Hardware settings

7. Hardware settings#

Warning

IMPORTANT: hw_ and os_ variables are not standard. You should NEVER set them outside hardware or os groups. For example, you cannot set the hw_console parameter for a single node under it’s hostvars. If you really need to do that, add more hardware or os groups. If you do not respect this rule, unexpected behavior will happen during configuration deployment.

Note however that these variables can be used at group_vars/all level.

Once an hardware group has been defined into cluster/ folder, you can create a group’s dedicated folder inside group_vars/ directory. The folder name must match the group name. For example, for group hw_supermicro_X13QEH, directory path will be group_vars/hw_supermicro_X13QEH.

Once this directory has been created you can configure the hardware settings of this group. Create a file named settings.yml inside the group folder, and then see bellow for available parameters.

7.1. Equipment type#

This key is very important, as it will enable or not specific features in some stack’s roles.

Use hw_equipment_type key to set the type of the equipment. For example server or switch, etc.

Please note that server value is the value that triggers PXE, conman, etc for a node. Each server node to be deployed via PXE should be of type server. You can set other types namings according to your wishes (switch, switches, storage_bay_controller, whatever).

For example:

hw_equipment_type: server

7.2. Hardware componants#

You can define the node components using the hw_specs key.

These values will be used by some roles of the stack to generate their configuration.

hw_specs:
  cpu:
    name: Intel 6416H
    cores: 144
    cores_per_socket: 18
    sockets: 4
    threads_per_core: 2
  gpu:
    - NVIDIA A100-SXM4-40GB

Note that gpu key is a list of GPU, while cpu key is a dict that defines specific CPU keys:

  • cores: total number of cores on the system (virtual ones included)

  • cores_per_socket: total number of cores per CPU

  • sockets: total number of sockets on the motherboard

  • threads_per_core: total number of threads per core (HyperThreading)

In normal time: cores = threads_per_core*cores_per_socket*sockets.

If needed, you can define the board CPU architecture using the dedicated hw_architecture key. Possible values are either x86_64 or aarch64.

hw_architecture: aarch64

7.3. Console#

If the hardware group refer to servers, a console can be enabled using hw_console key.

For example:

hw_console: console=tty0 console=ttyS1,115200

Please note that the console can be obtained from your server manufacturer/vendor. If they don’t know it, try ttyS0, then ttyS1, then ttyS2. Its nearly always one of these.

7.4. Hardware authentication#

On most server systems, a BMC or equivalent allows to remotely manage the equipment. However, in order to use it, a specific protocol and credentials are needed.

The hw_board_authentication key allows to define a list of ways to authenticate with the equipments of the group.

Reserved keys are: protocol, user, and password. Other keys can be added if relevant and if an external role to use them is provided.

hw_board_authentication:
  - protocol: IPMI
    user: ADMIN
    password: ADMIN

Note that on some board, both IPMI and RedFish can be activated at the same time, which is the reason why this is a list.

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