5 Installation on IBM Z #

Different installation methods have different memory requirements during installation. After installation is completed, the system administrator may reduce memory to the desired size. SUSE recommends using:

Note: Memory Requirements with Remote Installation Sources

For installation from NFS, FTP, or SMB installation sources or whenever VNC is used, 512MB of memory is required as a minimum. Otherwise, the installation attempt is likely to fail. Further note that the number of devices visible to the z/VM guest or LPAR image affects memory requirements. Installation with literally hundreds of accessible devices (even if unused for the installation) may require more memory.

The disk requirements depend largely on the installation. Commonly, you need more space than the installation software itself needs to have a system that works properly. Minimal requirements for different selections are:

A network connection is needed to communicate with your SUSE Linux Enterprise Server system. This can be one or more of the following connections or network cards:

The following interfaces are still included, but no longer supported:

For installations under KVM make sure the following requirements are met to enable the VM Guest to access the network transparently:

SUSE Linux Enterprise Server runs on the following platforms:

5.2.1.1.1 Memory requirements #

 

Different installation methods have different memory requirements during installation. After installation is completed, the system administrator may reduce memory to the desired size. At least 1 GB of memory is recommended for the text-mode installation under z/VM, LPAR, and KVM. Installation in the graphical mode requires at least 1.5 GB of memory.

Note: Memory requirements with remote installation sources

A minimum of 512 MB of memory is required for installation from NFS, FTP, and SMB installation sources, or when VNC is used. Keep in mind that the number of devices visible to the z/VM guest or LPAR image affects memory requirements. Installation with many accessible devices (even if unused for the installation) may require more memory.

Documentation about restrictions and requirements for this release of SUSE Linux Enterprise Server can be found on IBM developerWorks at https://developer.ibm.com/. It is recommended always to use the highest service level available. Contact your IBM support for minimum requirements.

When installing SUSE Linux Enterprise Server via non-Linux–based NFS or FTP, you might experience problems with NFS or FTP server software. The Windows* standard FTP server can cause errors, so installing via SMB on these machines is generally recommended.

To connect to the SUSE Linux Enterprise Server installation system, one of the following methods is required (SSH or VNC are recommended):

Tip: More information

Before installing SUSE Linux Enterprise Server on IBM Z, consult the README file located in the root directory of the first installation medium of SUSE Linux Enterprise Server. This file complements this documentation.

If you install SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for IBM Z into a logical partition (LPAR), assign memory and processors to the instance. Installing into LPAR is recommended for highly loaded production machines. Running in LPAR also makes higher security standards available. Networking between LPARs is possible over external interfaces or HiperSockets. In case you plan to use your installation for virtualization with KVM, installing into LPAR is highly recommended.

Running SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for IBM Z in z/VM means that SUSE Linux Enterprise Server is a guest system within z/VM. An advantage of this mode is that you have full control over SUSE Linux Enterprise Server from z/VM. This is very helpful for kernel development or kernel-based debugging. It is also very easy to add or remove hardware to and from Linux guests. Creating additional SUSE Linux Enterprise Server guests is simple and you can run hundreds of Linux instances simultaneously.

Being able to install SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for IBM Z as a KVM guest requires a KVM host server instance installed into LPAR. For details on the guest installation, refer to Procedure 5.3, “Overview of a KVM Guest Installation”.

To IPL from a VM reader, transfer the necessary files into the reader first. For convenience of administration, it is recommended to create a user linuxmnt that owns a minidisk with the files and scripts needed for IPL. This minidisk is then accessed read-only by the Linux guests. For details, see Section 5.3.4.2.1, “IPL from the z/VM Reader”.

For IPLing into an LPAR, it is possible to either load the kernel image directly from the SE's or the HMC's CD/DVD-ROM device or from any remote system accessible through FTP. This function can be performed from the HMC. The installation process requires a file with a mapping of the location of the installation data in the file system and the memory locations where the data is to be copied.

For SUSE Linux Enterprise Server, there are two such files. Both are located in the root directory of the file system of DVD 1:

In the left navigation pane of the HMC expand Systems Management › Systems and select the mainframe system you want to work with. Choose the LPAR where you want to boot SUSE Linux Enterprise Server from the table of LPARs and select Load from Removable Media or Server.

Now either choose Hardware Management Console CD-ROM/DVD or FTP Source. If having chosen the latter option, provide the servers address or name and your credentials. If the appropriate .ins file is not located in the root directory of the server, provide the path to this file. Continue to the Select the software to load menu and select the appropriate .ins entry. Start the installation with OK.

