Question on Network Configuration using Scripted Install

[DFATAnt]

I am using the Kickstart process to do a scripted install and everything is working well except the network configuration. The installation is being done on a HP DL380 with dual onboard NICs.

I am getting prompted during the scripted install to select a network card ( and am given the option of selecting either eth0 or eth1).

In the Network section of the kickstart file, I have the following settings:

network --device eth0 --bootproto static --ip xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx -netmask xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx --gateway xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx --nameserver xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx --hostname host.network.domain --addvmportgroup=1 --vlanid=0

Can anyone tell me if there is something that I am missing or doing wrong. I want to be able to start the scripted install, walk away and have everything done by the time I get back.

Thanks

Ant

[DFATAnt]

After a lot more testing and investigation, I have come to the conclusion that my problem has nothing to do with the kickstart process.

My problem occurs before the kickstart process. If I am trying to get anything from the ftp site for the kickstart installation, the HP servers I am using need an IP address bound to one of the NICs so that they can get to the ftp server. For some unknown reason (that I am waiting for VMware to figure out for me), I am being prompted as to which NIC I want to have a DHCP address allocated to it so that I can get on the network to access the ftp server.

Another strange problem out of all this is that if I select the first NIC, I am unable to access the ftp server. It is as if the NIC is not getting an address bound to it. If I select the second NIC, everything works fine.

Has anyone else seen these issues?

[DFATAnt]

The answer to my problem was with loadlin. I was using loadlin to point to the location of the kickstart file. The loadlin line looked as follows:

C:\dosutils\loadlin C:\isolinux\vmlinuz ramdisk_size=10240 initrd=C:\isolinux\initrd.img ks=ftp://xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx/ks.cfg

I need to put another parameter at the end of the line:

ksdevice=eth0

That part enabled me to deploy the ESX server with no prompts.

Thanks to all that helped, especially the VMware Techos that solved my problem.

Message was edited by:

DFATAnt

[kix1979]

If you put the ks.cfg files in the linux image it works Maybe I should do a scripted install session at the next VMworld

Message was edited by:

kix1979

[sbeaver]

Hey Kix I had the very same idea and I am finishing up my proposal to submit to VMware as we speak

[Jwoods]

That would be an excellent idea! Pretty sure you'd get a packed room for that.

[DFATAnt]

Kix,

You mentioned the word files. What other files are there? With my very basic knowledge I thought there was only the ks.cfg file.

The reason I ask is that I will be deploying several hundred ESX servers and I need to know how to automate this as best as possible. Are you able to pint me in the direction of some decent documentation on how to do this?

[DFATAnt]

Sbeaver,

maybe should be writing a book on the subject in relation to VMware. I haven't been able to find much that has indepth knowledge and something like that would definitely be very useful.

[gogogo5]

DFATAnt (or anyone else) - can you let me know where the autostep option is used in the ks file? thanks.