VMware Communities: Message List - How To: Configure freshly booted ESX with PowerShell

Re: How To: Configure freshly booted ESX with PowerShell

lberc — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 23:07:58 GMT

These are great ideas to improve configuring the DNS. I will add them to a future version of the scripts.

lance

Re: How To: Configure freshly booted ESX with PowerShell

Windspirit — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 02:06:27 GMT

Just a bit improvement: just define an array for the DNS servers instead of filling it form a list. The searchlist is just an char field...

$dnsServers = @("192.168.111.3","192.168.111.4")

Get-VMHost | Get-View | %{$ns = Get-View -Id $esx.configManager.networkSystem

$dns = $ns.networkConfig.dnsConfig

$dns.Address = $dnsservers

$dns.searchDomain = "domain1.xyz, domain2.abc"  
$ns.UpdateDnsConfig($dns)}

Re: How To: Configure freshly booted ESX with PowerShell

ChrisRu — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 11:53:15 GMT

Thanks for that.

Re: How To: Configure freshly booted ESX with PowerShell

LucD — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 11:01:25 GMT

See Re: HowTo change DNS servers on ESX host? for changing the DNS servers.
You can use the searchDomain property to define the search domains.

$dnsServers = ("192.168.111.3","192.168.111.4")

Get-VMHost | Get-View | %{
   $ns = Get-View -Id $esx.configManager.networkSystem
   $dns = $ns.networkConfig.dnsConfig
 
    $dns.Address = @()
    foreach($server in $dnsServers) {
      $dns.Address += $server
  }
  $dns.searchDomain = ("domain1.xyz","domain2.abc")
  $ns.UpdateDnsConfig($dns)
}

Re: How To: Configure freshly booted ESX with PowerShell

ChrisRu — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 10:53:50 GMT

great & coll stuff what you are do here

But I search for a way to modify the DNS-Servers and the dns search domains with powershell.

I tried itt with set-VMHostnetwork but this doesn't work.

thanks

Christian

Re: How To: Configure freshly booted ESX with PowerShell

LucD — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 14:39:13 GMT

See Appendix B in ESX Server 3 and VirtualCenter Installation Guide

Re: How To: Configure freshly booted ESX with PowerShell

halr9000 — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 14:29:27 GMT

Where's the kickstart configurator?

PowerShell MVP, VI Toolkit forum moderator
Author of the upcoming book: Managing VMware Infrastructure with PowerShell
Co-Host, PowerScripting Podcast (http://powerscripting.net)

Re: How To: Configure freshly booted ESX with PowerShell

SCampbell — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 03:32:36 GMT

The DHCP is just to get the thing started. I agree you want to verify the inputs for auditing purposes and use static addresses

If you do have a PS provisioning script, you can pipe the string outputs of the script to a log file using Tee-Object. This can then be your installation record. Also fairly easy to maintain a data store (e.g., CSV file, SQL table) of configuration inputs if you want to retrieve settings from a separate source.

My ESX provisioning example at NAEPS is fairly hands free and fairly complete, however, it doesn't do the DHCP or the static kickstart bits. We had to stop somewhere.

Re: How To: Configure freshly booted ESX with PowerShell

240Zeus — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 03:27:28 GMT

Exactly, SC!

We're mainly LInux on our VM side so I already have the entire infrastructure setup for kickstarts already. And your point regarding ESXi is spot on.

So when will VMware include a PS configuration script configurator similar to the kickstart configurator?

Re: How To: Configure freshly booted ESX with PowerShell

240Zeus — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 03:24:52 GMT

I'd love to but unfortunately the process at my current employer requires manucal verification of the input parameters for auditing purposes.

I like how you're thinking though!

Re: How To: Configure freshly booted ESX with PowerShell

SCampbell — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 03:22:59 GMT

I think the main reason I prefer PS to Kickstart customizations is that the PS stuff can also configure ESXi servers; so you can have a very similar/identical customization script no matter which target you are aiming for.

Also there's a lot less infrastructure. No website, kickstart customizations, etc.

I would consider a static kickstart to create a baseline ESX DHCP-based server, then use the PS script to complete the customization of static addresses, root passwords, DNS names, etc.

That's the nice thing about computers: there are 100 good ways to solve any problem, and 100 people with think their way is best.

Re: How To: Configure freshly booted ESX with PowerShell

halr9000 — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 03:09:30 GMT

Why not automate the ks file checkout from revision control and the file modifications as well?

PowerShell MVP, VI Toolkit forum moderator
Author of the upcoming book: Managing VMware Infrastructure with PowerShell
Co-Host, PowerScripting Podcast (http://powerscripting.net)

Re: How To: Configure freshly booted ESX with PowerShell

240Zeus — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 02:25:10 GMT

Fair enough. I came from a Windows background as well but projects in the past 3-4 years have necessitated Linux use. I'm all about automation and the kickstart files are simple text-based files that the ESX installer uses to automate installs.

