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Ultimate Deployment Appliance

http://www.vmware.com/vmtn/appliances/directory/232

Deploy your favorite OS by pressing F12, bring your own ISO's, we'll do the rest

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dougm
Contributor
Contributor

Has anyone used 2.0_Build13?

I have it all configured and my ESX host is pxe booting to the appliance. I am successfully getting the Template screen. When I choose a Tempate, it then brings up the subtemplates. (BUILD_ESX01, BUILD_ESX02, etc.) (the top of this screen it says viLogics) When I select the build (BUILD_ESX03) I want and hit "Enter", the screen appears to flicker, but it does nothing. It appears to be suck on this screen. I have verified the template several times and I cannot see where there is a problem. Has anyone else seen this behavior on Build_13?

Thanks.

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dinny
Expert
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Hiya,

I'm just starting to evaluate UDA 2 (I've used the old version of UDA for ages)

I have UDA 2 build 13 - I did a test (on the ESX 3 OS) yesterday, without using any subtemplate - it worked fine.

I then added a subtemplate today (a very simple one - only using a subtemplate variable)

My build does now seem to hang on the PXE screen that displays the subtemplate menu - with a title of viLogics

I'll keep experimenting...

But maybe it is a bug in build 13?

Dinny

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dinny
Expert
Expert

Hiya,

I've played around a little more...

Looks like it is probably failing to progress from that screen because this version of the code is no longer correctly replacing the and variables when it writes out the tftp menu file.

In my case (where my template happens to be esx35u3temp) this is in the /var/public/tftproot/pxelinux.cfg/templates/esx35u3temp.menu file.

i.e.

LABEL spek116

MENU LABEL spek116 esx35 u3 template

KERNEL vmlinuz.[OS].esx35u3

APPEND

instead of

LABEL spek114

MENU LABEL spek114 esx35 u3 template

KERNEL vmlinuz.esx3.esx35u3

APPEND ks=http://10.97.54.70/kickstart/esx35u3test/spek114.cfg initrd=initrd.esx3.esx35u3 ramdrive_size=8192 ksdevice=eth0

If I edit the menu file directly - it does then boot - but it then seems to fail to find the ESX media (so stops at the language prompt)

I'm guessing that this is because other variables are unresolved elsewhere - so it's not looking in the correct place?

Off home now - so I'm hoping Carl sees this and has a quick fix - otherwise I'll have a more in depth look tomorrow

Dinny

PS I really like the design improvements in UDA 2 as a whole - much better than UDA 1.4

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dougm
Contributor
Contributor

I too created a template (ESX4 U1) without any Sub-templates. It did then work. however, it was prompting for which NIC, language, etc., so it does not appear it read the script for customization. Still researching.

Thanks for the confirmation.

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_the_dude_
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

I found the problem, and fixed it. Get build 14 and you should be fine.

There was a problem where not all 'variables' were replaced with their

values.

Would it be better if I upload upcoming builds in OVF maybe? Will that

make life easier for everyone?

Or is there a better way that you would recommend?

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BenConrad
Expert
Expert

I am using 2.0 build 14 (and was using build 13), I'm using storage in /local to store my ISOs. When I add an "OS" for ESX (VMware ESX Server 4.X.X) and point to the ESX 4.0 (no update) ISO UDA creates the proper OS entry and I can create a template and it boots.

When I specify the Update1 ISO it seems to get loaded into /var/public/www/esx4 but the OS menu option never shows up.

Is this a known issue? Is the ESX Update 1 .ISO supported?

Ben

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BenConrad
Expert
Expert

I guess I found a bug (2.0 build 14).

If I name the OS 'ESX4-U1' it seems to process the ISO but the menu option does not display. If I repeat and use ESX4U1as the OS name it does display in the OS menu.

Ben

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dinny
Expert
Expert

Thanks very much for the quick fix Carl.

Re new UDA versions ongoing:

I make quite a few customisations to the UDA VM once it is installed - so starting from scratch each time a new build version comes out is a fair amount of work for me.

I appreciate that this is unavoidable with major changes, say where the version of centos changes, or where major changes are made to the directory structure of the UDA app etc.

However, in cases where just a few perl scripts are changed, I would find it really helpful, if as well as a zipped vmdk (or ovf) containing the whole VM you could also post a tar file containing the amended perl scripts etc, and maybe a short readme containing the full path of each perl file that needs replacing?

I realise that this is more effort for you from a version control perspective - but I guess it would be fairly straight forward, especially in cases where only one or two perl scripts changed?

