:_mod-docs-content-type: ASSEMBLY
[id="ztp-pre-staging-tool"]
= Pre-caching images for {sno} deployments
include::_attributes/common-attributes.adoc[]
:context: pre-caching

toc::[]

In environments with limited bandwidth where you use the {ztp-first} solution to deploy a large number of clusters, you want to avoid downloading all the images that are required for bootstrapping and installing {product-title}.
The limited bandwidth at remote {sno} sites can cause long deployment times.
The {factory-prestaging-tool} allows you to pre-stage servers before shipping them to the remote site for ZTP provisioning.

The {factory-prestaging-tool} does the following:

* Downloads the RHCOS rootfs image that is required by the minimal ISO to boot.
* Creates a partition from the installation disk labelled as `data`.
* Formats the disk in xfs.
* Creates a GUID Partition Table (GPT) data partition at the end of the disk, where the size of the partition is configurable by the tool.
* Copies the container images required to install {product-title}.
* Copies the container images required by ZTP to install {product-title}.
* Optional: Copies Day-2 Operators to the partition.

:FeatureName: The factory-precaching-cli tool
include::snippets/technology-preview.adoc[]

include::modules/ztp-precaching-getting-tool.adoc[leveloffset=+1]

include::modules/ztp-precaching-booting-from-live-os.adoc[leveloffset=+1]

[role="_additional-resources"]
.Additional resources

* xref:../installing/install_config/installing-customizing.adoc#installation-special-config-butane-about_installing-customizing[About Butane]
* xref:../installing/installing_sno/install-sno-installing-sno.adoc#create-custom-live-rhcos-iso_install-sno-installing-sno-with-the-assisted-installer[Creating a custom live {op-system} ISO for remote server access]
* link:https://www.dell.com/support/manuals/en-ie/poweredge-r440/idrac9_6.xx_racadm_pub/supported-racadm-interfaces?guid=guid-a5747353-fc88-4438-b617-c50ca260448e&lang=en-us[Integrated Dell Remote Access Controller 9 RACADM CLI Guide]
* link:https://support.hpe.com/hpesc/public/docDisplay?docId=emr_na-a00007610en_us[Using HPONCFG]
* xref:../installing/installing_sno/install-sno-installing-sno.adoc#install-booting-from-an-iso-over-http-redfish_install-sno-installing-sno-with-the-assisted-installer[Booting from an HTTP-hosted ISO image using the Redfish API]

include::modules/ztp-precaching-partitioning.adoc[leveloffset=+1]

include::modules/ztp-precaching-downloading-overview.adoc[leveloffset=+1]

include::modules/ztp-precaching-preparing-ocp-images.adoc[leveloffset=+2]

[role="_additional-resources"]
.Additional resources

* link:https://console.redhat.com/openshift/downloads#tool-pull-secret[OpenShift installation customization tools]
* link:https://access.redhat.com/documentation/en-us/red_hat_advanced_cluster_management_for_kubernetes/2.9/html/clusters/cluster_mce_overview#mce-intro[About cluster lifecycle with the multicluster engine operator]

include::modules/ztp-precaching-downloading-ocp-images.adoc[leveloffset=+2]

include::modules/ztp-precaching-downloading-operator-images.adoc[leveloffset=+2]

include::modules/ztp-precaching-custom-disconnected.adoc[leveloffset=+2]

include::modules/ztp-precaching-ztp-config.adoc[leveloffset=+1]

include::modules/ztp-precaching-troubleshooting.adoc[leveloffset=+1]
