When creating a BMH resource as part of the inventory, setting the spec.bootMACAddress field using uppercase letters causes the ProvisioningRequest to time out.

My guess is that this is because the BMH always provides interfaces in the status with lowercase MAC addresses, which are then used in the generated ClusterInstance according to the HardwareTemplate's spec.bootInterfaceLabel.

The ClusterInstance status.manifestsRendered includes

  - apiGroup: metal3.io/v1alpha1
    kind: BareMetalHost
    lastAppliedTime: "2025-10-15T20:25:23Z"
    message: 'failed to update resource during patch operation: admission webhook
      "baremetalhost.metal3.io" denied the request: bootMACAddress can not be changed
      once it is set'
    name: cnfdf34
    namespace: sno-ran-du-inventory
    status: failed
    syncWave: 3

    4.20

    100%

    1. Create a BMH in the inventory using an uppercase (or presumably mixed-case) spec.bootMACAddress
    2. Create a ProvisioningRequest which attempts to use that BMH
    3. Wait for ProvisioningRequest to timeout
    

    ProvisioningRequest times out

    If it can't "just work", the ProvisioningRequest should raise an error that the MAC addresses don't match during validation instead of timing out