Creating a custom baseline and ISO

Creating a custom baseline allows you to:

  • Deploy specific updates from SPP releases.

  • Minimize the size of baselines or ISOs.

  • Standardize the updates that you deploy in your environment.

NOTE:

Before creating a custom bootable ISO, make sure that an unpacked ISO is available in a local directory. SUM uses the ISO as a source for the boot environment. For example, a recent SPP ISO. Do not unpack more than one ISO in a directory.

NOTE:

SUM does not support creating a custom SPP from another custom SPP.

You can create and download a custom SPP from the SPP Custom Download website at https://www.hpe.com/servers/spp/custom/.

Prerequisites

  • Add the directories that contain updates as baselines to the Baseline Library screen.

  • Make sure that each baseline directory only contains one baseline. For example, do not put an SPP ISO and hot fixes in the same directory.

Procedure
  1. Click +Add, and then select Create Custom.
  2. In the Description text box, enter a description for the baseline. The maximum length for the description is 50 characters.
  3. Select a date for the Version, and enter a 1-character or 2-character identifier, for example, 1 or 1a.

    The Baseline Name is automatically generated by combining the description and version.

  4. In the Output Location field, click Browse to navigate to an empty directory where you want to save the baseline. SUM does not allow using a directory that is not empty.
  5. Select Make Bootable ISO file to create a bootable ISO with your baseline.

    To create a custom bootable ISO, you must have a bootable SPP extracted in a local directory.

    In the Extracted Source ISO Location field, click Browse and choose the root directory where SUM can find the extracted bootable ISO. For example:

    C:\SUM\Baselines\spp_july2017

    NOTE:

    Do not store more than one bootable ISO in a directory.

  6. In the SUM Source Location, select one of the following:
    Current Working Directory

    Copies the version of SUM you are currently using.

    Custom Directory

    Copies a version of SUM from another directory.

    Do Not Include

    Does not include a copy of SUM in the baseline.

    In SUM path field, enter the directory path, or click Browse and then choose a directory that contains the version of SUM you want to use.

    NOTE:

    If you select Bootable ISO, Do Not Include is replaced with Extracted Source ISO location, which displays the location of the ISO with SUM.

  7. In the Baseline Sources section, select the baselines that contain the components you want to include in the custom baseline.
    NOTE:

    If the same component is included in more than one source baseline, SUM lists the component multiple times. If you select the component from multiple baselines, SUM displays the component multiple times, but the baseline only includes one copy of the component file.

    NOTE:

    SUM versions earlier than SUM 8.3.5 do not support processing of .fwpkg components. If you use a SUM version earlier than SUM 8.3.5 for custom baseline creation, you cannot select .fwpkg components. The minimum SUM version that supports processing of .fwpkg components is 8.3.5.

  8. In the Filters section:
    1. Select whether you want to create a baseline for Enclosure Firmware Management.
    2. Select whether you want the custom baseline to Match CloudSystem Matrix Version. Select this option to use a MatrixConfig.xml file saved on your local system. If you select this option, the Advanced Filters become inactive and other filters are disabled.

      If you select Match CloudSystem Matrix Version, do the following:

      1. Select whether you want to compare the custom baseline to a Matrix Definition XML file on the local system. You can download the latest Matrix Definition from http://www.hpe.com/info/matrixcompatibility.

        SUM no longer supports comparing a baseline to a Matrix Definition XML file on hpe.com.

      2. Enter a directory for the Matrix Definition file.

    3. Select the Component Type you want to choose, Firmware, Software, or Firmware and Software.
      NOTE:

      Select one of these options if you want to create a baseline with only firmware or software updates. Use the baseline with only firmware or software updates to update only firmware or software for a node automatically.

    4. Select each kind of update you want to include in the baseline:
      Critical Updates

      Updates that require immediate deployment.

      Recommended Updates

      Updates recommended that you deploy at your earliest convenience.

      Optional Updates

      Updates to this version if your system is affected by one of the documented fixes, or if you want to utilize any of the enhanced functionalities provided by this version.

      Advanced Filters

      Select this to apply to the baseline:

      Filter category

      Options

      Architecture

      Select the system architecture to include in the baseline.

      Operating System

      Select the operating systems to include in the baseline. The list of options is provided by the source baseline. Custom baseline only supports creating baselines from SPP baseline sources. To create a bootable ISO that supports offline firmware update, select all Linux operating systems to include all firmware that you can deploy.

      Enclosures

      Select enclosure options for your environment.

      Component Category

      The type of updates you can deploy.

      Server Model

      Select the server device components to include in the baseline. The list of options is provided by the source baseline.

      NOTE:

      SUM supports creating a baseline for node types supported by the SPP source baselines.

  9. Click Apply Filters. SUM displays a list of available updates.
  10. Select the individual component updates you want to include in your baseline. Use the search function to find specific updates in the list.
  11. Click Create ISO and save Baseline or Save Baseline to create the baseline. When you click Create ISO and save Baseline or Save Baseline, SUM does not close the Create Custom Baseline screen, in case you want to create another custom baseline.
    NOTE:

    Install the application xorriso on Linux hosts to create a custom ISO that is (UEFI) bootable.

  12. Click Close to close the Create Custom Baseline screen.

SUM saves XML files with details of the custom baseline components. SUM reads this XML file and compares the list to the contents of the directory.