Once you have chosen a machine, assigned it, and its PCU/iLO/DRAC, IP addresses you are ready to register the machine with the PlanetLab database. First collect the IP addresses, subnets, host names, domain names, and DNS servers for each of your nodes. Ensure that the DNS entries for the nodes themselves have been configured and resolve in both the forward and reverse directions. The BootManager installer will not install the node unless this has been done. You may check that the DNS entries are correct by using the host program on a UNIX system. For example, to test that planetlab-1.cs.princeton.edu has been configured correctly:

# Test forward lookup


host planetlab-1.cs.princeton.edu


# Test reverse lookup


host 128.112.139.71

You should observe output of the form:

planetlab-1.CS.Princeton.EDU has address 128.112.139.71


71.139.112.128.in-addr.arpa domain name pointer planetlab-1.CS.Princeton.edu.

Once you have verified that the IP addresses and DNS names assigned to the nodes are correct, login to the PlanetLab website and create new entries for them by clicking Add Node. Enter the hostnames, IP addresses (even for DHCP), and any other applicable network settings. Once the nodes have been added, download their network configuration files by clicking Download configuration file on the details page for each of your nodes. Save this file as plnode.txt. It will be needed for the next section.