To IPL from an SCSI DVD, you need access to an FCP adapter connected to a DVD drive. You need the values for WWPN and LUN from the SCSI drive. For details, see Section 5.3.4.1.2, “IPL from FCP-Attached SCSI DVD”.

IPLing from the Network with zPXE requires a Cobbler server providing the kernel, RAM disk and a parmfile. It is initiated by running the ZPXE EXEC script. See Section 5.3.1.3, “Using a Cobbler Server for zPXE” for details. zPXE is only available on z/VM.

If you have a Linux workstation running in your computer environment, use the workstation to provide the installation data to the IBM Z installation process by NFS or FTP. If the Linux workstation runs under SUSE Linux Enterprise Server, you can set up an installation server (NFS or FTP) using the YaST Installation Server module as described in Section 16.1, “Setting Up an Installation Server Using YaST”.

5.3.1.1.1 Over NFS #

 

Use NFS (network file system) to make the installation media available.

Important: Exporting Mounted Devices with NFS

Exporting the file system root (/) does not imply the export of mounted devices, such as DVD. Explicitly name the mount point in /etc/exports:

/media/dvd  *(ro)

After changing this file, restart the NFS server with the command sudo systemctl restart nfsserver.

If there is a Microsoft Windows workstation available in your network, use this computer to make the installation media available. The easiest way to do this is to use the SMB protocol, already included in the Windows operating system. Be sure to activate SMB over TCP/IP as this enables the encapsulation of SMB packages into TCP/IP packages. Find details in the Windows online help or other Windows-related documentation that covers networking. Another option is to use FTP. This also requires some third-party software for Windows.

smb://DOMAIN;USER:PW@SERVERNAME/SHAREPATH

IPLing from the network requires a Cobbler server, to provide the kernel, initrd, and the installation data. Preparing the Cobbler server requires four steps:

> sudo cobbler import --path=PATH1 --name=IDENTIFIER2 --arch=s390x

> sudo cobbler distro add --arch=s390 --breed=suse --name="IDENTIFIER"1 \
  --os-version=sles152 \
  --initrd=/srv/www/cobbler/ks_mirror/IDENTIFIER/boot/s390x/initrd3 \
  --kernel=/srv/www/cobbler/ks_mirror/IDENTIFIER/boot/s390x/linux4 \
  --kopts="install=http://cobbler.example.com/cobbler/ks_mirror/IDENTIFIER"5

> sudo cobbler distro edit \
--name=IDENTIFIER1 --os-version=sles102 --ksmeta=""3
--kopts="install=http://cobbler.example.com/cobbler/ks_mirror/IDENTIFIER"4

> sudo cobbler system add --name=linux01 --hostname=linux01.example.com \
--profile=IDENTIFIER --interface=qdio \
--ip-address=192.168.2.103 --subnet=192.168.2.255 --netmask=255.255.255.0 \
--name-servers=192.168.1.116 --name-servers-search=example.com \
--gateway=192.168.2.1 --kopts="KERNEL_OPTIONS"

--kopts=" \
AutoYaST=http://192.168.0.5/autoinst.xml \
Hostname=linux01.example.com \
Domain=example.com \
HostIP=192.168.2.103 \
Gateway=192.168.2.1 \
Nameserver=192.168.1.116 \
Searchdns=example.com \
InstNetDev=osa; \
Netmask=255.255.255.0 \
Broadcast=192.168.2.255 \
OsaInterface=qdio \
Layer2=0 \
PortNo=0 \
ReadChannel=0.0.0700 \
WriteChannel=0.0.0701 \
DataChannel=0.0.0702 \
DASD=600"

To install SUSE Linux Enterprise Server on IBM Z servers, usually a network installation source is needed. However, in certain environments, it could occur that this requirement cannot be fulfilled. With SUSE Linux Enterprise Server, you can use the existing DVD or the flash disk of the Hardware Management Console (HMC) as an installation source for installation on an LPAR.

To install from the media in the DVD or the flash disk of the HMC, proceed as follows:

Important: Configure Network

Do not forget to configure the network in linuxrc before starting the installation. There is no way to pass on boot parameters later in time, and it is very likely that you will need network access. In linuxrc, go to Start Installation, then choose Network Setup.

Important: Linux System Must Boot First

Before granting access to the media in the DVD or the flash disk of the HMC, wait until the Linux system is booting. IPLing can disrupt the connection between the HMC and the LPAR. If the first attempt to use the described method fails, you can grant the access and retry the option HMC.

Note: Installation Repository

Because of the transitory nature of the assignment, the DVD or the flash disk files will not be kept as a repository for installation. If you need an installation repository, register and use the online repository.

