TM-Manifesting API guide

tm-manifesting (available in L4TM as a deb package) is developed on L4TM systems for use in The Machine environment. Support for any other distro, even Debian or HPE Linux, is optional and discretionary.

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MANIFESTING: THE MACHINE CONFIGURATION FILE (/etc/tmconfig)

TMCF (The Machine Configuration File) is the large JSON file that completely describes the topology of an instance of The Machine. Every instance needs its own custom file. Creation of that file is outside the scope of manifesting.

TMCF is needed for most of the setup steps listed below. You also need TMCF to actually run the API server "manifest_api.py". When you get your file you should save it in the default location /etc/tmconfig. Note: the Librarian also uses this file.

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MANIFESTING SETUP: MANIFESTING CONFIGURATION FILE (/etc/tmms)

The sample manifesting configuration file supplied with the repo is "tmms". Yes, it is Python syntax. The default config installed with the package does not provide booting of the node copabilities, BUT, still allowes you to use API full functionality. This is due to unknown networking state of the each individual system (e.g. NIC and TMDOMAIN).

Instructions on configuring your netwrok will be provided bellow.

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MANIFESTING SETUP and Configuration

Prerequisite: L4TM system

Package install

To install manifesting:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install tm-manifesting

As part of the package install process, it will create the following for you to use:

tm-manifest
tm-manifest-server

Note: ManPage also available for each of the tools to read

man tm-manifest
man tm-manifest-server

NOTE: we are not done yet configuring the API. Read next "Configuration: SETUP".

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Configuration: SETUP

Prerequisite: /etc/tmconfig

Obtain a copy of TMCF for your TM instance and put it at /etc/tmconfig

An easy way is through the librarian. Copy these lines to "fame40.ini":

[global]
node_count = 40
book_size_bytes = 8M
nvm_size_per_node = 512B

Then run

book_register.py -j fame40.ini > /tmp/tmconfig
sudo mv /tmp/tmconfig /etc/tmconfig

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Next, we need to configure your system before you can start tm-manifest-server. Though, this can be done with one command that runs through all the setup phases, you can manually run each of them separatly (discussed below):

tm-manifest setup

By default (no arguments), or specifying "all", setup will start the first of several phases of setup, and proceed through all of them. That is the recommended invocation.

You may see some package installation output from apt-get depending on the packages currently on your system.

The configuration file chosen will be display, then a summary of operations performed.

Hopefully all error messages are clear on the nature of any problem(s) and suggestive as to a remedy. Most of them will refer to a problem in the values you store in /etc/tmms. You should be familiar with the keys and values in that file so you recognized them in error messages.

For example, the error message

PXE_INTERFACE: no such interface "net_accessP"

means you need to set PXE_INTERFACE to the NIC which is actually connected to your nodes. No, all permutations of error messages will not be listed. If you get confused, ask for help.

You may skip next three sections if you ran "tm-manifest setup" successfully

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Configuration: SETUP ENVIRONMENT

This is the first phase of "tm-manifest setup all". It may be explicitly invoked via:

sudo tm-manifest setup environment

It creates the overall directory structure needed to support other configuration steps. If this phase is not done first, the other phases will most likely fail.

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Configuration: SETUP NETWORKING

Networking phase configures the DHCP\TFTP server, dnsmasq, firewalls and etc. It can be manually invoked via:

sudo tm-manifest setup networking

Error messages are intended to be suggestive of their own remedy.

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Configuration: SETUP GOLDEN IMAGE_

The finally step of the setup process is generating a golden image. It should happen automatically if you did "setup.py all", or you can invoke only this stage with:

sudo tm-manifest setup golden_image

This will take about twenty minutes, as the tasks involve building a file system under QEMU-static control (for aarch64). Be patient.

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Starting the Server

When all the configurations are finished successully, you should be able to start an API server.

To start is in a foreground mode:

sudo tm-manifest-server

To start it as a daemon:

sudo tm-manifest-server -D

To Stop the server:

sudo tm-manifest-server --daemon-stop

For more options to control the daemon:

sudo tm-manifest-server --help

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Configuring manifesting to boot nodes in a FAME environment

To get this working, read this documentation