ESX deployment appliance v1.05

[brugh]

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.

[brugh]

that would've been my next suggestion good find. i already fixed it in my version so it will be fixed in the next update.

[Zsoldier]

Thanks. Another question. I'm getting prompted for an installation method for some reason. Any ideas why? I tried HTTP, but seems I run into this weird bug. It looks like it adds an extra "/" after the directory specified. See attached screenshots.

[Zsoldier]

Nevermind, I'm a moron, it was a problem w/ my nic mounting eth0 vs. eth1. Didn't catch that.

[Zsoldier]

ok, that doesn't seem to be the issue either. I'm stuck. ?:|

[KyleWeir]

Brugh/All,

I'm still having problems were the default vmkernel gateway it looks like it adds the gateway from the console, but when I go into the gui it's not there. Also I'm having a problem where I have a "VM Network" port group which I have set to go to vSwitch1, but it keeps ending up in vSwitch0 instead. Below is my script.

1. Setup admin acct

grep ^admins: /etc/group > /dev/null || groupadd admins

grep ^%admins /etc/sudoers > /dev/null || echo %admins ALL = NOPASSWD: ALL >> /etc/sudoers

useradd esxadmin

echo XXXX| passwd --stdin esxadmin

usermod -G admins esxadmin

1. Add addition nic to vSwitch0

esxcfg-vswitch -L vmnic1 vSwitch0

1. Add additional nic to vSwitch1

esxcfg-vswitch -a vSwitch1

esxcfg-vswitch -L vmnic2 vSwitch1

esxcfg-vswitch -L vmnic3 vSwitch1

1. Set vlan information for service ports

2. esxcfg-vswitch vSwitch0 -p "Service Console"

1. create Standard VM PortGroups

esxcfg-vswitch -A 'Server VLAN' vSwitch1

esxcfg-vswitch -A 'DMZ_public' vSwitch1

esxcfg-vswitch -v 6 -p 'DMZ_public' vSwitch1

esxcfg-vswitch -A 'DMZ_private' vSwitch1

esxcfg-vswitch -v 5 -p 'DMZ_private' vSwitch1

esxcfg-vswitch -A 'Tyler-Network' vSwitch1

esxcfg-vswitch -v 11 -p 'Tyler-Network' vSwitch1

esxcfg-vswitch -A 'CODY-Secure-Network-Restricted' vSwitch1

esxcfg-vswitch -v 40 -p 'CODY-Secure-Network-Restricted' vSwitch1

esxcfg-vswitch -A 'VM Network' vSwitch1

esxcfg-vswitch -v 210 -p 'VM Network' vSwitch1

1. create the VMotion portgroup & set default gw

esxcfg-vswitch -A VMkernel vSwitch0

esxcfg-vswitch -v 0 -p 'VMkernel' vSwitch0

esxcfg-route 172.19.80.1

1. Dont edit the next line! check ks link in table of ESX hosts for output

esxcfg-vmknic -a VMkernel -i ###HOSTIP### -n 255.255.255.0

1. enable VMotion

service mgmt-vmware restart

sleep 5

while ; do

sleep 5

echo Waiting for hostd to accept connections..

done

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

1. Allow ROOT access using SSH

sed -e 's/PermitRootLogin no/PermitRootLogin yes/' /etc/ssh/sshd_config > /etc/ssh/sshd_config.new

mv -f /etc/ssh/sshd_config.new /etc/ssh/sshd_config

service sshd restart

mv /etc/ntpd.conf /etc/ntpd.conf.bak

mv /etc/ntpd/step-tickers /etc/ntpd/step-tickers.bak

echo "1.north-america.pool.ntp.org" > /etc/ntp/step-tickers

echo "pool.ntp.org" >> /etc/ntp/step-tickers

echo "restrict 127.0.0.1" > /etc/ntp.conf

echo "restrict default kod nomodify notrap" >> /etc/ntp.conf

echo "server 1.north-america.pool.ntp.org" >> /etc/ntp.conf

echo "server pool.ntp.org" >> /etc/ntp.conf

echo "driftfile /var/lib/ntp/drift" >> /etc/ntp.conf

esxcfg-firewall -e ntpClient

service ntpd restart

chkconfig --level 345 ntpd on

hwclock --systohc

vimsh -n -e "hostsvc/advopt/update LVM.DisallowSnapshotLun int 0"

vimsh -n -e "hostsvc/storage/hba_rescan vmhba1"

vimsh -n -e "hostsvc/storage/hba_rescan vmhba2"

sleep 5

cd /vmfs/volumes/ISO-SoftwareRepository/hpmgmt/825

./install825vibs.sh --silent --inputfile hpmgmt.conf

[SSOVMWARE]

Hi Herco,

How are you?