Configure your IBM Z system to start in ESA/S390 or Linux-only mode with an appropriate activation profile and IOCDS. Consult IBM documentation for more on how to achieve this. Proceed with Section 5.3.4.1, “IPLing an LPAR Installation”.

The first step is to attach and format one or multiple DASDs in the system to be used by the Linux guest in z/VM. Next, create a new user in z/VM. The example shows the directory for a user LINUX1 with the password LINPWD, 1 GB of memory (extendable up to 2 GB), 32 MB of expanded RAM (XSTORE), several minidisks (MDISK), two CPUs, and an OSA QDIO device.

Tip: Assigning Memory to z/VM guests

When assigning memory to a z/VM guest, make sure that the memory size suits the needs of your preferred installation type. See Section 5.1.1.1, “Memory Requirements”. To set the memory size to 1 GB, use the command CP DEFINE STORAGE 1G. After the installation has finished, reset the memory size to the desired value.

USER LINUX1 LINPWD 1024M 2048M G
*____________________________________________
* LINUX1
*____________________________________________
* This VM Linux guest has two CPUs defined.

CPU 01 CPUID 111111
CPU 02 CPUID 111222
IPL CMS PARM AUTOCR
IUCV ANY
IUCV ALLOW
MACH ESA 10
OPTION MAINTCCW RMCHINFO
SHARE RELATIVE 2000
CONSOLE 01C0 3270 A
SPOOL 000C 2540 READER *
SPOOL 000D 2540 PUNCH A
SPOOL 000E 3203 A
* OSA QDIO DEVICE DEFINITIONS
DEDICATE 9A0 9A0
DEDICATE 9A1 9A1
DEDICATE 9A2 9A2
*
LINK MAINT 0190 0190 RR
LINK MAINT 019E 019E RR
LINK MAINT 019D 019D RR
* MINIDISK DEFINITIONS
MDISK 201 3390 0001 0050 DASD40 MR ONE4ME TWO4ME THR4ME
MDISK 150 3390 0052 0200 DASD40 MR ONE4ME TWO4ME THR4ME
MDISK 151 3390 0253 2800 DASD40 MR ONE4ME TWO4ME THR4ME

This example uses minidisk 201 as the guest's home disk. Minidisk 150 with 200 cylinders is the Linux swap device. Disk 151 with 2800 cylinders holds the Linux installation.

Now add (as the user MAINT) the guest to the user directory with DIRM FOR LINUX1 ADD. Enter the name of the guest (LINUX1) and press F5. Set up the environment of the user with:

DIRM DIRECT
DIRM USER WITHPASS

The last command returns a reader file number. This number is needed for the next command:

RECEIVE <number> USER DIRECT A (REPL)

You can now log in on the guest as user LINUX1.

If you do not have the dirmaint option available, refer to the IBM documentation to set up this user.

Proceed with Section 5.3.4.2, “IPLing a z/VM Installation”.

A KVM guest installation requires a domain XML file defining the virtual machine and at least one virtual disk image for the installation.

<domain type="kvm">
 <name>s15-1</name>
 <description>Guest-System SUSE SLES15</description>
 <memory>1048576</memory>
 <vcpu>1</vcpu>
 <os>
  <type arch="s390x" machine="s390-ccw-virtio">hvm</type>
  <!-- Boot kernel - remove 3 lines after successfull installation -->
  <kernel>/var/lib/libvirt/images/s15-kernel.boot</kernel>
  <initrd>/var/lib/libvirt/images/s15-initrd.boot</initrd>
  <cmdline>linuxrcstderr=/dev/console</cmdline>
 </os>
 <iothreads>1</iothreads>
 <on_poweroff>destroy</on_poweroff>
 <on_reboot>restart</on_reboot>
 <on_crash>preserve</on_crash>
 <devices>
  <emulator>/usr/bin/qemu-system-s390x</emulator>
  <disk type="file" device="disk">
   <driver name="qemu" type="qcow2" cache="none" iothread="1" io="native"/>
   <source file="/var/lib/libvirt/images/s15lin_qcow2.img"/>
   <target dev="vda" bus="virtio"/>
  </disk>
  <interface type="direct">
   <source dev="bond0" mode="bridge"/>
   <model type="virtio"/>
  </interface>
  <console type="pty">
   <target type="sclp"/>
  </console>
 </devices>
</domain>

There are different ways to IPL SUSE Linux Enterprise Server into an LPAR. The preferred way is to use the Load from CD-ROM or server feature of the SE or HMC.

