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brugh
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ESX deployment appliance v1.05

https://solutionexchange.vmware.com/store/products/esx-deployment-appliance-eda

ESX Deployment Appliance (EDA) is a small and easy to use appliance

that makes deploying ESX servers a breeze. It has a very intuitive

web-interface that can configure and deploy dozens of ESX servers in

minutes. It has a script-builder that will allow any admin to create

%post-scripts that will do most anything one needs to get the ESX hosts

up and running! Even if deploying with RDP/Altiris or the UDA, this

script-builder can help setting those up very quickly.

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brugh
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actually, virtuall.eu is down for maintenance today. things should be up and running again soon!

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brugh
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sudo is activated by default. all you need to do is add a user and put him in a sudo group. there's an 'add user' scriptlet in the EDA.

add the group to the system and the sudoers file:

groupadd admins

echo %admins ALL=(ALL) ALL >> /etc/sudoers

and add the user to the group 'admins' with something like:

usermod -G admins USERNAME

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rholgate
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i need to build 21 Physical servers with either ESX3.5 or ESX4 over and over again for training purposes.

i've got the EDA90 on my vcenter and its deploying images as expected.

i want to customise each script, seems easy enough for a host name and service console and VMK0, i need VMK1 and 2nd service Console

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rock0n
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Vielen Dank für Ihre eMail

Ich bin bis zum 15. November 2009 nicht im Hause.

E-Mails werden gelesen.

Bei Fragen wenden Sie sich bitte an :

mailto:professionalservices@techdata.de

Mit freundlichen Grüssen

Raiko Mesterheide

Thank you very much for your E-Mail.

I am not in the office and will return on 15th November.

E-Mails will be read.

For urgent issues please contact:

mailto:professionalservices@techdata.de

Best Regards

Raiko Mesterheide

DISCLAIMER:

Tech Data GmbH & Co. OHG, Sitz der Gesellschaft ist München, Amtsgericht München HRA 81177, WEEE-Reg.-Nr.: DE57403598; Gesellschafter: Sitz der Gesellschafter ist München; Tech Data Deutschland GmbH, Amtsgericht München HRB 81681, Geschäftsführer: Simone Frömming, Johannes Nussbickel, Günter Schiessl; Tech Data Midrange GmbH, Amtsgericht München HRB 90433, Geschäftsführer: Marc Müller, Johannes Nussbickel; Tech Data Information Technology GmbH, Amtsgericht München HRB 87050, Geschäftsführer: Samy Amsellem

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davismisbehavis
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Ignore this post, I pressed enter to soon

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davismisbehavis
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Here's an example of what I have in my post configuration script, I have used this for some 3.5 U4 rebuilds recently

The first part adds a second NIC to the service console port group that VMNIC0 will already be applied to

If you look up the esxcfg-vswitch command you'll find all the things possible to configure. An example script for my deployments in full can be found at http://www.virtualpro.co.uk/images/EDAScript.txt

  1. Create Service Console Portgroup and add extra NIC

/usr/sbin/esxcfg-vswitch -A "Service Console" vSwitch0

/usr/sbin/esxcfg-vswitch -L vmnic2 vSwitch0

  1. Create Server vswitch, portgroup and add NICs

/usr/sbin/esxcfg-vswitch -a vSwitch1

/usr/sbin/esxcfg-vswitch -A VLAN2 vSwitch1

/usr/sbin/esxcfg-vswitch -L vmnic1 vSwitch1

/usr/sbin/esxcfg-vswitch -L vmnic3 vSwitch1

/usr/sbin/esxcfg-vswitch -L vmnic4 vSwitch1

/usr/sbin/esxcfg-vswitch -L vmnic5 vSwitch1

  1. Create Internal vSwitch and Portgroup

/usr/sbin/esxcfg-vswitch -a vSwitch2

/usr/sbin/esxcfg-vswitch -A Internal vSwitch2

#Refresh NIC settings with vimsh

/usr/sbin/vimsh -n -e "hostsvc/net/refresh"

/usr/sbin/vimsh -n -e "internalsvc/refresh_network"

Happy rebuilding!!

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rholgate
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thanks for the mega quick response...

wont this deliver common networking to all my 21 physical hosts?

i need

ESX1 to have VMK0 192.168.1.1 and VMK1 192.168.2.1

ESX2 to have VMK0 192.168.1.2 and VMK1 192.168.2.2

ESX3 to have VMK0 192.168.1.3 and VMK1 192.168.2.3

thnaks Smiley Happy

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davismisbehavis
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Sorry, I see what you mean you need VMKernel network ports configured

This might take a bit of testing but I was using the following for setting up VMKernel ports for vMotion

Now the vSwitch and the NICS were assigned but the vmkernel port group wasn't. I think this may have been because I hadn't factored in the configuration of the default gateway for vmotion and I think it was errroring because of that. As I only had 3 hosts to configure I just fixed it manually and moved on.