I simply have a template ks file in the source control repository, check it out, modify IP's, VLAN information, DNS, etc... for the specific host I want to build, add it back to the repository, and deploy it to an internal http server that my ESX servers can see on the service console VLAN. A "ks=" option with the proper information entered at the ESX install screen and ten minutes later I have a fully configured ESX host ready to add to VirtualCenter. If I ever need to rebuild the host as it originally was six months later, I just boot off of that kickstart file again.

Sorry if I've hijacked the thread here. I've been doing VMware for a few years now and am starting to port some of my historical perl scripts over to PS - I'm glad to have found this community.

If you'd like to see a ks file you can use for automated install/configure just let me know!

Re: How To: Configure freshly booted ESX with PowerShell

halr9000 — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 01:43:51 GMT

Well, there's several reasons. The first and most important (to me) is that I don't know a darn thing about kickstart beyond its purpose. While I know other platforms pretty well, I'm only an expert at one, and that's Windows. I'm sure I'm not the only one in this boat.

Second, this will likely prove to be easier to maintain. The tasks you can do in PowerShell will be more consistent than those done without.

It's probably easier to do it via kickstart for someone who knows bash scripting well, as well as the Linux command-line utilities on the COS.

PowerShell MVP, VI Toolkit forum moderator
Author of the upcoming book: Managing VMware Infrastructure with PowerShell
Co-Host, PowerScripting Podcast (http://powerscripting.net)

Re: How To: Configure freshly booted ESX with PowerShell

240Zeus — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 22:48:17 GMT

I know this goes against the OP's needs, but why not just perform the majority of this in a kickstart file for installation? The only thing I do not perform in my kickstarts is adding the host to a cluster and a few other small(ish) VC-related tasks, but vSwitch setup/port group assignment, enabling vMotion, vmnic speed/duplex settings, licensing, hostname configuration, IP/DNS assignment, etc... can all be done via VIM commands in the post-processing section of the Kickstart file....

Re: How To: Configure freshly booted ESX with PowerShell

SCampbell — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 11:20:08 GMT

Has anyone succeeded in configuring the license server and edition on an ESX server using Powershell?

I am about to embark on using the Java sample in the SDK to try to do it. I have also looked at the C++ code posted in the community.

Thanks

Update2: Sep 23. This is extracted from code that I believe is working properly, even though are likely more efficient ways. Some of these are used for other aspects of my provisioning script so there may be more than you need. Note in particular the use of the $ESXHostView.MoRef. -- Start of rant -- It cost an hour of head scratching and random guesses and finally get-member to find that. Sure would be nice to have some documentation of the VMware.VIM .Net Classes. (Hint. Hint.) Note that cmdlet help and that SDK website don't count for newbie PS/VIM people who need to access the .Net libraries. The .Net libraries help is a good start with its 5 classes. I think we need to see the same thing for all the "real" classes too. Of course, maybe it's all there, and I haven't been able to find it. If so, please accept my apologies. -- End of rant --

$LicenseServer="27000@myVCS.myDomain.local"
$HostPassword=Read-Host "Enter the password to the root account on the ESX Host" -asSecureString
$ESXConnect=Connect-VIServer -Server $HostIP -User $HostUser `
-Password ([System.Runtime.InteropServices.Marshal]::PtrToStringAuto( `
[System.Runtime.InteropServices.Marshal]::SecureStringToBSTR($HostPassword))) `
-ErrorAction Inquire
$ESXHost=Get-VMHost -Name $HostFQDN
$ESXHostView=$ESXHost | Get-View
$ServiceInstance=Get-View -Server $ESXConnect ServiceInstance
$LicManRef=$ServiceInstance.Content.LicenseManager
$LicManView=Get-View -Server $ESXConnect $LicManRef
$LicServerSource=New-Object VMWARE.VIM.LicenseServerSource
$LicServerSource.LicenseServer=$LicenseServer
$LicManView.SetLicenseEdition($ESXHostView.MoRef,"esxFull")
$LicManView.ConfigureLicenseSource($ESXHostView.MoRef,$LicServerSource)

Re: How To: Configure freshly booted ESX with PowerShell

halr9000 — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 12:26:09 GMT

This:

$HostView=Get-View -Viewtype HostSystem -Filter @{"Name"=($HostName + "." + $HostPath)}

Can simply be replaced by:

$HostView = Get-VMHost $HostName | Get-View

Otherwise, looks ok but I haven't tested it. I have an aversion to messing around with licensing ever since a bad 48 hours when I downed some production terminal servers several years ago.

Author of the upcoming book: Managing VMware Infrastructure with PowerShell
Co-Host, PowerScripting Podcast (http://powerscripting.net)

Re: How To: Configure freshly booted ESX with PowerShell

olan025 — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 19:45:56 GMT

Updated and named to be different than the other here.

recent - I have a newer version that takes hosts from a CSV file. This eliminates the need to create a hostname.ps1 for each server. when you get over 90 servers those files are unmanageable, and any changes made to the template means a rebuild of them.... So I now use a CSV.

I'm thinking of rearchitecting it again... if there's any interest i'll look at posting it. I have to de customize if for the job i'm doing here to post it which is some extra work....

