User case:

As a xCAT user, I can setup xCAT testing/production cluster rapidly with ansible, I can testing things in a testing environment, then rapidly setup production cluster.

The summary of the user case:

As a xCAT user, I have ansible node host1, xCAT automation playbook and xcat-inventory data in github. I want to use ansible to setup host2 as xCAT MN cluster rapidly. (host1 and host2 can be the same host) The steps:

Make sure ssh password-less between host1 and host2.
git checkout xCAT ansible playbook xcat-automation on host1, run ansible-playbook command using main playbook under xcat-automation diretory to setup and configure xCAT cluster on host2. After the command is finished, xCAT cluster is ready on host2.

Playbook workflow to setup a xCAT cluster:

download xCAT from xcat.org, and install xCAT on target MN ------(Done, need to formalize the structure)
configure xCAT MN using xcat-inventory templates ------(#task55)
- configure site object
- configure passwd object
- configure networks object
- configure route object
- configure policy object
- import node object
- import osimage object (pending)
switch Database (Mysql or Postgresql) ------(Not Done)
OS image management ------(partially Done, osimage template is not ready in xcat-inventory )
xCAT nodes management ------(Not Done)
- node.list
- node.delete
- node.update
xCAT network service management ------(Not Done)
- DNS
- DHCP
invoke OS provision ------(Not Done)
- rinstall/nodeset/rsetboot/rpower to invoke OS provision

The structure of the playbooks design

The playbook is named xcat-automation, its structure is at the end of this part. Here is the explanation of the structure.

xcat-automation is the playbooks top directory name. It contains fast_cluster.yaml and 3 directories (templates, cluster.example and ansible).
fast_cluster.yaml is basic cluster configuration file
templates stores xcat-inventory templates file
cluster.example stores configuration example files for advanced scenarios, for example, configuration files for using mellanox_cuda osimage cluster.
ansible directory contains ansible playbooks.
- the common directory contains non-xcat function playbook.
- the xcat directory contains xcat function playbook.
  - install.xcat is to install xCAT using go-xcat.
  - configure.xcat is to configure xCAT MN using xcat-inventory templates
  - nodes is to manage node object
  - osimage is to manage osimage object
  - database is to switch db ( mysql, postgresql)
  - provision is to use rinstall or nodeset,rsetboot,rpower to invoke OS provision

xcat-automation
├── fast_cluster.yaml
│
├── cluster.exmaple
│   ├── hierarchy_cluster.yaml
│   ├── mellanox_cuda.yaml
│   └── ... ...
│ 
├── templates
│   └── xcat_inventory_template.yaml
│ 
└── ansible
    └──roles
         ├── common   
         └── xcat
             ├── install.xcat
             │ 
             ├── configure.xcat 
             │   └── tasks
             │        ├── main.yaml
             │        ├── networks.yaml
             │        ├── passwd.yaml
             │        ├── site.yaml
             │        ├── node.yaml
             │        └── ... ...
             │    
             ├── network.service
             │   ├── DHCP
             │   └── DNS
             ├── nodes
             │   ├── node.list
             │   ├── node.update       
             │   └── node.delete
             ├── osimage
             │ 
             ├── database
             │       ├── mysql
             │       └── postgresql
             └── provision

News

Apr 22, 2016: xCAT 2.11.1 released.
Mar 11, 2016: xCAT 2.9.3 (AIX only) released.
Dec 11, 2015: xCAT 2.11 released.
Nov 11, 2015: xCAT 2.9.2 (AIX only) released.
Jul 30, 2015: xCAT 2.10 released.
Jul 30, 2015: xCAT migrates from sourceforge to github
Jun 26, 2015: xCAT 2.7.9 released.
Mar 20, 2015: xCAT 2.9.1 released.
Dec 12, 2014: xCAT 2.9 released.
Sep 5, 2014: xCAT 2.8.5 released.
May 23, 2014: xCAT 2.8.4 released.
Jan 24, 2014: xCAT 2.7.8 released.
Nov 15, 2013: xCAT 2.8.3 released.
Jun 26, 2013: xCAT 2.8.2 released.
May 17, 2013: xCAT 2.7.7 released.
May 10, 2013: xCAT 2.8.1 released.
Feb 28, 2013: xCAT 2.8 released.
Nov 30, 2012: xCAT 2.7.6 released.
Oct 29, 2012: xCAT 2.7.5 released.
Aug 27, 2012: xCAT 2.7.4 released.
Jun 22, 2012: xCAT 2.7.3 released.
May 25, 2012: xCAT 2.7.2 released.
Apr 20, 2012: xCAT 2.7.1 released.
Mar 19, 2012: xCAT 2.7 released.
Mar 15, 2012: xCAT 2.6.11 released.
Jan 23, 2012: xCAT 2.6.10 released.
Nov 15, 2011: xCAT 2.6.9 released.
Sep 30, 2011: xCAT 2.6.8 released.
Aug 26, 2011: xCAT 2.6.6 released.
May 20, 2011: xCAT 2.6 released.
Feb 14, 2011: Watson plays on Jeopardy and is managed by xCAT!
xCAT Release Notes Summary
xCAT OS And Hw Support Matrix
xCAT Test Environment Summary

History

Oct 22, 2010: xCAT 2.5 released.
Apr 30, 2010: xCAT 2.4 is released.
Oct 31, 2009: xCAT 2.3 released.
xCAT's 10 year anniversary!
Apr 16, 2009: xCAT 2.2 released.
Oct 31, 2008: xCAT 2.1 released.
Sep 12, 2008: Support for xCAT 2
can now be purchased!
June 9, 2008: xCAT breaths life into
(at the time) the fastest
supercomputer on the planet
May 30, 2008: xCAT 2.0 for Linux
officially released!
Oct 31, 2007: IBM open sources
xCAT 2.0 to allow collaboration
among all of the xCAT users.
Oct 31, 1999: xCAT 1.0 is born!
xCAT started out as a project in
IBM developed by Egan Ford. It
was quickly adopted by customers
and IBM manufacturing sites to
rapidly deploy clusters.