  1. Create VMotion vSwitch add NICS, configure and enable VMKernel Port

/usr/sbin/esxcfg-vswitch -a vSwitch5

/usr/sbin/esxcfg-vswitch -L vmnic9 vSwitch5

/usr/sbin/esxcfg-vswitch -L vmnic5 vSwitch5

/usr/sbin/esxcfg-vmknic -a -i 10.10.0.40 -n 255.0.0.0 VMOTION

/etc/init.d/mgmt-vmware restart

/usr/sbin/vimsh -n -e "/hostsvc/vmotion/vnic_set vmk0"

I found the following KB article for creation of ISCSI VMkernel ports

http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&cmd=displayKC&externalId=100698...

You might also be able to do something with the VIMSH, a good refernce can be found here www.vi-toolkit.com/wiki/index.php/Main_page

Hope that helps in some way

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rholgate
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any way i can pull in a know variable like hostname?

so

if hostname=esx1 then do the script vmk1=192.168.2.1

if hostname=esx2 then do the script vmk1=192.168.2.2

coding is not my special skill Smiley Happy thanks..rob

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brugh
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the whole point of the eda is that you don't need to build a general script.. it is specific for every server.

the IP address of the server is a stored in a variable called MyIP. if you need a second number you could change the 3rd octet like so:

secondIP=${MyIP/.2./.3.}

and then use $secondIP for the second cos port. so if your main ip address is 192.168.2.1, the secondIP would say 192.168.3.1.

another option is to not to put a second console port in but make the link redundant... better option than the extra management for a second cos port i think.

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hakimzc
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Hello All,

I am trying the EDA for the first time and I am having a problem setting it up.

I am using Workstation 6 on an XP laptop. Everything seems to be OK until I try to add in the "eda-v0.90.vmdk" disk to the virtual machine. I get a nasty error from Workstation 6, advising that there is an urecoverable error (vmui) NOT_REACHED c:/ob/bora/lib/disklib/diskLib.c:7179.

I must admit, all the set up guides that I have seen do not seem to advise how to set up the vm to get started - they all seem to begin at the point where you have the appliance up and running. e.g. http://www.virtuall.eu/blog/esx-deployment-appliance-eda-quick-startup-and-troubleshooting-guide

I did see one guide for an older version of EDA, on Simon Long's website. It gives instructions for setting up EDAv0.85 on Workstation v6.5. It advises on the setting for the vm etc. It is here http://www.simonlong.co.uk/blog/2009/02/14/deploying-esx35-using-eda-v085-inside-vmware-workstation-...

If anyone could tell me the prerequisites and step by step guide (for a noob) for setting up EDAv0.9 on VmMware Workstation I would grateful. Perhaps my version on Workstation is too old or something?

Thanks in advance,

Hakimzc

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francescog
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Salve,

sarò fuori ufficio fino al giorno 27/11/2009.

In questo periodo avrò accesso limitato alla posta elettronica.

Per eventuali comunicazioni urgenti Vi prego di chiamare il seguente numero: 0106018363

Grazie

I'll be out of office until 27/11/2009 and limited access to email.

For any urgent communication, please call this number: +390106018363

Thank you

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77seb77
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Je suis absent jusqu'au 30 novembre 2009. Merci d'ecrire à

ServiceDesk-FR@eads.com.

I am out of the office until November, 30th 2009. Please write to

ServiceDesk-FR@eads.com.

Cordialement, Best Regards,

Sébastien BRIAND

Back Office Operations France / IMS431

EADS Defence and Security

MetaPole

1 Boulevard Jean Moulin

CS 40001

78996 ELANCOURT CEDEX

Tel : +33 (0)1 61 38 70 34

Fax: +33 (0)1 61 38 57 16

Email: sebastien.briand@eads.com

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hakimzc
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Hello All,

I am trying the EDA for the first time and I am having a problem setting it up.

I am using Workstation 6 on an XP laptop. Everything seems to be OK until I try to add in the "eda-v0.90.vmdk" disk to the virtual machine. I get a nasty error from Workstation 6, advising that there is an urecoverable error (vmui) NOT_REACHED c:/ob/bora/lib/disklib/diskLib.c:7179.