For your interest, these are the things I do with each new UDA build:

Import vmdk with vmkfstools

Complete UDA initial wizard

Install and configure vmtools

Re-set keyboard to UK

Re-set timezone to Europe/London

Set time updates to be via vmtools

Edit resolv.conf and hosts files to add FQDN and additional DNS servers

Add additional vmdk to VM - then use UDA gui to add it to available local disk space

Copy esx isos (with san drivers removed) to UDA

Copy other data (that I use in my install scripts) to UDA, then add another NFS export to UDA to share this data

Use UDA to add new OSs, new templates and subtemplates

Replace the default esx cfg files with my own customised build scripts

Edit esx perl scripts to add ksdevice=eth0 to command line by default.

Cheers

Dinny

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StefanPahrmann

I would also prefer to get a tar/gz-file with only the perl-scripts, which replaces the old ones under /var/public/cgi-bin.

It's a great deal to get this vm work, it doesn't work native on an ESX-server. We have a working version(v13) so replacing the files would just be great.

Regards

Stefan

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dougm
Contributor
Contributor

Thanks Dude! Smiley Happy

I am pulling down the bits, now.

As far as format, I don't mind the zip file. It makes it easy to just extract to the correct location and add as a VM in VMware Workstation.

I was just noticing when I added VMware ESX 4.X.X, the Flavor pull down is blank.

Thanks again for you time and effort.

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dougm
Contributor
Contributor

Just as an FYI, I am seeing a issues with build 14 in mounting a windows share for storage. This is a good option that keeps you from creating another partition on the appliance and uploading every ISO you need for building ESX hosts.

It creates the directory under /var/public/smbmout, but it will not issue the mount cmd. I manually mounted the CIFS share. However, it will not mount the ISO as a new OS.

This all worked in Build13.

Thanks again for all of your hard work.

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dinny
Expert
Expert

Hiya,

If anyone is interested, I've documented the procedure for removing the HBA drivers from the ESX 4 ISO (to avoid the need to remove the SAN cables at ESX install time)

I've also included a basic script that does all the work for you in only a few minutes.

It is on the VIOPs site, under 'management':

http://communities.vmware.com/docs/DOC-11951

All comments welcome...

I've also re-published my original ESX 3 doc which was no longer online

http://communities.vmware.com/docs/DOC-11950

Hope they're useful

Cheers

Dinny

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dougdavis22
Hot Shot
Hot Shot

I've just started playing with UDA 2.0 beta, and so far I've had no major issues. The first one I've hit is to do with an ESX 3.5 kickstart script I'm trying to use, but no matter what I do the install always seems to ask for network information.

I've even tried using the example kickstart provided with the UDA, but this does the same. All networking info is specified in the kickstart script, so why is the ESX installer still asking for it? Seems to me like the script isn't being read by the UDA for some reason.

Anyone else seen this issue?

Cheers,

Doug.

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Goliath222
Contributor
Contributor

Hi,

I had the same problem, you have to spec a adapter for the tftp also, in case it is not the first one the ESX is getting installed from. Pls see my Post 521 a couple pages back in this thread for the solution.

Greets

Oliver

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StefanPahrmann

Hi Dinny,

thank you for the great work. I've tried it today (manually) and it worked like a charm.

Well done!

Regards

Stefan

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dinny
Expert
Expert

Pleasure,

Now try the script - you'll never want to do it manually again afterwards.. Smiley Happy

Dinny

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wasim21k
Contributor
Contributor

Hi,

any one tried to deploy workstations using UD 2.0, i ran into problems, but

activity on ud web site forum is very limited.

here iso mounted, and win xp is configurd successfully and when i try to boot one test machine it give me error (first attached file) and when i click on PXE on web interface under System and just simply without changing anything click Apply i get error (as attached second image)

I m just running around with no luck.

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_the_dude_
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

wasim21k, can you let me know what build of the 2.0 beta you are using?

WindowsXP should work out-of the box, but judging from the seconds image it looks like something went wrong.

Did you create a template after mounting the iso and configuring xp?

If so, can you attach the contents of the advanced tab in the template?

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wasim21k
Contributor
Contributor

Thanks for very quick reply,

after deleting and and starting from zero. and created os and then creating template based on that image (without going to pxe and hitting apply) booted one test machine and now it is working now and i m installing windows xp on one test machine.

my next step would be to deploy ghost/acroni image instead of deploying iso image to workstations. if you can suggest anything that would be very helpfull.

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_the_dude_
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

Personally I would create something with clonezilla or just a vey small

linux distribution to drag the image over the network and dd it to the

harddrive of the workstation.

Lots of other people prefer acronis and other tools. Check out this post

from aviadra that shows some of the configurations for these tools:

http://www.ultimatedeployment.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=255#p528

Also, whenever you have something that will fit on a floppy you can use

memdisk and load the floppy over PXE...

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