Bare Metal OS Provisioning using RAD Profiles

You can Deploy operating systems using RAD system profiles that you import into the Image Library

IBM BigFix for OS Deployment provides a set of fixlets that you can use to perform bare metal deployments using RAD system profiles. You create system profiles using a Tivoli Provisioning Manager for OS Deployment stand-alone installation, and then export them in RAD file format. You can create profiles for the deployment of Windows, Linux, or VMWare operating systems. To these profiles you must associate a deployment scheme and optionally one or more software modules. On the BigFix side, you import the RAD profiles into the Image library and then copy them to the Bare Metal servers ready to be deployed.

You can also use these fixlets in a Server Automation environment by including them in your Automation Plans.

Note: To ensure that an adequate disk space is available on the Bare Metal Servers to correctly receive the RAD profiles, you must add the following client setting to those Bare Metal Servers in your network that need to receive the RAD profiles. The size value you set must be large enough to contain the RAD images:

_BESClient_Download_PreCacheStageDiskLimitMB

If the space is not sufficient, the send to server of these profiles fails.

From the OS Deployment and Bare Metal Imaging site, expand Deploy OS using RAD profiles. The available fixlets and tasks are displayed:

Deploy an operating system to one or more computers (Fixlet 107): This fixlet deploys the specified RAD Bare Metal Profile to one or more computers that are not already registered with a Bare Metal Server. This Fixlet cannot be used to deploy Windows 10.
Deploy operating system to one or more registered computers (Fixlet 133): This fixlet deploys the specified RAD Bare Metal Profile to one or more computers that are already registered with the bare metal server. This Fixlet cannot be used to deploy Windows 10.
Register computer in a Bare Metal Server (Fixlet 104): This fixlet registers new computers with the bare metal server. For each computer you want to register, you specify a MAC address and an associated computer name.
Force network boot (Fixlet 132): This Fixlet boots the computer on the network to facilitate reimaging. The boot order of the computer is changed so that it boots from the network and not from the operating system. This is done just once. The last action is a new reboot of the computer. This operation allows Tivoli Provisioning Manager for OS Deployment to capture an image from the computer and to reimage a new operating system. If the target computer is an BigFix client, it is rebooted through the network and it waits for the Bare Metal server to deploy the RAD profile.

Note: The deployment Fixlets run successfully only on targets that PXE boot through the network.

Depending on the Fixlet you select to run, you need to specify one or more of the following parameters:

MAC Address:: The MAC Address of the computer or computers that you are provisioning. Specify them as a comma separated list.
Computer name:: The name or names for the computers that you are provisioning. Use commas to separate each entry. Do not include spaces.
Name of the Bare Metal Profile:: Select the Bare Metal Profile you created from the imported RAD system profile.
Use Wake-on-LAN: Optionally, select to use Wake-on-LAN to power-on the computers.

For detailed information about creating and exporting system profiles and deployment schemes, see Tivoli® Provisioning Manager for OS Deployment documentation at this link: http://www-01.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/SS3HLM/welcome.

To set up your environment for Linux and Windows deployments using RAD profiles , see the examples provided in the IBM BigFix wiki at these links:

Files for troubleshooting errors

Problems importing the RAD profiles to the BigFix Server from the Image Library Dashboard: check %Temp%/OSDeployment/rbagent.trc of the machine where the IBM® BigFix console runs.

Problems sending the image to the Bare Metal Server: check the BES client logs on your relay in <BESCLIENTPATH>/_BESData/_Global/logs, for example: BigFixEnterprise/BES Client/_BESData/_Global/logs.

Error deploying the RAD profiles on the targets: Check the deployment logs in <TPMfOSD path>/global/hostactivities/taskxxxxxxxxx, on the Bare Metal targets, where taskxxxxxxxxx is the task number that you can view in the Deployment Activity Dashboard.