AIMS: Automated Installation Management Service

AIMS provides Linux network PXE/UEFI boot service for both interactive and automated (kickstart) installation of supported Linux versions at CERN.

Interactive installations

Make sure that your system Operating System in CERN Network Database is set to LINUX.

(NOT 'Linux CC7', 'Windows and Linux' or similar..)

If not: set it to LINUX then wait 15-20 minutes for change propagation accross different CERN infrastructure data providers.

Boot your system from network (usually activated on most systems by pressing F12 after system reset).

Initial AIMS menu should appear on screen:

Press ENTER within 5 seconds in order to continue network boot process, main AIMS menu screen will display:

Navigate the menu with cursor keys then select desired option by pressing ENTER.

Boot media will be downloaded from the server
and system installation will start in same way as if your system would have been booted from local USB/CD media.

Automated installations

Kickstart

Automated installation uses kickstart installation method for detailed guide, please see:

AIMS kickstart installation

Software installation

Install aims2 client package by running as root:

# yum install aims2-client

on your system.

Here follows an example command session for performing an unattended kickstart installation using AIMS:

Add your system to AIMS with the kickstart file:

# aims2 addhost hostname --kickstart ~/hostname.ks
Host HOSTNAME registered with aims.

Register for booting with selected boot image

# aims2 pxeon hostname CC7_X86_64
Host HOSTNAME enabled for CC7_X86_64 (bios).

List of available boot images can be obtained by running:

# aims2 showimg \*
Image NAME                    ,Arch   ,UEFI,Description                   
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CC74_X86_64                   ,x86_64 ,Y   ,CERN CENTOS 7.4 X86_64        
CC75_X86_64                   ,x86_64 ,Y   ,CERN CENTOS 7.5 X86_64        
CC7_X86_64                    ,x86_64 ,Y   ,CERN CENTOS 7 X86_64 (LATEST) 
[...]

Check the registration

# aims2 showhost hostname --all
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hostname:           HOSTNAME
Interface HWADDR:   XX-XX-XX-XX-XX-XX
PXE status:         ON
PXE boot options:   none
PXE boot type:      BIOS
PXE boot target:    CC7_X86_64
PXE noexpiry:       N
PXE boot synced:    YYY
PXE boot legacy:    N
PXE legacy synced:  YYY
Registered by:      jpolok
Registered at:      2018/10/04 09:20:55
Enabled at:         2018/10/04 09:24:13
Booted at:          ????/??/?? ??:??:??
Disabled at:        ????/??/?? ??:??:??
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Boot the system

Your system will boot over the network from AIMS server and execute unattended kickstart installation.
NOTE:
The kickstart file must contain following line in post section:

%post
/usr/bin/wget -O /root/aims2-deregistration http://linuxsoft.cern.ch/aims2server/aims2reboot.cgi

in order to tell the server to stop serving installation media and allow the system to reboot from local disk.
Above line will have to be changed in November 2018 after AIMS systems migration to read:

%post
/usr/bin/wget -O /root/aims2-deregistration http://aims.cern.ch/aims/reboot

More information about aims2

Aims2 client command, use:

# man aims2

for more information.

Other documentation:
AIMS2 Project (2008/2010)
PXE Legacy workaround

Linux @ CERN