I attached the ESX4 ISO. But it screwed my appliance when I "Import PXE Boot files".

ESX3.5 works perfectly. I deployed a dozen of servers in no time.

EDA is great!! You are doing a good job.

Thanks,

Jim Hillebrand

[Zsoldier]

After putzing with it for a little while finally determined that I had to use eth4... <sigh> I think this is the only box that is configured weird.

[solgae]

This is the ks file generated. I created this for installing ESX in VMware Workstation.

[NathanEly]

Hello,

I plan to run the deployment appliance from my ESX host to image up other blades in my chassis. Currently running 3.5 U4. I tried importing the OVF (v.90), and I'm getting an error " The hardware family of the OVF package is not supported: vmx-07" I'm assuming that's because it needs virtual hardware version 7 (vSphere) in order to run? If so, can you make the previous version available?

Thanks

-Nate

[davismisbehavis]

I'm trying to import the new EDA V0.90 appliance onto an ESX4i host but am getting an error regarding the VirtualCDrom (See attached screenshot)

Is this related to the VirtualCDrom within the EDA appliance or is this complaining about something in my ESX 4i box

[Zsoldier]

Question for ya. Is there a method to increase the Service Console memory allocation via the kickstart script or as an option prior to the kickstart script? I'm able to get it to change it through vimsh, but the box doesn't reboot automatically to commit that change.

[rock0n]

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[brugh]

hm, i'm not 100% sure because i switched the default a couple of times.

but a VM network is probably being created by default. you could first remove it from vSwitch0 and then add it again at vSwitch1.

[brugh]

hey jim! long time no see i'm great. could use some more colleagues though.. (no dutch guys around that need a new job? )

what exactly do you see when it breaks. does the import fail? or does the whole appliance break down?

[brugh]

well the ks file looks fine. no idea why you get the strange gateway messages. is it a valid IP? is it reachable from the console? i heard more people complaining about gateway errors.. maybe it's in the installer. but something still has to trigger it and as far as this ks file goes, nothing should.. strange.

[brugh]

at the same download location as the primary files for the EDA there's also an .OVF file for previous hardware versions. download that one and use it to import the EDA.

[brugh]

that's strange, the virtual cd should be compatible. could you try the old version .OVF file from the same download location and see if that works?

[brugh]

well no, it doesn't automatically reboot. but you can simply add a line at the end of the script that reboots it when the script is done. leave some room for the pegasus scripts to finish. usually a delay of 3 minutes is sufficient.

i use this scriptlet:

• perl -p -e -i 's/memSize = \"272\"/memSize = \"800\"/g' /etc/vmware/esx.conf

• esxcfg-boot -g

• esxcfg-boot -b

• shutdown -r +3 -t 60 &

[brugh]

and since my vacation is coming up, is there anything that you guys need for the eda? i usually have too much spare time in the weeks i'm not working, my wife doesn't let me bring any homework, so i have to settle with some hobbies if there's anything missing, things not working, script-bits you need, let me know. when it's done, i can finaly promote it, with a few minor bugfixes, to 1.0.

[Zsoldier]

I think that might be a good option to add as a scriptlet and/or radio button that can be checked to reboot the system. And add the scriptlet to change the service console size for the next revision.

well no, it doesn't automatically reboot. but you can simply add a line at the end of the script that reboots it when the script is done. leave some room for the pegasus scripts to finish. usually a delay of 3 minutes is sufficient.

i use this scriptlet:

• perl -p -e -i 's/memSize = \"272\"/memSize = \"800\"/g' /etc/vmware/esx.conf

• esxcfg-boot -g

• esxcfg-boot -b

• shutdown -r +3 -t 60 &