AIMS: Automated Installation Management Service¶
AIMS provides Linux network PXE/UEFI boot service for both interactive and automated (kickstart) installation of supported Linux versions at CERN.
Interactive installations¶
Make sure that your system Operating System in CERN Network Database is set to LINUX.
(NOT 'Linux CC7', 'Windows and Linux' or similar..)
If not: set it to LINUX then wait 15-20 minutes for change propagation accross different CERN infrastructure data providers.
Boot your system from network (usually activated on most systems by pressing F12 after system reset).
Initial AIMS menu should appear on screen:
Press ENTER within 5 seconds in order to continue network boot process, main AIMS menu screen will display:
Navigate the menu with cursor keys then select desired option by pressing ENTER.
Boot media will be downloaded from the server
and system installation will start in same way as
if your system would have been booted from local
USB/CD media.
## Automated installations
### Kickstart
Automated installation uses kickstart installation
method for detailed guide, please see:
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 Kickstart Syntax Reference (applicable to C8)
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 Kickstart Syntax Reference (applicable to CC7)
yum install aims2-client
Here follows an example command session for performing an unattended kickstart installation using AIMS:
#### Add your system to AIMS with the kickstart file:
aims2 addhost <i>hostname</i> --kickstart ~/hostname.ks
Host HOSTNAME registered with aims.
aims2 pxeon <i>hostname</i> CC7_X86_64
Host HOSTNAME enabled for CC7_X86_64 (bios).
aims2 showimg \*
Image NAME ,Arch ,UEFI,Description
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CC74_X86_64 ,x86_64 ,Y ,CERN CENTOS 7.4 X86_64
CC75_X86_64 ,x86_64 ,Y ,CERN CENTOS 7.5 X86_64
CC7_X86_64 ,x86_64 ,Y ,CERN CENTOS 7 X86_64 (LATEST)
[...]
aims2 showhost <i>hostname</i> --all
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hostname: HOSTNAME
Interface HWADDR: XX-XX-XX-XX-XX-XX
PXE status: ON
PXE boot options: none
PXE boot type: BIOS
PXE boot target: CC7_X86_64
PXE noexpiry: N
PXE boot legacy: N
Registered by: jpolok
Registered at: 2018/10/04 09:20:55
Enabled at: 2018/10/04 09:24:13
Booted at: ????/??/?? ??:??:??
Disabled at: ????/??/?? ??:??:??
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NOTE:
The kickstart file must contain following line in post section:
%post /usr/bin/curl -4 --max-time 20 --output /root/aims2-deregistration-ipv4.txt --silent http://aims.cern.ch/aims/rebootin order to tell the server to stop serving installation media and allow the system to reboot from local disk.
More information about aims2
Aims2 client command, use:# man aims2for more information.
Other documentation:
AIMS2 client documentation
Please check [Legacy workaround documentation for some specific cases where the usual BIOS workflow is not enough.](/installation/aims/aims2lgcyworkaround).