XCAT_2.12.2_Release_Notes

New Functions and Changes in Behavior

Features

New OS Support

• Ubuntu 16.04.1

  • Install xCAT on Ubuntu 16.04.1
  • Install Ubuntu 16.04.1 in diskful/diskless Compute nodes

New Arguments

• packimage [-m|--method cpio|tar] [-c|--compress gzip|pigz|xz] imagename

  Add two new options to specify the archive method and compress method for packaging the diskless OS image. Resolves Issue #922

New Functions

• nodeset <noderange> offline

  Enhanced the offline option for nodeset that allows for de-configuration of the nodes specified by the <noderange>.

• Correctly update the status field when running rpower commands

  The status attribute of nodes will be updated immediately after successfully running of command rpower <noderange> on/off/reset

• xcatprobe - A command to probe/diagnose potential problems with xCAT (BETA)

  • osdeploy - sub command for xcatprobe allows for a replay of the operating system deployment process

    xcatprobe osdeploy -n <noderange> -r 30m replays the OS deployment activity in the past 30 minutes for the compute nodes specified by the ` attribute.

• Add support for bonded NICS during the xCAT hardware discovery process

  xCAT discovery process now supports configuration of the MAC addresses for two NICS in the mac attribute for the discovered nodes. This helps the operating system deploy successfully using either of the two active NICS on the install network when bonding is being used.

xCAT Documentation

xCAT documentation is hosted on ReadTheDocs: http://xcat-docs.readthedocs.io/en/2.12.2/index.html

Download xCAT

• xcat-core

  • RHEL/SLES - xcat-core-2.12.2-linux.tar.bz2
  • Ubuntu - xcat-core-2.12.2-ubuntu.tar.bz2

• xcat-dep

  • RHEL/SLES - xcat-dep-2.12.2-linux.tar.bz2
  • Ubuntu - xcat-dep-2.12.2-ubuntu.tar.bz2

Test Environment

Hardware Platform and Operating Systems which have been verified:

Hardware Platform	Operation System
IBM Power S822LC	RHELS7.2
IBM Power S822LC	Ubuntu14.04.4
IBM Power S822LC	Ubuntu16.04.1
IBM Power S822LC	SLES12 SP1
IBM Power 750	RHELS7.2
IBM Power 750	RHELS6.8
IBM Power 750	SLES11 SP4
iDataPlex M4 DX360	RHELS7.2
iDataPlex M4 DX360	SLES11 SP4
iDataPlex M4 DX360	Ubuntu14.04.4
iDataPlex M4 DX360	Ubuntu16.04.1
iDataPlex M4 DX360	SLES12 SP1

Key Issues Resolved

• Issue #1557 chvm -a has problem to handle the storage type.

• Issue #1008 restart xcatd get "Error happened when receiving data from DB access process Magic number checking on storable file failed at ..."

• Issue #1638 Genesis not wait long enough time to have NICs get IP address when STP is not closed

• Issue #1630 Failed to execute the genimage command in rh6.8 ppc64 and x86

• Issue #1611 "genimage ubuntu16.04.1-ppc64el-netboot-compute" failed

• Issue #1562 the rhels7.2 diskful installation with kernel and kernel modules updated by"geninitrd" failed with "Pane is dead" inside anaconda

Restrictions and Known Issues

• Issue #1742 packimage -m tar -c gzip failed on sles11.4

• Issue #1719 xcatprobe osdeploy -n node's result -r 4h could not same with -r 40h

• Issue #1591 Genesis loading hang in firestone node if ntp time offset is too large

• Issue #1090 conserver looses console output with ppc64le firestone (OpenPower S822LC) systems