This section is about IPLing the installation system to install SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for IBM Z on a z/VM system.

FTP 192.168.0.3
VM TCP/IP FTP Level 530
Connecting to 192.168.0.3, port 21
220 ftpserver FTP server (Version wu-2.4.2-academ[BETA-18](1)
Thu Feb 11 16:09:02 GMT 2010) ready.
USER
lininst
331 Password required for lininst
PASS
******
230 User lininst logged in.
Command:
binary
200 Type set to I
Command:
locsite fix 80
Command:
get /media/dvd1/boot/s390x/linux sles.linux
200 PORT Command successful
150 Opening BINARY mode data connection for /media/dvd1/boot/s390x/linux
(10664192 bytes)
226 Transfer complete.
10664192 bytes transferred in 13.91 seconds.
Transfer rate 766.70 Kbytes/sec.
Command:
get /media/dvd1/boot/s390x/initrd sles.initrd
200 PORT Command successful
150 Opening BINARY mode data connection for /media/dvd1/boot/s390x/initrd
(21403276 bytes)
226 Transfer complete.
21403276 bytes transferred in 27.916 seconds.
Transfer rate 766.70 Kbytes/sec.
Command:
ascii
200 Type set to A
Command:
get /media/dvd1/boot/s390x/parmfile sles.parmfile
150 Opening ASCII mode data connection for /media/dvd1/boot/s390x/parmfile
(5 bytes)
226 Transfer complete.
5 bytes transferred in 0.092 seconds.
Transfer rate 0.05 Kbytes/sec.
Command:
get /media/dvd1/boot/s390x/sles.exec sles.exec
150 Opening ASCII mode data connection for /media/dvd1/boot/s390x/sles.exec
(891 bytes)
226 Transfer complete.
891 bytes transferred in 0.097 seconds.
Transfer rate 0.89 Kbytes/sec.
Command:
quit

/* REXX LOAD EXEC FOR SUSE LINUX S/390 VM GUESTS       */
/* LOADS SUSE LINUX S/390 FILES INTO READER            */
SAY ''
SAY 'LOADING SLES FILES INTO READER...'
'CP CLOSE RDR'
'PURGE RDR ALL'
'SPOOL PUNCH * RDR'
'PUNCH SLES LINUX A (NOH'
'PUNCH SLES PARMFILE A (NOH'
'PUNCH SLES INITRD A (NOH'
'IPL 00C'

SET LOADDEV PORTNAME 200400E8 00D74E00 LUN 00020000 00000000 BOOT 2

IPL FC00

HOST cobbler.example.com
IPLDISK 600

> sudo cobbler system edit --name ID1 --netboot-enabled 12 --profile PROFILENAME3

To start the guest installation, you first need to start the VM Guest defined in Section 5.3.3.3.1, “Create a Virtual Disk Image”. A prerequisite for this is to first make the kernel and initrd required for IPLing available.

> virsh  create s15-1.xml --console

Domain s15-1 started
Connected to domain s15-1
Escape character is ^]
Initializing cgroup subsys cpuset
Initializing cgroup subsys cpu
Initializing
cgroup subsys cpuacct
.
.
Please make sure your installation medium is available.
Retry?
0) <-- Back <--
1) Yes
2) No

Select a Hipersocket device from the list of network devices. Then enter the numbers for the read, write and data channels:

Choose the network device.

 1) IBM parallel CTC Adapter (0.0.0600)
 2) IBM parallel CTC Adapter (0.0.0601)
 3) IBM parallel CTC Adapter (0.0.0602)
 4) IBM Hipersocket (0.0.0800)
 5) IBM Hipersocket (0.0.0801)
 6) IBM Hipersocket (0.0.0802)
 7) IBM OSA Express Network card (0.0.0700)
 8) IBM OSA Express Network card (0.0.0701)
 9) IBM OSA Express Network card (0.0.0702)
10) IBM OSA Express Network card (0.0.f400)
11) IBM OSA Express Network card (0.0.f401)
12) IBM OSA Express Network card (0.0.f402)
13) IBM IUCV

> 4

Device address for read channel. (Enter '+++' to abort).
[0.0.0800]> 0.0.0800

Device address for write channel. (Enter '+++' to abort).
[0.0.0801]> 0.0.0801

Device address for data channel. (Enter '+++' to abort).
[0.0.0802]> 0.0.0802

Select an OSA Express device from the list of network devices and provide a port number. Then enter the numbers for the read, write and data channels and the port name, if applicable. Choose whether to enable OSI Layer 2 support.

