HP XC System Software Installation Guide Version 3.0

3 Installing Software on the Head Node
This chapter contains an overview of the installation process and describes installation tasks. These tasks
must be performed in the following order:
• Task 1: Gathering Information Required for the Installation (page 29)
• Task 2: Start the Installation Process (page 30)
• Task 3: Install Additional RPMs (Optional) (page 32)
• Task 4: Install Third-Party Software (Optional) (page 32)
Software Installation Overview
This section provides a summary of the software installation process, a description of the software stack,
information about the Kickstart installation file, and a description of the default file system layout that is
applied to the installation disk.
Kickstart Installation Process
The XC software installation process begins on the head node and is based on the Kickstart automated
installation process. The XC Kickstart process uses a predefined configuration file that contains the answers
to many of the questions required to install the base operating system for an HP XC system.
The single XC DVD software distribution contains a bootable installation image and an embedded Kickstart
file. When you issue the command to initiate a Kickstart installation, the Kickstart file is found on the DVD,
and it is used to automatically control the base operating system installation after you provide a few required
responses.
After the head node is installed, it eventually also becomes the golden client, which is the node that represents
the configuration from which all other nodes are replicated.
Log Files
A record of the HP XC installation process and the installed XC RPMs is stored in the
/var/log/postinstall.log file. A record of the Anaconda installation (Anaconda is the Linux installation
program) is stored in the /root/install.log file.
HP XC Software Stack
The XC software stack consists of a combination of HP proprietary, third-party, and open source software.
Table 3-1 alphabetically lists the products that are contained in the HP XC software stack. These products
are contained on a single DVD and are installed automatically by the XC software installation process.
Software Installation Overview 27