Failed to get an IP via DHCP!

[KellyG]

Server

• FOG Version: 1.4.4
• OS: Ubuntu 14.04

Client

• Service Version:
• OS:

Description

When trying to boot a server to register the server and download an image to it, I receive the error above. The server will boot to the FOG menu, but after selecting the full registration, or any menu option outside of boot from the hard drive, the system does not get an IP address.

The FOG Server is on an isolated network so there is no conflicts with DHCP or DNS from our network. DHCP is working because the laptop I use to manage the server will get an IP with no problems. The server I’m trying to register is an HP Proliant DL380p Gen 8. I Thought it might be a setting in the BIOS, but don’t know what I would correct since it is PXE booting. I’ve connected the other NIC to the switch which does not change anything, I’ve reset the BIOS back to factory, no change.

[george1421]

I’m going to bet the nic isn’t supported by FOS (customized linux that gets loaded when you select an iPXE menu item). FOG is targeted at desktop hardware and not servers. That doesn’t mean it won’t work on them, they are just not directly supported.

Could you provide a clear snapshot of the error message you see, taken with a mobile phone? The context of the error will often give us clues to the root of the problem.

[KellyG]

George,
Thank you for getting back to me so soon. I’ve got 2 images for you. This is the initial menu I receive.

I select the Perform Full Host Registration… The system will then try to get an IP and finally give me this image.

I’m not seeing any errors outside of not getting a lease.

[Tom Elliott]

@kellyg So it looks like all nics try to come up, but they’re not able to talk to the switch to receive an IP address.

Do you actually have a DHCP server providing IP’s for this? I know PXE is working, but it appears it can’t find a single nic that has a link that even tries to come up.

[KellyG]

@tom-elliott Hey Tom - DHCP is actually working. The laptop I’m using to manage the FOG server receives an IP from it. The setup is on an isolated network so I’m not getting interference from our corporate side.

[Tom Elliott]

@kellyg But what’s providing DHCP for the isolated network? (How is it getting the PXE menu to begin with?)

[KellyG]

@tom-elliott said in Failed to get an IP via DHCP!:

t what’s providing DHCP for the isolated network? (How is it getting the PXE menu to begin with?)

The FOG server is handling that. When I was setting up FOG I had it handle the addressing. At first the DHCP services weren’t working. I couldn’t get the PXE menu or connect to the web page. I found that the laptop wasn’t getting an IP. I went back to the server and verified the DHCP settings and found that the service wasn’t started. Started it and everything was good to go then.

I’ll take a look at the DHCP logs to see if something turns up there.

[george1421]

@kellyg This error reminds me that the FOS engine is trying to connect to the FOG server, failing then assuming that it doesn’t have an IP address and tries the discovery process again.

In the FOG web gui settings. Make sure (way at the bottom, that the tftp server and web server addresses are populated, as said from memory).

[KellyG]

@Tom-Elliott Hey Tom, I pulled the DHCP logs. If I boot to the hard drive, The server gets an IP.
The 12:53 time frame was one of the attempts to image the system. The later ones are when I booted to the hard drive.

********** syslog **********
Jul 27 12:53:49 <Redacted> dhcpd: DHCPDISCOVER from 2c:59:e5:47:ba:dc via em1
Jul 27 12:53:50 <Redacted> dhcpd: DHCPOFFER on 192.168.122.30 to 2c:59:e5:47:ba:dc via em1
Jul 27 12:53:50 <Redacted> dhcpd: DHCPDISCOVER from 2c:59:e5:47:ba:dc via em1
Jul 27 12:53:50 <Redacted> dhcpd: DHCPOFFER on 192.168.122.30 to 2c:59:e5:47:ba:dc via em1
Jul 27 12:53:52 <Redacted> dhcpd: DHCPREQUEST for 192.168.122.30 (192.168.122.5) from 2c:59:e5:47:ba:dc via em1
Jul 27 12:53:52 <Redacted> dhcpd: DHCPACK on 192.168.122.30 to 2c:59:e5:47:ba:dc via em1
Jul 27 13:09:01 <Redacted> CRON[17577]: (root) CMD ( [ -x /usr/lib/php/sessionclean ] && if [ ! -d /run/systemd/system ]; then /usr/lib/php/sessionclean; fi)
Jul 27 13:17:01 <Redacted> CRON[18054]: (root) CMD ( cd / && run-parts --report /etc/cron.hourly)
Jul 27 13:39:01 <Redacted> CRON[19536]: (root) CMD ( [ -x /usr/lib/php/sessionclean ] && if [ ! -d /run/systemd/system ]; then /usr/lib/php/sessionclean; fi)
Jul 27 13:45:45 <Redacted> dhcpd: DHCPDISCOVER from 2c:59:e5:47:ba:dc via em1
Jul 27 13:45:46 <Redacted> dhcpd: DHCPOFFER on 192.168.122.31 to 2c:59:e5:47:ba:dc (<Redacted>) via em1
Jul 27 13:45:46 <Redacted> dhcpd: DHCPREQUEST for 192.168.122.31 (192.168.122.5) from 2c:59:e5:47:ba:dc (<Redacted>) via em1
Jul 27 13:45:46 <Redacted> dhcpd: DHCPACK on 192.168.122.31 to 2c:59:e5:47:ba:dc (<Redacted>) via em1
Jul 27 13:48:16 <Redacted> kernel: [761587.349200] usb 1-5: new high-speed USB device number 8 using ehci-pci
Jul 27 13:48:16 <Redacted> kernel: [761587.676868] usb 1-5: New USB device found, idVendor=0951, idProduct=1666
Jul 27 13:48:16 <Redacted> kernel: [761587.676873] usb 1-5: New USB device strings: Mfr=1, Product=2, SerialNumber=3

