Auto Deploy post configuration?

[David9876]

So I am still in the process of getting hardware for a lab environment and have combed over the documentation a lot, but I can not seem to get a clear picture in my head.

I understand Auto Deploy can use Host Profiles to setup configuration.

Does Auto Deploy (or Host Profiles) allow any any post configuration options similar to a kickstart file or powercli commands?

For example something like after the ESXi installation is complete perform something like:

# Set the vCenter Password Expiration Value to 10

Get-AdvancedSetting -Entity $defaultVIServer -Name "VirtualCenter.VimPasswordExpirationInDays" | Set-AdvancedSetting -Value 10

Thanks in advance, I am still getting up to speed on the newer features on vSphere.

[kashifkarar01]

Hi,

you can set up host profiles in a reference host and apply those host profile

settings to all other hosts provisioned with vSphere Auto Deploy. You can either

configure the reference host and export the host profile or, for small changes,

edit the host profiles directly. The host profile is not for vCenter server.

you can refer the following weblink which has the information with screenshots:

http://www.vhersey.com/2012/04/vsphere-auto-deploy-host-profiles-and-answer-files/ 

[David9876]

Thanks so much for your fast reply.

I guess my question is without my lab I cannot tell how grandeur are the host profiles and answer files are.

I believe there is will be a ton of random requirements, do they allow for customizable additions? (or every possibly configurable option)

[Schorschi]

In short, no, Host Profiles can't do somethings.  For example, we had to write post configuration PowerCLI scripting to do a number of best practice configuration tasks, that are OEM hardware/storage recommended, qualified in the VMware Hardening Guide, as well as a few other items, like customized firewall port configuration.  We have suggested to VMware to add customer scripting hooks to Host Profiles, and VMware seemed interested in the idea, but the idea has yet to materialize into VMware vSphere.  Maybe soon, one can always hope.  We would love to have a way to run a PowerCLI script right before and after a Host Profile is run.  Sure, we can write a PowerCLI script to do tasks, invoke a Host Profile, then do a few tasks, but we would rather have an option in the vSphere Web Client Host Profile editor, to provide a pre-script name, and/or a post-script names, allowing said scripts to be uploaded into the actual Host Profile, so that said scripts run under the same context as the Host Profile, and of course as Host Profiles are exported and imported, said scripts are embedded, and follow the export/import sequence.