Boot Policy Support for MetalAPI

[hardikdr]

Summary

This enhancement introduces a new Boot Policy API for ServerClaim objects, enabling precise control over how a machine boots—NetBootOnce, NetBootAlways, or NoBootPreference. This allows users to declaratively influence whether a machine should PXE/HTTP boot only once, always PXE/HTTP boot, or fall back to default behavior.

The change will span multiple parts of the Metal Automation stack, enabling a more predictable and flexible first-boot experience across various environments.

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Scope

✅ In Scope

• Define a BootPolicy field in the ServerClaim API (NetBootOnce, NetBootAlways, NoBootPreference).
• Adapt the metal-operator to reconcile the BootPolicy setting.
• Extend ServerBootConfig with new status conditions to track first boot state.
• Expose a new /bootstate endpoint in the metal-operator that updates a boot-completion signal.
• Allow the metal-operator to choose the condition to honor for declaring first boot as complete, based on a new configurable flag.
• Ensure this logic is compatible with existing workflows and doesn't break downstream components.

❌ Out of Scope

• BIOS-level boot order enforcement (handled elsewhere or via Redfish).
• Vendor-specific PXE boot flows.

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Responsible Areas

• Metal Automation

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Contributors

• @hardikdr
• @afritzler

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Acceptance Criteria

• ServerClaim API supports a new optional bootPolicy field.

• Metal-operator correctly reconciles this field and reacts accordingly.

• ServerBootConfig includes new status conditions such as:

  • IPXEScriptFetched
  • IgnitionDataFetched
  • BootStateReceived (from /bootstate endpoint)

• /bootstate endpoint is implemented in the metal-operator and updates condition reliably.

• Metal-operator can be configured to choose which boot-completion condition it honors via a flag.

• All new behaviors are covered by meaningful tests.

• Clear documentation added for the new API field and its usage.

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Action Items

• Assign labels (area/metal-automation, kind/api-change, kind/enhancement)
• Set milestone (H2/2025)
• Assign dependent sub-issues for:
• Assign an owner to the issue using GitHub’s assignee field
• Add this issue to the ironcore-dev/roadmap project