The port number was added to support the new 2 port OSA Express 3 Network devices. If you are not using an OSA Express 3 device, enter 0. OSA Express cards also have the option of running in an “OSI layer 2 support” mode or using the older more common “layer 3” mode. The card mode affects all systems that share the device including systems on other LPARs. If in doubt, specify 2 for compatibility with the default mode used by other operating systems such as z/VM and z/OS. Consult with your hardware administrator for further information on these options.

Choose the network device.

 1) IBM parallel CTC Adapter (0.0.0600)
 2) IBM parallel CTC Adapter (0.0.0601)
 3) IBM parallel CTC Adapter (0.0.0602)
 4) IBM Hipersocket (0.0.0800)
 5) IBM Hipersocket (0.0.0801)
 6) IBM Hipersocket (0.0.0802)
 7) IBM OSA Express Network card (0.0.0700)
 8) IBM OSA Express Network card (0.0.0701)
 9) IBM OSA Express Network card (0.0.0702)
10) IBM OSA Express Network card (0.0.f400)
11) IBM OSA Express Network card (0.0.f401)
12) IBM OSA Express Network card (0.0.f402)
13) IBM IUCV

> 7

Enter the relative port number. (Enter '+++' to abort).
> 0

Device address for read channel. (Enter '+++' to abort).
[0.0.0700]> 0.0.0700

Device address for write channel. (Enter '+++' to abort).
[0.0.0701]> 0.0.0701

Device address for data channel. (Enter '+++' to abort).
[0.0.0702]> 0.0.0702

Enable OSI Layer 2 support?

0) <-- Back <--
1) Yes
2) No

> 1

MAC address. (Enter '+++' to abort).
> +++

When all network device parameters have been entered, the respective driver is installed and you see the corresponding kernel messages.

Next, decide whether to use DHCP automatic configuration for setting up the network interface parameters. Because DHCP only works on a few devices and requires special hardware configuration settings, you probably want to say NO here. When you do so, you are prompted for the following networking parameters:

Automatic configuration via DHCP?

0) <-- Back <--
1) Yes
2) No

> 2

Enter your IP address with network prefix.

You can enter more than one, separated by space, if necessary.
Leave empty for autoconfig.

Examples: 192.168.5.77/24 2001:db8:75:fff::3/64. (Enter '+++' to abort).
> 192.168.0.20/24

Enter your name server IP address.

You can enter more than one, separated by space, if necessary.
Leave empty if you don't need one.

Examples: 192.168.5.77 2001:db8:75:fff::3. (Enter '+++' to abort).
> 192.168.0.1

Enter your search domains, separated by a space:. (Enter '+++' to abort).
> example.com

Enter the IP address of your name server. Leave empty if you do not need one. (En
ter '+++' to abort).
> 192.168.0.1

Finally, you are prompted for details on the installation server, such as the IP address, the directory containing the installation data, and login credentials. Once all required data is entered, the installation system loads.

To remotely control an installation via VNC, follow these steps:

Important: X Authentication Mechanism

The direct installation with the X Window System relies on a primitive authentication mechanism based on host names. This mechanism is disabled on current SUSE Linux Enterprise Server versions. Installation with SSH or VNC is preferred.

To remotely control an installation via X forwarding, follow these steps:

To connect to an installation system with the name earth using SSH, execute ssh -X earth. If your workstation runs on Microsoft Windows, use the SSH and telnet client and terminal emulator Putty which is available from http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/putty/. Set Enable X11 forwarding in Putty under Connection › SSH › X11. If you use another operating system, execute ssh -X earth to connect to an installation system with the name earth. X-Forwarding over SSH is supported if you have a local X server available. Otherwise, YaST provides a text interface over ncurses.

A login prompt appears. Enter root and log in with your password. Enter yast.ssh to start YaST. YaST then guides you through the installation.

Important: Fixing YaST over SSH Issue

In certain situations, running the GUI version of YaST over SSH with X forwarding may fail with the following error message:

XIO: fatal IO error 11 (Resource temporarily unavailable) on X server "localhost:11.0"

In this case you have two options.

• Run YaST with the QT_XCB_GL_INTEGRATION=none option, for example:

  QT_XCB_GL_INTEGRATION=none yast.ssh
  QT_XCB_GL_INTEGRATION=none yast2 disk

• Run the ncurses version of YaST application by disabling X forwarding or by specifying ncurses as the desired UI. To do the latter, use the yast2 disk --ncurses or YUI_PREFERED_BACKEND=ncurses yast2 disk command.

Proceed with the detailed description of the installation procedure that can be found in Chapter 8, Installation Steps.