Unpublished updates.

fixed NTP auto start and DNS Search Suffix- Thanks LucD

added blat email option to email log or report

added csv function for hosts to replace having individual host-template.ps1 files for each host.

fixed a few minor issues

How To: Configure freshly booted ESX with PowerShell

lberc — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 22:21:42 GMT

As part of a larger project I've been working on a set of scripts which configure a freshly-installed ESX (or ESXi) system into Virtual Center (after first attempting to remove previous VC state and clean state from the host). Currently they follow a typical post-boot configuration pattern:

Set ESX password
Add to Virtual Center cluster
Configure Virtual Switches
Configure Port Groups
Add NFS partitions
Add iSCSI partitions
Configure NTP
Configure VMotion

Before trying, modify esx-master.ps1 and esx-profile.ps1 to local conditions (or your password will be set to "CHANGEME").

Command: esx-autoconfigure.ps1 "hostname|ip-address"

As this is my initial foray into PowerShell, please excuse any idiosyncracies.

This is a work-in-progress - feedback welcome. Points awarded for the best suggestions in the next few days.

lance

(2008-Sep-02 - I've moved the script files to ESX Automated Configuration Midwife)

Re: How To: Configure freshly booted ESX with PowerShell

lberc — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 22:39:58 GMT

My ESXi hosts run NTP when I configure the server addresses without having to explicitly enable the service, but LucD's command should work if necessary.

Re: How To: Configure freshly booted ESX with PowerShell

LucD — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 19:19:15 GMT

You could use the Set-VMHostService cmdlet.

Set-VMHostService -HostService (Get-VMHostservice -VMHost (Get-VMHost esx1.test.local) | Where-Object {$_.key -eq "ntpd"}) -policy "automatic"

A bit of a cryptic command I admit, but it seems to work.
For -policy you can use "on", "off" or "automatic"

Re: How To: Configure freshly booted ESX with PowerShell

LeeTheMC — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 19:00:00 GMT

I am able to configure the NTP Servers (as many of you have done in your scripts), but how do I check the "NTP Client Enabled" checkbox? I presume that this is required to tell the ESX server to use the NTP servers configured. Thanks in advance.

Lee

Re: How To: Configure freshly booted ESX with PowerShell

olan025 — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 14:38:05 GMT

Hal,

How about making an exception to allow me a sneak peak at your new book? My scripting needs to be tuned up as you can tell i'm a beginner if you looked at my earlier attachments.

I'm making changes and updates to those, if anyone does care for them post it. otherwise my stuff is pretty basic compared to Lance's functionalized code.

Re: How To: Configure freshly booted ESX with PowerShell

depping — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 08:08:14 GMT

Looks great!

Lance, do you know Aiden Dalgleish? He's a PSO Consultant from the UK and already created a hell of a lot scripts for installing. Talk to him, he's got some cool stuff!

Duncan
My virtualisation blog:
http://www.yellow-bricks.com

If you find this information useful, please award points for "correct" or "helpful".

Re: How To: Configure freshly booted ESX with PowerShell

lberc — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 18:59:14 GMT

My cover has been blown. - l

Re: How To: Configure freshly booted ESX with PowerShell

c_shanklin — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 18:55:23 GMT

Lance works for VMware, no $5000 for him, for us 3rd prize is we're fired

Re: How To: Configure freshly booted ESX with PowerShell

olan025 — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 16:14:07 GMT

iberc,

I'm doing a large roll-out of esxi. I have been working on the exact same as what you're doing. If I can add anything across what you got i may post it.

You're scripts look to be more portable. This is my first dive into significant scripting not to mention powershell. The envronment i'm building for is very homogenous so the work reflects it. this is definately work in progress. these files on their own need to be edited etc and linked.

I've been looking for awhile now for configuration of ESXi via powershell and it seems very limited. Most resources are directed at management of existing.

Message was edited by: olan025

Re: How To: Configure freshly booted ESX with PowerShell

alanrenouf — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 08:15:45 GMT

Very nice, you should definately enter the comp.

Alan Renouf
VMware, Citrix, Microsoft Consultant
UK

My Blog

Re: How To: Configure freshly booted ESX with PowerShell

LucD — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 05:55:46 GMT

Some suggestions:

configure or check DNS and gateways before steps 3/4/7/8. Critical for clustering, HA and DRS!
configure the firewall
(eventually) configure some advanced ESX settings. See for example a recent discussion about NFS.MaxVolumes
check (and eventually configure) licensing before using clustering with HA/DRS/vMotion
configure (or adjust) resource pool(s). Adding an ESX server will increase the available resources.

Re: How To: Configure freshly booted ESX with PowerShell

halr9000 — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 01:46:27 GMT

My comments are as follows:

1. http://www.vmware.com/landing_pages/toolkit_contest.html
2. Cool, I've been working on something similar for a project at work (not to mention for my book).
3. I'm a judge for #1, so I'll refrain from commenting directly on your code in case you decide to submit it, which I suggest you do.

Author of the upcoming book: Managing VMware Infrastructure with PowerShell
Co-Host, PowerScripting Podcast (http://powerscripting.net)