SLES12 re-installation on LPAR with encrypted partitions

This document (7023724) is provided subject to the disclaimer at the end of this document.

Environment

SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12
SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 12

IBM Power 8

Situation

SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12 is successfully installed on a IBM Power 8 LPAR with an encrypted SWAP partition.

Following a re-installation, the installation process asks for the previously swap encrypted password in order to use that partition.

After editing the proposal settings, selecting a LVM based installation and successfully finishing the installation, the server entered dracut following the reboot.

Resolution

Work-around :

When redoing an installation, do NOT supply the LUKS password for /dev/vda2 (the formerly encrypted swap space);

-> Storage proposal:

Set type of partition /dev/vda1 to Linux LVM (8E)
Set up encrypted dm device on /dev/vda2
Set type of partition /dev/vda3 to Linux LVM (8E)
Create volume group system (39.98 GiB) from /dev/vda1 /dev/vda2 /dev/vda3
Create root volume /dev/system/root (37.98 GiB) with btrfs
Create swap logical volume /dev/system/swap (2.00 GiB)

Create subvolume @/boot/grub2/i386-pc on device /dev/system/root
Create subvolume @/boot/grub2/x86_64-efi on device /dev/system/root
...

Please observe that it now explicitly mentions "Set up encrypted dm device on /dev/vda2".

During previous re-installations this was not observed, and the information that this was a LUKS device was lost.

Cause

YaST installation handling one or more partitions with a LUKS encryption layer directly on the partition and administrator changing the storage proposal during installation to "LVM based".

Additional Information

Console output before entering dracut :

--- cut here ---
...
dracut: *** Including modules done ***
dracut: *** Installing kernel module dependencies and firmware ***
dracut: *** Installing kernel module dependencies and firmware done ***
dracut: *** Resolving executable dependencies ***
dracut: *** Resolving executable dependencies done***
dracut: *** Hardlinking files ***
dracut: *** Hardlinking files done ***
dracut: *** Stripping files ***
dracut: *** Stripping files done ***
dracut: *** Store current command line parameters ***
dracut: Stored kernel commandline:
dracut: rd.luks.uuid=luks-0e842069-c37f-4d25-9558-4cbe2a060e53
dracut: rd.lvm.lv=system/swap
rd.lvm.lv=system/root
dracut: resume=/dev/mapper/system-swap
dracut: root=/dev/mapper/system-root rootfstype=btrfs rootflags=rw,relatime,space_cache,subvolid=257,subvol=/@,subvol=@
dracut: *** Creating image file '/boot/initrd-4.4.68-2-default' ***
dracut: *** Creating initramfs image file '/boot/initrd-4.4.68-2-default' done ***

2017-06-03 05:53:28 <1> install(4779) [Ruby] lib/cheetah.rb:178 Status: 0
--- cut here ---

Disclaimer

This Support Knowledgebase provides a valuable tool for SUSE customers and parties interested in our products and solutions to acquire information, ideas and learn from one another. Materials are provided for informational, personal or non-commercial use within your organization and are presented "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND.