Installing SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for SAP applications Manually Using Agama

Download SLES-Online-16.0-s390x-Beta4.install.iso and mount it:

> sudo mkdir -p /srv/ftp/agama
> sudo mount -o loop SLES-Online-16.0-s390x-Beta4.install.iso /srv/ftp/agama

(Optional) For installation in an air-gapped environment or without registration, download SLES-16.0-Full-s390x-Beta4.install.iso and mount it.

> sudo mkdir -p /srv/ftp/agama-offline
> sudo mount -o loop SLES-16.0-Full-s390x-Beta4.install.iso /srv/ftp/agama-offline

Use the following parmfile to start the installation:

cio_ignore=all,!condev,!0.0.01601
rd.zdev=dasd,0.0.01602
rd.zdev=qeth,0.0.0800:0.0.0801:0.0.0802,layer2=1,portno=03
ip=192.168.3.1004::192.168.3.254:245::enc800:none
ip=192.168.3.100::192.168.3.254:24:SLE16-Beta2:enc800:none
hostname=jupiter6 nameserver=192.168.1.1167
root=live:ftp://192.168.3.105/agama/LiveOS/squashfs.img8
live.password=linux9

1	Only expose the devices that the machine should be aware of
2	Activation of a DASD device
3	Activation of a qeth device
4	IP configuration. The different parameters are separated by colons (:). You can omit unneeded parameters by leaving them out, meaning you get two or more subsequent colons. For a complete configuration reference, refer to man 7 dracut.cmdline. If no IP configuration is specified, it will be assigned with DHCP and the IP address will displayed on the console after boot. Important: Multiple network interfaces If your system has more than one network interface, IP configurations may be swapped after the installation, leaving the system unreachable. To prevent this from happening, either bind each IP configuration to a particular interface by interface name or MAC address. If you use a MAC address, make sure to format it as 00-11-22-33-44-55 instead of 00:11:22:33:44:55 Tip As the console is hard to read on x3270, configuring the network in the parmfile is recommended.
5	IP address of the gateway for the system
6	Host name of the system. You can also set the host name in the ip parameter, however it is transient whereas hostname gets written to /etc/hostname.
7	IP address of the DNS server for the system
8	URI of the installer ISO mounted in Step 1. For installation in an LPAR, use the ISO file directly as in: root=live:ftp://192.168.3.105/agama/SLES-Online-16.0-s390x-Beta4.install.iso
9	Password for the system administrator root. If you do not set a password, a random password will be generated and displayed on the console after boot. As the console is hard to read on x3270, setting a root password in the parmfile is recommended.

Adjust your parmfile accordingly:

• For installation in an air-gapped environment or without registration, add the agama.install_url to the parmfile to install from SLES-16.0-Full-s390x-Beta4.install.iso mounted in Step 2:

  agama.install_url=ftp://192.168.3.105/agama-offline/install

• If you are using a VLAN, add the vlan parameter. Make sure to specify the virtual device instead of the underlying physical device.

  ip=192.168.3.100::192.168.3.254:24::enc800.2174:none
  hostname=jupiter nameserver=192.168.1.116 vlan=enc800.2174:enc800

Tip: ifcfg vs ip syntax

Earlier versions of SUSE Linux Enterprise used linuxrc using the interface configuration (ifcfg) files, whereas SUSE Linux Enterprise 16 uses dracut with ip syntax for NetworkManager. While Agama supports translating some options, it is recommended to use the new and more powerful syntax.

Table 1: ifcfg vs ip #

 

ifcfg	dracut
ifcfg=*=dhcp	ip=dhcp
ifcfg=eth0=dhcp	ip=eth0:dhcp
ifcfg=eth0.10=192.168.0.100/24,192.168.0.1	vlan=eth0.10:eth0 ip=192.168.0.100::192.168.0.1:24::eth0.10
ifcfg="eth0=192.168.0.33/24 10.0.0.100/24,192.168.0.1,192.168.0.1 10.0.0.1,example.com"	ip=192.168.0.33::192.168.0.1:24::eth0 nameserver=192.168.0.1 nameserver=10.0.0.1 ip=10.0.0.100:::24::eth0

For a complete list of dracut options, refer to man 7 dracut.cmdline.

Note: DASD alias devices

DASD alias devices are special in that they appear not operational until at least one associated DASD base device has been enabled. As a result, the Agama installer cannot determine their actual type (ECKD or FBA DASD).

As a workaround, specify dasd-eckd as device type. This should provide chzdev with enough information to create udev rules for enabling these devices even in the absence of a working device. When the the base device is enabled later and the alias devices become operational, they will be automatically set online.

Open a web browser pointing to the given IP address from the parmfile. Enter the root password and proceed with the installation.

Select SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for SAP applications 16.0 for installation and accept the license to continue.

The overview with the most relevant installation settings is shown. Adjust the settings by selecting the category from the menu on the left or directly proceed with the installation.

Tip: Installer language and keyboard

Click the arrow menu in the top right corner and select Installer options to change the language and keyboard layout used by the installer. The language can only be changed on local installations. If you are using a web browser for a remote installation, configure the preferred content language in the browser settings and reload the installer.

Register your product. Enter a registration code and optionally a valid email address.

Note: Optional registration for images signed with the developer's key

Images signed with the developer's key may allow you to skip registration before installation. If your product's image supports installation without registration, you may see a pop-up similar to the following:

To install without registration, select Trust on the pop-up.

(Optional) Adjust your localization settings such as language, keyboard layout and time zone.

(Optional) Configure your network settings. To edit an existing network connection, click the three dots.

Select a storage device for installation.

Currently installations on single discs or LVM are supported. To change the disk or use LVM, click the device name More devices button in the Installation devices section.

To use DASD, iSCSI or zFCP devices, you need configure them first. Click Other options and select the desired technology. The DASD and zFCP options are only available if the corresponding devices are attached.

To activate a DASD disk, select it from the list and click Perform am action › Activate. Once the disk is activated, you can select it for installation in the previous screen.

To activate a zFCP disk, select it from the list and activate it by clicking on the three-dot menu. If the activation status is not displayed correctly, press F5 to refresh the installer interface.

To detect an iSCSI disk, select the iSCSI initiator and click Discover iSCSI tagets.

By default, the file systems will be allocated as new partitions on the selected device. You can change this behavior in the drop-down list labeled All content will be deleted drop-down list in the Installatin devices section. The following space policies are available:

To edit individual partitions, expand the Partitions and file systems section by clicking on the > Optionally, you can configure Btrfs snapshots, boot options and enable full disk encryption (FDE).

(Optional) Add additional software to install such as the KVM hypervisor or Cockpit system management service.

Note: Trust the GPG key for the Package Hub repository

If you select the Package Hub add-on and see a popup, trust the GPG key for that repository.

Configure the authentication settings.

Important: No SSH root access

SSH access for root is disabled by default. Therefor it is strongly recommended to create a system user. The first system user is granted sudo privileges automatically and can also be used for accessing Cockpit.

1. Create a non-root user. Click Define a user now and enter details such as user name and password.

   

2. Configure the authentication methods for the root. You can use a secure password, a SSH public key, or both.

   

Click Install and confirm to start the installation.

Wait for the system installation to complete. It takes around 30 minutes to complete the installation.

Tip: Installation logs

You can use the arrow menu in the top right corner of the window to view the logs and system messages.

Once the installation is complete, select Reboot.

Log in to the system as root.

To verify that your system is working as expected, run a few basic commands.