cnidus/agent-smith

Quick Start install for Cumulus switches to support a Nutanix cluster.

agent-smith

This is a simple project to help streamline the installation and basic config of Cumulus Linux to support a Nutanix cluster.

The project is named after the "agent smith" character from The Matrix films. In the films, Agent Smith becomes a type of virus, replicating and copying himself over the top of other people. This project performs a similar act :)

Why do we need this?

Open Networking switches come from the factory installed with only a bootloader, similar to pxe. This enables the switch to be network booted and the customer chooses a Network Operating System seperately, similar to the way servers are traditionally purchased and installed in large envrionments.

By contrast, traditional network devices come with a NOS pre-installed and sometimes with a basic config. Nutanix nodes also come pre-imaged and ready to be configured.

This project aims to close the install-overhead gap and also customize the initial configuration to suit a Nutanix cluster in factory state. Overall the goal is to improve the out-of-the-box initial setup experience of a Nutanix pod using Cumulus networking.

What it does

The project has 3 primary functions:

• Build a bootable USB drive containing all install & config components
• Install Cumulus Linux on the switch using usb waterfall of the ONIE bootloader.
• Configure the switch(es) with a base config using Zero Touch Provisioning (ZTP)

The ZTP script will look in "/config" for a set variables to use. It uses the switch eth0 mac address to identify the correct file to use (for example "/config/74e6e2f5a280" would be used for switch with mac "74:e6:e2:f5:a2:80". If one is not present, a file is created using the default template "/config/default".

A set of global variables are also defined in "/global_settings.yml". Aceept for the license, this parameters do not generally need to be modified.

The variables are combined with templates defined in "/config/templates/" to generate the switch configuration, which are stored in "/config/result/". The resulting config files are moved to the appropriate folders on the switch filesystem.

After the config files are copied, the config is applied by restarting the appropriate daemons.

Further details on the ONIE process can be found at: http://www.onie.org

Further details on Cumulus ZTP can be found here: https://docs.cumulusnetworks.com/display/DOCS/Zero+Touch+Provisioning+-+ZTP#ZeroTouchProvisioning-ZTP-ZeroTouchProvisioningUsingUSB(ZTP-USB)

QuickStart: Using the tool

• Building the USB

  1. git clone https://github.com/cnidus/qs-usb-ntnx.git
  2. cd agent-smith
  3. Download the latest CumulusLinux install image from "https://cumulusnetworks.com/downloads"
  4. Copy the CL installer from downloads to the root of /agent-smith and rename to "onie-installer", with no extension.
  5. Add the CL license string to "/agent-smith/global_settings.yml", the variable is "license_key: REPLACETHISWITHLICENSE"
  6. run build_usb.sh

• Install/Config of switches.

  1. Insert the USB into 1g mgmt/OOB switch (if present)
  2. Power on the mgmt switch

  The switch will boot into ONIE and install the image from the USB drive. After successful installation the switch will reboot and start Cumulus Linux.

  Most switches will run fans at full speed until a fan-control process spins them down, this happens during CumulusLinux boot, so this is a good indication of successful completion of the install.

  When Cumulus first boots, it will run Zero Touch Provisioing (ZTP). This process looks for a script presented via DHCP options, or on a USB drive, in our case it uses the same USB drive.

  The ZTP script will look in "/config" for a set variables to use. It uses the switch eth0 mac address to identify the correct file to use (for example "/config/74e6e2f5a280" would be used for swithc with mac "74:e6:e2:f5:a2:80". If one is not present, a file is created using the default template "/config/default"