1. Security Guide for Oracle Exadata
  2. Securely Erasing Oracle Exadata
  3. Interactive Secure Eraser through Network Boot

5.5 Interactive Secure Eraser through Network Boot

Starting with Oracle Exadata X7-2, you can use EFI Network Boot when using Secure Eraser.

Note:

Starting with Oracle Exadata System Software release 19.1.0, the Secure Eraser package (secureeraser_label.zip) contains ISO images instead of NFS images.

Before you begin:

  • Download and install the latest Secure Eraser package available for your system.

    To download the Secure Eraser package, examine the Supplemental Readme associated with your current Oracle Exadata System Software version. To find the Supplemental Readme associated with each Oracle Exadata System Software version, see Exadata Database Machine and Exadata Storage Server Supported Versions (My Oracle Support Doc ID 888828.1).

  • Make sure you have access to a NFS server that is accessible from all the nodes to be erased.

  • Make sure you have access to one of the nodes to be erased.

  1. Copy the cell initrd file (initrd-version) and kernel file (vmlinux-version) from the Secure Eraser package to the /tftpboot/efi on the network boot server.

    The location does not have to be /tftpboot/efi/. The location is determined by the TFTP Server configuration.

  2. Create a file containing the names of the database servers and storage servers to be erased.

    To generate this file, you can run the following command from one of the nodes to be erased, and verify the nodes in the files are the ones to be erased.

    # ibhosts | awk '/S [0-9\.\,]*/ || /C [0-9\.\,]*/ {print $6}' | sed "s/\"//g" 
> nodes_to_be_erased

    If you only want to erase one server, enter the name of the server into the nodes_to_be_erased file, for example Exa01celadm04.

  3. Copy the dcli utility from the Secure Eraser package along with the file generated in step 2 to the network boot server.

  4. Create a configuration template called pxe_cfg.template to contain the following lines for grub2 and Secure Boot on Oracle Exadata Database Machine X7-2 and newer systems:

    Note:

    In the following example, the following parameters must be updated to match your environment:

    • kernel (the vmlinux file)

    • initrd (the initrd*.img file)

    • logpath

    • For releases earlier than Oracle Exadata System Software release 19.1.0: 

      set default 0
set timeout=10
menuentry 'ExadataLinux' {
  echo "Loading efi/vmlinuz"   
 linuxefi efi/vmlinux-nfs-18.1.0.0.0-170915.1 stit dhcp pxe boot-from=uefi quiet 
 loglevel=0 bootarea=diagnostics console=ttyS0,115200n8 
 logpath=10.133.42.221:/export/exadata_secure_eraser_certificate_dir   
  echo "Loading efi/initrd.img"   
  initrdefi efi/initrd-nfs-18.1.0.0.0-170915.1.img 
  echo "Booting installation kernel"
}

    • For Oracle Exadata System Software release 19.1.0 or later: 

      set default 0
set timeout=10
menuentry 'ExadataLinux' {
  echo "Loading efi/vmlinuz"   
 linuxefi efi/vmlinux-nfs-19.1.2.0.0-190111 stit dhcp pxe boot-from=uefi quiet 
 loglevel=0 bootarea=diagnostics console=ttyS0,115200n8 
 logpath=10.133.42.221:/export/exadata_secure_eraser_certificate_dir   
  echo "Loading efi/initrd.img"   
  initrdefi efi/initrd-nfs-19.1.2.0.0-190111.img 
  echo "Booting installation kernel"
}

    • The first line (default) identifies a menu entry that should be selected by default, after the timeout value specified by the second line.

    • The third line (menuentry) represents the Linux kernel that will be used in the Secure Eraser environment.

    • The fifth line (linuxefi) indicates the kernel is on an UEFI-based system. The linuxefi statement must be on a single line in the configuration file.

      • The stit option specifies INSTALL imaging mode, plus BARE METAL conditions, plus ERASING ADD DATA PARTITIONS

      • The dhcp option specifies to use DHCP to discover the eth0 interface.

      • The pxe option suppresses search for the image on virtual CD and USB devices.

      • The boot-from=uefi option indicates the system is booting from UEFI.

      • The quiet option disables excessive kernel log messages.

      • The loglevel=0 option suppresses non-critical kernel messages.

      • The secureeraser option indicates the network boot will automatically trigger the Secure Eraser utility to sanitize all installed media, including hard drives, flash devices, persistent memory, internal USBs, and ILOM on the node.

      • The bootarea option indicates that the boot mode is diagnostic and not imaging install or rescue.

      • The console options indicate standard output and standard error messages are printed to both the ILOM web console and the serial console.

      • The logpath option specifies the NFS share directory where Secure Eraser will save the certificate.

    • The seventh line (initrdefi) specifies the initrd file to load. In this case it is the initrd file copied over in step 1.

  5. On the network boot server, use the template file to generate a network boot configuration file in the /tftpboot/efi/pxelinux.cfg/ directory (Oracle Exadata Database Machine X7-2 and newer) for each of the nodes to be erased.