I must admit, all the set up guides that I have seen do not seem to advise how to set up the vm to get started - they all seem to begin at the point where you have the appliance up and running. e.g. http://www.virtuall.eu/blog/esx-deployment-appliance-eda-quick-startup-and-troubleshooting-guide

I did see one guide for an older version of EDA, on Simon Long's website. It gives instructions for setting up EDAv0.85 on Workstation v6.5. It advises on the setting for the vm etc. It is here http://www.simonlong.co.uk/blog/2009/02/14/deploying-esx35-using-eda-v085-inside-vmware-workstation-...

If anyone could tell me the prerequisites and step by step guide (for a noob) for setting up EDAv0.9 on VmMware Workstation I would grateful. Perhaps my version on Workstation is too old or something?

Thanks in advance,

Hakimzc

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brugh
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actually, you don't need to create a VM manually anymore.

just go to file, import and browse to the .ovf file, it does everything for you.

for workstation prior to version 7 you need the alternative .ovf file (http://virtuall.eu/download-document/eda-v0.90a.ovf.zip). just put that in the same directory as the VMDK file from the eda.zip and import it.

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hakimzc
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Thanks for replying.

I am using Workstation 6.0.2. When I go through the import wizard, it asks me to choose one of 3 source types.

1) Physical computer.

2) ESX or Virtual Centre virtual machine

3) Standalone virtual machine

The only option which allows me to search for a file is the third one. However, it does not show ovf files as a vaild choice. The wizard says it will only show me "supported" file types.

Is it possible that there is a minimum version of Workstation6.x that supports ovf files? Maybe I have to install something else on top of Workstation to get ovf files to be recognised.

Sorry, I need spoon feeding here.

Thanks,

Hakimzc

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brugh
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i'm not sure if workstation 6.0 supported ovf files. i know 6.5 does though. and upgrading from 6.0 to 6.5 is free so i would recommend you install 6.5 (check http://downloads.vmware.com/d/info/desktop_downloads/vmware_workstation/6_5).

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hakimzc
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Hi Brugh,

You are right, 6.0 does not support ovf. I went to 6.5 and it worked!

Now I have the EDA successfully powering up, I am encountering a new problem.

When the appliance boots up, I get two "fails".

1) Mounting HGFS shares - fail

2) Starting dhcp server - fail

When I use my browser to configure the appliance and I go to the "configure dhcp server" section, I see the following settings..

********************************************************************************

DHCP server is set to autostart and is not running

#

  1. Sample configuration file for ISC dhcpd for Debian

#

  1. $Id: dhcpd.conf,v 1.4.2.2 2002/07/10 03:50:33 peloy Exp $

#

allow booting;

allow bootp;

  1. option definitions common to all supported networks...

option domain-name "int.dom";

option domain-name-servers 192.168.22.1;

option subnet-mask 255.0.0.0;

default-lease-time 600;

max-lease-time 7200;

subnet 192.168.22.0 netmask 255.255.255.0 {

range 192.168.22.110 192.168.22.120;

option broadcast-address 192.168.22.255;

option routers 10.10.10.100;

next-server 10.10.10.100;

filename "pxelinux.0";

}

*****************************************************************************

If I then try to restart dhcp, I get:-

*****************************************************************************

system startup links for /etc/init.d.dhcp3-server already exist.

  • Stopping DHCP server dhcpd3

...fail!

  • Starting DHCP server dhcpd3

...fail!

Click to close

*****************************************************************************

I have this set up on a laptop with XP Pro, SP2 and a Broadcom57xx network card. The card has an address of 10.10.10.99, subnet mask of 255.0.0.0

If you have any suggestions I would be really grateful!

Thanks,

Hakimzc

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smudger
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Hi Hakimzc,

I can't comment on the "HGFS" shares issue you have. Although I've had

similar issue when starting/restarting the dhcp service on various EDA

installations - this has normally been caused by an incorrect subnet

mask or gateway.

Hope this helps,

Neil

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hakimzc
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Hi Neil,

I have the laptop connected to a hub at the moment, there is nothing else attached to the hub. I was hoping I could choose any IP address\subnet I liked, the settings are:-

EDA:-

IP=10.10.10.100

SB = 255.0.0.0

GW = 10.10.10.100

Nameserver = 192.168.22.1

And for the laptop:-

DHCP = no

IP = 10.10.10.99

SB = 255.0.0.0

GW = blank

I can see two VMware adapters when I do an ipconfig on the laptop:-

VMnet8

DHCP = no

IP = 192.168.226.1

SB = 255.255.255.0

VMnet1

DHCP = no

IP = 192.168.119.1

SB = 255.255.255.0

Perhaps you can spot an error here? If not, maybe you could suggest some settings that have worked for you?

Thanks Neil,

Hakimzc

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