[Tom Elliott]

@kellyg So the pictures you showed us is of eth4 and eth5, do eth0, eth1, eth2, or eth3 actually get a lease, but fail after that point? (I don’t know tha tyou have a patch cable attached to all 6 nics at the same time right?)

[KellyG]

@tom-elliott - I’ve got a cable in eth0, eth3, and eth5. BIOS is set to accept PXE from all but the last 2 ports. I did try switching ports and at one time had a cable in all 6 ports, but got the same message.

@george1421 - I took a look and both the web server address and the tftp address are populated with the same IP, 192.168.122.5.

[george1421]

@kellyg Is 2c:59:e5:47:ba:dc one of the macs on this target computer?

As for the web settings, I should have asked you if you can image other hardware before jumping on the web settings.

[KellyG]

@george1421 - yes

[george1421]

@george1421 sorry to keep sending you back to the well, but is FOG_WEB_ROOT set to /fog/?

The other fields I was mentioned are FOG_TFTP_HOST and FOG_WEB_HOST

[KellyG]

@george1421 That is the target system. I’ve tried other servers to see if they will image, but they are all HP and they all do the same thing. I’ve got a old Dell I brought up to test to see if the problem is isolated to one manufacture or to the FOG.

[george1421]

@kellyg OK that is what I was going to suggest next. Try a different target computer. If that one can load an IP address we can almost 100% rule out FOG server.

[KellyG]

@george1421 said in Failed to get an IP via DHCP!:

@george1421 sorry to keep sending you back to the well, but is FOG_WEB_ROOT set to /fog/?

The other fields I was mentioned are FOG_TFTP_HOST and FOG_WEB_HOST

Don’t worry about that. Yes, both are set to the IP address and FOG_WEB_ROOT is set to /fog/.

[KellyG]

@george1421 - Ok… The Dell server does the exact same thing. I did find something interesting however. For this Dell, there are two onboard NICs and a PCIe NIC. I initially plugged a cable into eth0 and got nothing. A added a cable to eth1 and still got nothing. The system would attempt to get an IP and then fail. However, when I added a cable to the PCIe card, the system inventoried. I then added a card to one of the HP servers and was able to get it to inventory. So… the embedded NIC is good for PXE, but bad for getting a DHCP and the PCIe is good for getting a DHCP, but bad for PXE?

While this is a viable workaround, I won’t have the time to pop in an add in card to every system just to get it to image? I did notice that both of the servers are running NetXtreme II NICs onboard. Is there something with that manufacturer that doesn’t work with isc-dhcp?

[george1421]

@kellyg If I remember correctly (at least on dell servers), when it goes an enumerates the network interfaces it will start with the add on adapters first and assign the LOM adapters last.

If FOS is seeing the mac address of the LOM network adapters then it should be able to use them to pxe boot. If the mac addresses are not showing up then FOS probably doesn’t have the nic drivers.

[KellyG]

@george1421 - I’m not sure about the drivers. So here’s what I did. With the addon card connected to the switch and the LOM connected to the switch, I was able to register and inventory the server with no problem. However, FOS records the addon card as the primary mac address. The server won’t PXE to the addon card, even thought it’s listed in the boot order, it only wants to use the embedded. Don’t know why only the onboard, must be some connection problem between the server and the chair.
I connected the cable back to the LOM port 1 and the system booted to PXE fine. However, unless I change the primary MAC in FOS to match the embeded, then it will report that the system has not been registered or inventoried. So if I create a task to push an image to the server, it doesn’t recognize it and never starts.
Changing the MAC in FOS and everything works correctly. But then I’m back the original problem, I’ve got to install and addin card into the server just to get it to image. Might as well pop in the winblows DVD and install it that way.