    The network boot configuration file name is the dash-separated MAC address of the node with the prefix 01-.

    If the nodes to be erased are accessible, perform the following steps to automatically generate a network boot configuration file for each node based on the template:

    1. Set up SSH equivalence with the nodes to be erased from the network boot server. The command will prompt for the root password of each node. 

      pxe_server# dcli -g nodes_to_be_erased -k -l root

    2. Create a list of network boot configuration files, one for each node to be erased based on the configuration template.

      pxe_server# dcli -g nodes_to_be_erased -l root "ip addr show eth0" | 
awk '/link\/ether/ {print "01:"$3}' | sed "s/:/-/g" | xargs -I {} 
cp pxe_cfg.template {}

    If the nodes are not accessible, perform the following steps to generate a network boot configuration file for each node.

    1. Manually collect the MAC address of the eth0 interface from each node and write them into a text file called mac_addresses. Write one MAC address per line. For example: 

      00:10:e0:62:c4:fa
00:10:e0:62:c2:8a
00:10:e0:62:b8:7c
00:10:e0:62:b8:3a
00:10:e0:62:c6:bc

    2. Use the following command to create a list of network boot configuration file, one for each node to be erased based on the configuration template.

      pxe_server# cat mac_addresses | sed "s/:/-/g;s/^/01-/g" | xargs -I {} cp 
pxe_cfg.template {}

    In both cases, you should have a list of network boot configuration files, one for each node to be erased. For example, if the MAC addresses of the nodes in a quarter rack are 00:10:e0:62:c4:fa, 00:10:e0:62:c2:8a, 00:10:e0:62:b8:7c, 00:10:e0:62:b8:3a, and 00:10:e0:62:c6:bc, then you should get the following files:

    01-00-10-e0-62-c4-fa
01-00-10-e0-62-c2-8a
01-00-10-e0-62-b8-7c
01-00-10-e0-62-b8-3a
01-00-10-e0-62-c6-bc

    The files have the same content as the configuration template.

    Check your specific network boot server requirements. Your network boot server may need slightly different names or settings.

  6. Configure the nodes to boot from the network boot server and reboot the nodes.

    If the nodes to be erased are accessible, run the following commands:

    pxe_server# dcli -g nodes_to_be_erased -l root "ipmitool chassis bootdev pxe”

pxe_server# dcli -g nodes_to_be_erased -l root "reboot”

    If the nodes are not accessible, then perform the following steps:

    1. Create a file called iloms_to_be_reset containing the names of ILOMs. For example: 

      db1-ilom
db2-ilom
cell1-ilom
cell2-ilom
cell3-ilom

    2. Configure the nodes to boot from the network boot server through ILOMs. The command will prompt for ILOM root password. 

      pxe_server# cat iloms_to_be_reset | xargs -I {} ipmitool -I lanplus -H {} 
-U root chassis bootdev pxe

    3. Reboot the nodes from ILOMs. The command will prompt for ILOM root password. 

      pxe_server# cat iloms_to_be_reset | xargs -I {} ipmitool -I lanplus -H {} 
-U root chassis power cycle

  7. If you get the following prompt on the remote or serial console, enter e at the prompt to enter the diagnostic shell: 

    Choose from following by typing letter in '()':
(e)nter interactive diagnostics shell. Must use credentials from Oracle
support to login (reboot or power cycle to exit the shell),
Select:e

  8. If prompted, log in to the system as the root user.

    If you require the password for the root user and do not have it, then contact Oracle Support Services. 

    localhost login: root
Password: *********
-sh-3.1#

  9. Run the Secure Eraser utility to sanitize all devices or one type of device. 

    -sh-3.1# /usr/sbin/secureeraser -–erase --all --output=REMOTE_NFS_LOCATION

    REMOTE_NFS_LOCATION is the remote NFS location in the format of IP:FILE_PATH. The Secure Eraser utility will automatically mount the remote NFS location and save the certificate there.

    For example, to erase all installed devices, including hard drives, flash devices, persistent memory, internal USBs, and ILOM, and save the certificate at this NFS location: 10.133.42.221:/export/exadata_secure_eraser_certificate_dir: 

    -sh-3.1# /usr/sbin/secureeraser --erase --all --output=10.133.42.221:/export
/exadata_secure_eraser_certificate_dir

    To erase just the hard drives:

    -sh-3.1# /usr/sbin/secureeraser --erase --hdd --output=10.133.42.221:/export
/exadata_secure_eraser_certificate_dir

    Note that it is important to point the output option to an NFS location so that the certificate can be saved properly.

    You will be prompted with a list of devices to be erased and to confirm that you want to proceed with the Secure Eraser.

    A progress report, as shown in step 7 of Automatic Secure Eraser through PXE Boot for X7 and Later Systems, will be printed to the console every 10 seconds.

    In interactive mode, the server will be left on after the specified devices are securely erased. You can power off the node from the diagnostic shell.

    The web console will no longer be accessible if ILOM is reset. You can power off the server from the serial console or with the power button.

Related Topics

Parent topic: Securely Erasing Oracle Exadata