Unattended Compute Node Installation¶

Note

The unattended compute node installation is supported from Danube Cloud version 3.0.

The compute node installation can be automated by placing an answers.json file into the /private folder on the newly created USB flash drive. The /private/answers.json should contain a flat JSON object with all the configuration values that should be automatically used as answers by the installer. If an answer is missing or invalid, the installer will stop at the question and wait for a valid answer.

Note

Since version 4.3 the installer always saves the /usbkey/answers.json with all install answers (passwords are scrambled) and you can use it to replicate the install.

Example answers.json file¶

{
    "config_console": "vga",
    "skip_instructions": true,
    "simple_headers": true,
    "accept_eula": false,
    "advanced_install": false,
    "datacenter_name": "My datacenter",
    "etherstubs": "",
    "admin_ip": "192.168.12.10",
    "admin_netmask": "255.255.255.0",
    "admin_gateway": "192.168.12.1",
    "admin_vlan_id": "",
    "deploy_opnsense": "false",
    "add_nictags": true,
    "external_add_nictag": true,
    "external_add_ip": false,
    "external_preserve_mac": false,
    "internal_add_nictag": false,
    "storage_add_nictag": false,
    "headnode_default_gateway": "192.168.12.1",
    "dns_resolver1": "<default>",
    "dns_resolver2": "<default>",
    "dns_search": "<default>",
    "ntp_host": "<default>",
    "skip_ntp_check": false,
    "install_to_hdd": false,
    "disk_layout": "<default>",
    "root_password": "Passw0rd",
    "hostname": "<default>",
    "remote_node": false,
    "mgmt_admin_ip": "192.168.12.101",
    "cfgdb_admin_ip": "192.168.12.105",
    "esdc_install_password": "nbusr123",
    "admin_email": "root@example.com",
    "skip_final_confirm": true,
    "auto_reboot": "false"
}

Another example answers.json file with OPNSense VM¶

{
  "skip_instructions": "true",
  "simple_headers": "true",
  "config_console": "vga",
  "accept_eula": "true",
  "advanced_install": "1",
  "datacenter_name": "MyDC",
  "admin_nic": "00:0c:29:73:af:1b",
  "admin_ip": "10.11.11.11",
  "admin_netmask": "255.255.255.0",
  "admin_vlan_id": "11",
  "add_nictags": "1",
  "external_add_nictag": "true",
  "external_nic": "00:0c:29:73:af:1b",
  "external_add_ip": "true",
  "external_ip": "10.100.10.167",
  "external_netmask": "255.255.255.0",
  "external_vlan_id": "",
  "external_preserve_mac": "false",
  "internal_add_nictag": "true",
  "internal_nic": "00:0c:29:73:af:1b",
  "internal_add_ip": "false",
  "storage_add_nictag": "false",
  "deploy_opnsense": "1",
  "opnsense_admin_ip": "10.11.11.1",
  "opnsense_external_ip": "dhcp",
  "opnsense_external_mac": "auto",
  "headnode_default_network": "external",
  "dns_resolver1": "8.8.8.8",
  "dns_resolver2": "8.8.4.4",
  "dns_search": "local",
  "ntp_host": "0.smartos.pool.ntp.org",
  "install_to_hdd": "true",
  "disk_layout": "single",
  "root_password": "Passw0rd",
  "hostname": "n01.local",
  "mgmt_admin_ip": "10.11.11.111",
  "esdc_install_password": "Passw0rd",
  "admin_email": "root@example.com",
  "skip_final_summary": "true",
  "skip_final_confirm": "true",
  "auto_reboot": "false"
}

answers.json options¶
Installer option	Note
config_console	The boot console selected in the boot loader menu (`vga`, `ttya`, `ttyb`, `ttyc`).
skip_instructions	default: `false`
simple_headers	default: `false`
accept_eula	default: `false`
advanced_install	default: `false`; If `false`, some options in the answers.json file may be ignored.
datacenter_name
etherstubs	default: `(empty)`; Comma-separated list of etherstub names.
admin_nic
admin_ip
admin_netmask	default: `255.255.255.0`
admin_vlan_id	default: `0`
add_nictags	default: `false`; Must be `true` if other NIC tags should be configured.
<nictag>_add_nictag	default: `false`; Valid values for `<nictag>` are: `external`, `internal`, `storage`.
<nictag>_nic	Requires `<nictag>_add_nictag` to be `true`.
<nictag>_add_ip	default: `false`; Requires `<nictag>_add_nictag` to be `true`.
<nictag>_ip	Requires `<nictag>_add_nictag` to be `true`.
<nictag>_netmask	default: `255.255.255.0`; Requires `<nictag>_add_nictag` to be `true`.
<nictag>_vlan_id	default: `0`; Requires `<nictag>_add_nictag` to be `true`.
<nictag>_preserve_mac	default: `false`; Requires `<nictag>_add_nictag` to be `true`.
deploy_opnsense	default: no
opnsense_external_ip	`dhcp` or IP address
opnsense_external_mac	`auto` or MAC address or `node` (take node’s MAC from external NIC)
headnode_default_network	`admin` or `external`, related to OPNSense VM
headnode_default_gateway	default: first IP address in the admin subnet
admin_gateway	default: first IP address in the admin subnet
dns_resolver1	default: `8.8.8.8`
dns_resolver2	default: `8.8.4.4`
dns_search	default: `local`
ntp_host	default: `0.smartos.pool.ntp.org`
skip_ntp_check	default: `false`
install_to_hdd	default: `false`
disk_layout	The `default` value will automatically confirm the suggested disk layout. Possible values are: `default`, `single`, `mirror`, `raidz1`, `raidz2`, `raidz3`, `manual`.
root_password
hostname	default: `node02.<dns_search>` or `node01.<dns_search>` for the first compute node
mgmt_admin_ip	default: `admin_ip + 1`; Used only for the first compute node.
cfgdb_admin_ip	Used for any other than the first compute node.
esdc_install_password
remote_node	default: `true` if `cfgdb_admin_ip` is outside the admin subnet; otherwise `false`
admin_email
skip_final_summary	default: `false`
skip_final_confirm	default: `false`
auto_reboot	default: `false` (wait for USB stick removal confirm)