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MrPix
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Batch IP Property Customization - Odd behaviour on second dns

We are ceating a csv file to import the IP changes on the recovery site to apply to the recovered VMs using the dr-ip-customizer utility. The documentation contains obvious errors on page 55/56 table 5.1 as there are inconsistencies with some of the examples, but there is also a 'bug' in the creation of the customization files using either create or recreate functions.

On the whole the creation using the methods outlined in the admin guide work, with one exception...

When adding the alternative DNS server address using the examples given in the tables mentioned above, it is completely ignored and not added to the customization file at all.

This is the csv file we are using (cut short for clarity)

VM ID

VM Name

Adapter ID

MAC Address

DNS Domain

Net BIOS

Primary WINS

Secondary WINS

IP Address

Subnet Mask

Gateway(s)

DNS Server(s)

DNS Suffix(es)

shadow-vm-1256

Test_1

0

shadow-vm-1256

1

10.0.0.51

255.255.255.0

10.0.0.254

10.0.0.2

shadow-vm-1256

1

10.0.0.20

The above does not add the secondary dns address to the customization file!

BUT, if you add a duplicate gateway, the second DNS server is added to the file along with the alternative gateway in the customization file.

VM ID

VM Name

Adapter ID

MAC Address

DNS Domain

Net BIOS

Primary WINS

Secondary WINS

IP Address

Subnet Mask

Gateway(s)

DNS Server(s)

DNS Suffix(es)

shadow-vm-1256

Test_1

0

shadow-vm-1256

1

10.0.0.51

255.255.255.0

10.0.0.254

10.0.0.2

shadow-vm-1256

1

10.0.0.254

10.0.0.20

When using the above csv file to create the customization files for the windows VM (Test_1) and powering on the Placeholder VM in the test recovery environment, in the properties of the Network adapter there is indeed 2 gateways listed, both identical apart from the metrics (1 & 2 respectively)

This is not a clean method, but a workaround and I don't understand windows IP services to the extent of knowing what impact in a live environment this would have.

Has anyone had a similar experience.... or is it just us?

Kindest regards

MrPix

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antchen
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Try filling out the VM NAME column in the CSV with the names of the VMs as well.

There is a release note that says that this is necessary.

View solution in original post

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MrPix
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Further to the post above, I have run the dr-ip-reporter utility against the 1st csv file (with 2 DNS entries and a single gateway as in the first table in the first post) and this is the dns and gateway portion:

<dnsServerList>

<_length>2</_length>

<_type>string[]</_type>

<e id="0">10.0.0.2</e>

<e id="1"/>

</dnsServerList>

<gateway>

<_length>2</_length>

<_type>string[]</_type>

<e id="0">10.0.0.254</e>

<e id="1"/>

</gateway>

Which gives this in windows:

and also against the 'work-a-round' csv file (table 2 above):

<dnsServerList>

<_length>2</_length>

<_type>string[]</_type>

<e id="0">10.0.0.2</e>

<e id="1">10.0.0.20</e>

</dnsServerList>

<gateway>

<_length>2</_length>

<_type>string[]</_type>

<e id="0">10.0.0.254</e>

<e id="1">10.0.0.254</e>

</gateway>

which gives this in windows

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Michelle_Laveri
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Short answer is no - because I've not even tried it yet.

Documentation no accurate. Mmmm, there's suprise - anyone here remember the beta documentation surround svmotion.pl.

What I have seen and remembered - is that in earlier versions of VC, if you were using the Guest Customization Wizard to re-IP. You had have something in EVERY field in order to get it to set your DG/DNS1, DNS2...

How is VMware actually changing the password. With sysprep still? Perhaps its inheriting problems with sysprep is my guess if they are...

Regards

Mike Laverick

RTFM Education

http://www.rtfm-ed.co.uk

Author of the SRM Book: http://www.lulu.com/content/4343147

Regards
Michelle Laverick
@m_laverick
http://www.michellelaverick.com
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MrPix
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Thanks for your reply Mike, but the error is with the utility, not sysprep or the way the data is injected in to the VM.

The utility creates a customisation file by parsing a csv file in to it, and this is the bit (adding the second DNS server address) that is failing, unless a altenative gateway is specified.

According to the documentation (yes, yes I know :rollseyes:) I am using the correct format in the csv file and specifying the correct information, but the utility just does not parse an alternative DNS address without the alternative gateway address in the preceding field.... which is not good from a windows perspective.....

We could use the utility to do the bulk of the work, and then edit each of the customisation files manually (ignoring the "DO NOT EDIT THIS FILE" warning and add the second IP address, but this is lengthy initially and has to be carried out each time a VM is added to the DR plan..... which kind of makes the utility almost worthless/pointless.

The injection of the network information in to the VM works as it should and is based on the information in the customization file.

Kindest regards (and maybe see you in Cannes?)

MrPix

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Michelle_Laveri
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Thanks for clarifying... Let me point this out to some people I know SRM, and see if we can give the post some traction...

Regards

Mike

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Michelle Laverick
@m_laverick
http://www.michellelaverick.com
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antchen
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Try filling out the VM NAME column in the CSV with the names of the VMs as well.

There is a release note that says that this is necessary.

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MrPix
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That did it Smiley Happy

Adding the VM name into the csv file worked a treat. I was looking at the support documentation rather that the product page, so did not spot that little gem.

Thanks very much

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Michelle_Laveri
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Is it safe to say - you need to fill all the fields to be 100% sure everything will be applied.

OR is just some of the required fields...

One for the RTFM blog I think - so everyone is clear on the requirements for it to work...

Regards

Mike

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Michelle Laverick
@m_laverick
http://www.michellelaverick.com
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antchen
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i don't think it really makes sense to fill out all the fields because it's not like you'll always have a value for every property.

According to the docs, the bare minimum that you need is the VM MO ID, VM Name, Adapter ID.

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MrPix
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No, you do not need all the fields filled in at all.

If you just fill in the VM ID, VM Name, Adapter ID (values in RED are required, all other fields are optionally left blank aside from at least 1 and any more that you may want to fill in) for each additional line you require and then any other field that you require to add info to such as an alternative DNS Server... that is sufficient.

The below csv file creates a customisation file for a VM with a single NIC and changes the IP address to 10.0.0.51, subnet mask to 255.255.255.0, Default Gateway to 10.0.0.254 and populates the first 2 DNS server properties of that NIC with both 10.0.0.2 and 10.0.0.20.

VM ID

VM Name

Adapter ID

MAC Address

DNS Domain

Net BIOS

Primary WINS

Secondary WINS

IP Address

Subnet Mask

Gateway(s)

DNS Server(s)

DNS Suffix(es)

shadow-vm-1256

Test_1

0

shadow-vm-1256

Test_1

1

10.0.0.51

255.255.255.0

10.0.0.254

10.0.0.2

shadow-vm-1256

Test_1

1

10.0.0.20

I hope this clarifies things.

Kindest regards

MrPix

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Michelle_Laveri
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Yep. just had this confirm by my contacts in the SRM team...

It sounds like these requires made the release notes, but perhaps should have been flagged up more noticeably...

Regards

Mike

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Michelle Laverick
@m_laverick
http://www.michellelaverick.com
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