Purpose

This document describes how to install MAAS on a computer so that you can deploy systems in a test environment as well as install the certification tools and perform certification testing. Consult the Ubuntu Certified Hardware Self-Testing Guide (available from https://certification.canonical.com) for detailed information on running the certification tests themselves.

This document begins with information on the required hardware and then moves on to a general description of Ubuntu installation, details on how to install and configure MAAS, and how to test your MAAS installation. Appendixes cover more esoteric topics, including how to add support for CPU architectures other than x86-64 and how to set up advanced network configurations.

Overall Configuration

Figure 1 illustrates the overall configuration that this document will help you create. This document describes configuration of the MAAS server device in the figure. It presupposes the existence of a local LAN that the MAAS server can use for external connections, as well as the availability of at least one system under test (SUT) for testing at the end of the process. (Note that the Internet connection can – and indeed should – be protected by a firewall, but access to specific sites is required. This issue is covered in more detail shortly.)

Figure 1: Network structure in which the MAAS server will reside

WARNING: The configuration described in this document leaves several server programs running on the MAAS computer, including a proxy server, a web server, an SSH server, and of course the MAAS server software itself. Thus, it is unwise to expose the MAAS computer directly to the Internet. You should either secure it with strict local firewall rules or place it behind a strong firewall running on a router between it and the Internet.