Overview

This manual explains how to use the Sun HPC ClusterTools software installation utilities to install and remove Sun HPC ClusterTools software on one or more cluster nodes. See TABLE 1-1 for a summary of the Solaris OS interfaces.

**TABLE 1-1 Sun HPC ClusterTools Software Installation Utilities**
Utility	Description
`ctinstall`	Installs software on cluster nodes.
`ctremove`	Removes software from cluster nodes.

The tools install a complete copy of the Sun HPC ClusterTools software, locally on each node in the cluster.

For Linux-based installations, RPM packages are provided. Chapter 4 contains the information about how to install and configure RPM packages for Red Hat and SuSe Linux.

Centralized and Local Command Initiation

You can choose between two methods of initiating operations on the cluster nodes:

Local – Initiate commands directly on the node you are logged in to. The effects of the command are restricted to the local node.

Centralized – Initiate commands from a central host, specifying the nodes on which the command is to take effect. The initiating host establishes remote connections to the target nodes and broadcasts the commands to them over an rsh, ssh, or telnet connection. The central (initiating) host can be part of the cluster or it can be an administrative system external to the cluster.

Note - Centralized operations are performed on the specified nodes in parallel. That is, when a command is specified on the central host, the operation is initiated on all the specified nodes at the same time.

Support for centralized command initiation is built into the Sun HPC ClusterTools software installation utilities. Issuing these commands from a central host has the equivalent effect as invoking the commands locally using one of the Cluster Console tools, cconsole, ctelnet, or crlogin. For alternative tools, see To Install the Linux Packages.

The Sun HPC ClusterTools software CLI utilities provide several options that are specific to the centralized command initiation mode and are intended to simplify management of parallel installation of the software from a central host. These options support:

Creating corresponding versions of local log files on the central host for easier access
Generating a list of nodes that had successful operations and another list of nodes that were unsuccessful. These pass/fail node lists can then be used in subsequent operations, such as software removal.

The initiating system can be one of the cluster nodes or it can be external to the cluster. It must be a Sun system running the Solaris 9 or Solaris 10 Operating System (Solaris OS). Compute nodes must run the Solaris 10 OS.

Sun HPC ClusterTools 8.2 Installation Log Files

The Sun HPC ClusterTools 8.2 installation tools log information about installation-related tasks locally on the nodes where installation tasks are performed. The default location for the log files is /var/sadm/system/logs/hpc. If installation tasks are initiated from a central host, a summary log file is also created on the central host.

Local, Node-Specific Log Files

Two types of log files are created locally on each cluster node where installation operations take place.

Task-specific logs – Separate log files are created for each installation-related task. They are:
- ct_install.log
- ct_remove.log
- ct_act.log
- ct_deact.log
- ct_startd.log
- ct_stopd.log
These log files contain detailed logging information for the most recent associated task. Each time a task is repeated, its log file is overwritten.
History log – A ct_history.log file is created to store all installation-related tasks performed on the local node. This provides a convenient record of the Sun HPC ClusterTools 8.2 software installation history on the local node. Each time a new installation task is performed on the node, a new log entry is appended to the history log.

These node specific installation log files are created regardless of the installation method used, local or centralized.

Central Node Summary Log

When installation tasks are initiated from a central host, a summary log file named ct_summary.log is created on the central host. This log file records the final summary report that is generated by the CLI. The ct_summary.log is not overwritten when a new task is performed. As with the ct_history.log file, new entries are appended to the summary log file.

Summary of Tasks Performed by Sun HPC ClusterTools Software Utilities

This section describes an overview of the installation-related tasks you can perform.

Note - The command-line interface (CLI) tools require superuser privileges to execute.

Select an Activity

The various installation-related operations are independent of each other. With the CLI, you simply start the applicable utility: ctinstall, or ctremove. The operations these tools control are described below.

Install the Software

The installation activity loads the Sun HPC ClusterTools software onto cluster nodes.

With the CLI command ctinstall, you can install individual Sun HPC ClusterTools 8.2 software packages as well as install the entire software suite.

A complete copy of the Sun HPC ClusterTools software is installed locally on each node in the cluster.

The next sections describe the installation choices you can make when you install Sun HPC ClusterTools software.

Remove the Sun HPC ClusterTools Software

This operation deletes Sun HPC ClusterTools software packages from the cluster nodes on which it is executed. If a node is active at the time you initiate the removal operation, it will be deactivated automatically before the software is removed.

With the CLI command ctremove, you can remove individual Sun HPC ClusterTools software packages as well as remove the entire software suite.

Recommendations for Installing Sun HPC ClusterTools 8.2 Software on Large Cluster Installations

The following are tips for installing Sun HPC ClusterTools 8.2 software on clusters containing hundreds of nodes using the centralized method:

Minimize other system activity during installation – Invoking installation of Sun HPC ClusterTools 8.2 software on hundreds of nodes from a central host imposes high demands on system resources. Avoid system resource exhaustion by keeping the cluster nodes as quiescent as possible during the installation.
Use a node list file – For various centralized installation tasks, you specify the nodes on which the task is to be invoked. You have the choice of specifying the nodes either on the command line, using the –n option or by referencing a node list file using the –N option. If you reference a node list file, you only enter the node names once when you create the file.
Reduce system resource consumption on the central host – You can avoid overtaxing system resources on a single central host by using more than one central host. Simply divide the total list of nodes to be installed on into separate node lists, and initiate the installation commands on the various central hosts, with each host using a different node list.
Use the –g option with CLI-initiated tasks – Use the –g option with CLI commands to obtain a list of nodes that successfully executed the command and a separate list of nodes that failed. You can then reference the list of failed nodes with the –N option in a later retry of the command.

Use the –k option with CLI-initiated tasks – Use the –k option with CLI commands to have all logs saved on the central node where the command was initiated. This option makes it unnecessary to go to each node to examine local logs.

Note - When using the telnet connection method, all nodes specified in a given centralized invocation must share the same password. If you have more than one password for the nodes in the cluster, separate the nodes into installation groups in which all nodes share the same password, and perform separate command invocations for each node group.

Introduction to Sun HPC ClusterTools 8.2 Software