VMware Cloud Community
venkat_kapisett
Contributor
Contributor

OS deployment to Dell Server R720 using VRA 6.2.1

OS deployment to Dell Server R720 using VRA 6.2.1

I am looking for a document to install OS on Dell Server using VRA 6.2.1 - Please share

Regards,

Venkat

http://peeradmin.com

Reply
0 Kudos
3 Replies
RaymundoEC
VMware Employee
VMware Employee

There is not much out there sir, but since last week I have been working on the same stuff for dell blade server and can share experience if you want :- )

regards

+vRay
Reply
0 Kudos
venkat_kapisett
Contributor
Contributor

Please share your experience vRay

Reply
0 Kudos
RaymundoEC
VMware Employee
VMware Employee

Ok then, first was little hard to have this work I must to confess, since not only comes from the fact that you have to know at least how autodeploy from VMware works, the steps on documentation are not detailed so I went like this:

  • .-Check compatibility matrix from vRA with OS (this will tell you the iDRAC version compatible with vRA for physical provisioning matters) and hardware
  • .-Upgrade firmware in case if available for iDRAC (this probably done by hardware admin )
  • .-use a DHCP in the segment of iDRAC network
  • .-create an unattended file using sysprep for SO
  • .-there is two ways of do this one is with WIM provisioning is the easiest one
  • .-make sure permissions on CIF share or windows share are correct

So basically, when you create the WIM image previously created you place in share, then in vRA create and endpoint to physical provisioning, if you don not see the tab maybe you have to check license for vRA or if you are with correct level of admin inside vRA, this endpoint is created using iDRAC credentials if you have different for each server you have to create in order to use them, then when create BP tell him that you want o create a physical server by set in Build Profile the use of .net WF called PhysicalProvisionWorkflow, if everything OK when you hit the request the WF will take your WIM image an then place on iDRAC, them the server will reboot after installation and vRA will take governance of this physical provisioned machine, sound easy, but sometimes this  fails and you don't have at least on my case any log form VRA that tells you a clue about where is the problem, if not working no worries you can use the PXE boot provisioning, this method as far I understand will look for options 66 and 67 on DHCP that tells iDRAC where is the TFTP server then will transfer the image and will use for installation of SO (you have to create with sysprep to automate unattended set up) so is like  vRA physical provisioning WF will leverage PXE boot to force where is the image and such, it takes me a while to understand the whole process  after my client open a case and get a clue from GSS, and just keep and eye on versions of everything.

PD.if any details needed let me know.

regards.

+vRay
Reply
0 Kudos