Accessing Bare Metal Machines with Viewpoint

This document explains how to configure Viewpoint to allow the creation and handling of bare metal machines. This allows Viewpoint users the ability to ask for whole nodes, instead of just resources existing anywhere.

Determining if a Reservation is Bare Metal

Viewpoint examines all reservations and their variables. Certain variables indicate if a machine is bare metal. For example, a bare metal reservation might have the MACHINE_TYPE variable set to BARE_METAL.

To configure Viewpoint to look for this variable, add the following configuration in the vpcs.xml file:

<vpcs>
  ...
  <properties>
    ...
    <bare-metal-variable>
      <name>RSV_TYPE</name>
      <value>BARE_METAL</value>
    </bare-metal-variable>
  </properties>
</vpcs>

The value for <name> is the name of the variable to search for and <value> is what signifies a bare metal machine. Both elements are required.

The <bare-metal-variable> element is a child of the <properties> element.

Configuring the mshow Request

You must configure the mshow request to enforce the -w resource request to use an entire node. It is up to your site (or our professional services) to verify that a reservation will use an entire node when necessary. Please review Viewpoint's <request> configuration in the vpcs.xml file for specifics on how to enforce these policies. Some options may include the use of the following configuration attributes:

• node-access-policy
• node-features

Next, you must verify the reservations that are bare metal machines have the appropriate variable set. The variable tells Viewpoint that the reservation is a bare metal machine. This is done using the variable attribute as explained in the <request> documentation.

Viewpoint Interaction With Bare Metal

If Viewpoint determines that a reservation represents a bare metal machine, various commands and actions are disabled. For example, it is not possible to modify the processors, memory, or disk of a bare metal machine; therefore, these actions are disabled on the VPC Management page. A user needing to change the desired resources for a bare metal machine must delete the original reservation and request a new reservation with the desired resources.