will appear and you will be prompted to enter the following info:
- Cluster Name - for example "Demo"
- Fully Qualified Host Name of the frontend (i.e., name.yourdomain.com)
- Email - Administrator Email
- Timezone of the cluster.
The public cluster network configuration screen allows you to set up the networking parameters for the ethernet network that connects the frontend to the outside network (e.g., the Internet).
- Choose from the network Devices to select the public network.
- IP address of the public interface.
- Netmask.
- Gateway.
- DNS Servers - More than one DNS Server can be entered as a comma-separated list (i.e., 8.8.8.8, 4.2.2.2, 8.8.4.4).
Click Continue to configure the network interface.
The private network configuration screen configures the networking parameters for the ethernet network that connects the frontend to the backend nodes.
- Choose from the network Devices to select the private network.
- IP address of the private interface.
- Netmask.
Click Continue to configure the network interface.
Enter the password for the root account on the frontend.
(Something better than "bob" is recommended, and no, "12345" is not better than "bob".)
If Automated mode is selected, the installer will repartition and reformat the first discovered hard drive that is connected to the frontend. All other drives connected to the frontend will be left untouched.
| Partition Name | Size |
|---|---|
| / | 16GB |
| /var | 16GB |
| swap | 1GB |
| /export (symbolically linked to /state/partition1) | remainder of root disk |
When using automatic partitioning, the installer repartitions and reformats the first hard drive (e.g. sda) that the installer discovers. All previous data on this drive will be erased. All other drives will be left untouched. If you are unsure about how the drives will be discovered in a multi-disk frontend, select Manual mode.
In Manual mode, the installer brings up a partition setup screen after the wizard exits. In this mode, specify at least 16 GB for the root partition and a separate /export partition. You should add a swap partition, and /var if you have made / only 16GB.
Choose the Pallets you want to install. Booting from a DVD, pallets should automatically load onto the list for you to choose.
The Id column denotes pallets loaded from a DVD and the Network column denotes pallets from a network.
Select stacki and os pallets to install.
Review the installation parameters and click Continue to proceed.
If this was a new installation, the frontend will now format its filesystems and copy the pallets from the DVD onto its hard disk. Next, it will install all the packages and then run post configuration scripts. When this is complete, the frontend will reboot. Your Stacki frontend is now ready to install backend servers.
If this was an existing installation, after the frontend-install.py program completes, you must reboot the frontend:
# reboot
Your Stacki frontend is now ready to install backend servers.