Installation manual

Dynamic Kernel Support Prerequisites

For managed system software to use DKS, make sure the following dependencies are met before starting Server

Administrator.

• The running kernel must have loadable module support enabled.

• The source for building kernel modules for the running kernel is available from /lib/modules/`uname –r`/build. On

systems running SUSE Linux Enterprise Server, the kernel-source RPM provides the necessary kernel source.

On systems running Red Hat Enterprise Linux, the kernel-devel RPMs provide the necessary kernel source for

building kernel modules.

• The GNU make utility is installed. The make RPM provides this utility.

• The GNU C compiler (gcc) is installed. The gcc RPM provides this compiler.

• The GNU linker (ld) is installed. The binutils RPM provides this linker.

When these prerequisites have been met, DKS automatically builds a device driver when needed during Server

Administrator startup.

Using Dynamic Kernel Support After Server Administrator Installation

To enable Server Administrator to support a kernel that is not supported by a precompiled device driver and is loaded

after Server Administrator has been installed, ensure that the DKS prerequisites are met on the managed system and

boot the new kernel on the system.

Server Administrator builds a device driver for the kernel running on the system the first time Server Administrator starts

after the kernel is loaded. By default, Server Administrator starts during system startup.

Copying a Dynamically Built Device Driver to Systems Running the Same Kernel

When the Server Administrator dynamically builds a device driver for the running kernel, it installs the device driver in

the /lib/modules/<kernel>/kernel/drivers/firmware directory, where<kernel> is the kernel name (returned by typing

uname -r). If you have a system running the same kernel for which a device driver was built, copy the newly built

device driver to the /var/omsa/dks/<kernel> directory on the other system for the Server Administrator. This allows the

Server Administrator to use DKS on multiple systems without having to install the kernel source on every system.

For example, System A is running a kernel that is not supported by one of the Server Administrator precompiled device

drivers. System B is running the same kernel. Perform the following steps to build a device driver on system A and copy

the device driver to system B for use by Server Administrator:

1. Ensure that the DKS prerequisites are met on system A.

2. Start Server Administrator on system A.

Server Administrator builds a device driver for the kernel running on system A during startup.

3. Type uname -r on system A to determine the name of the running kernel.

4. Copy any dcdbas.* or dell_rbu.* files in the /lib/modules/<kernel>/kernel/drivers/firmware directory on system A to

the /var/omsa/dks/<kernel> directory on system B, where <kernel> is the kernel name returned by typing uname -

in step 3.

NOTE: The /lib/modules/<kernel>/kernel/drivers/firmware directory may contain one or more of the following files:

dcdbas.* or dell_rbu.*.

NOTE: Create the /var/omsa/dks/<kernel> directory on system B. For example, if the kernel name is 1.2.3-4smp,

create the directory by typing mkdir‑p/var/omsa/dks/1.2.3‑4smp.

5. Start Server Administrator on system B.

NOTE: When you have uninstalled Server Administrator from system B, the /var/omsa/dks/<kernel>/*. files that you

copied to system B are not removed. Remove the files if they are no longer needed.