Ultimate Deployment Appliance

[VMTN_Admin]

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

[LeoKurz2]

Hello,

I've been playing around with UDA in an earlier version and was quite impressed. I had already built my own remote installation environment but not nearly as sophisticated as UDA. I have one problem though: In most of my usecases, I'm not able to run my own dhcp server or even modify an existing. Is there a way to use syslinux on a usb thumb drive which then acts like the pxelinux from uda? Perhaps configure syslinux to boot pxelinx from uda? ?:|

Any input highly appreciated

__Leo

[DDay01]

I'm new to VMware and have been tasked to deploy 100 ESX 4.0 Hosts. I read about UDP and wanted to use it. Are there instructions to using this product and scripts?

[dinny]

Hiya,

This link should give you a lot of the info you need

http://www.rtfm-ed.co.uk/docs/vmwdocs/uda20-beta.pdf

Cheers

Dinny

[desiredforsome]

I have been using 1.4 and 2.0 and im trtying to get my driverpacks method 2 working. Any ideas? When going into gui it says cannot find \OEM\bin\un7zip.exe it is there. soemthing just isnt right. Any suggestions? It would be amazing for the help. THis is for XP SP2 it works on a cd just not in UDA.

Also im trying to get Hiren Boot cd to work on it but no luck, i got the menu working but when it goes to load the programs it fails. And cant load it into memdisk.

Thanks in advance.

[dsalade]

Great idea with this appliance,

Anyone have any issues with newer Dell Servers?

I tried deploying to Dell R610 with the some minor changes to the Template and it keeps showing up no local drive.

I did a DVD install then edited the template and it succedded fine, but then tried a different new R610 and it failed again.

The drive shows up as naa.6a4badb04384b600138d3d7f0840cb14

Curious if anyone has seen this, and knows a workaround.

Here is the ks.cfg from the install that seemed to work after the clean install from DVD:

######################################################################

#VMware ESX4 template Kickstart file

#Installation Method

install url

#VMware Specific Commands

vmaccepteula

#Keyboard

keyboard us

#root Password

rootpw --iscrypted

#Authconfig

auth --enablemd5 --enableshadow

#BootLoader ( The user has to use grub by default )

bootloader --location=mbr --driveorder=local

#Timezone

timezone --utc 'US/Pacific'

#Network install type

#network --bootproto=dhcp --device=vmnic0

network --addvmportgroup=true --device=vmnic0 --bootproto=static --ip=[IPADDR] --netmask=[SUBNET] --gateway=[GW] --nameserver=[DNS] --hostname=[FQDN]

#Reboot after install ?

reboot

#Firewall settings

firewall --disabled

#Canonical drive names:

clearpart --drives=naa.6a4badb04384b600138d3d7f0840cb14

#Uncomment to use first detected disk:

#clearpart --firstdisk

#Either choose autopartitioning

#autopart --disk=onfirstdisk

#Or do the partitioning yourself

part '/boot' --fstype=ext3 --size=1100 --ondisk=naa.6a4badb04384b600138d3d7f0840cb14

#Uncomment to use first detected disk:

#part '/boot' --fstype=ext3 --size=1100 --onfirstdisk

part 'none' --fstype=vmkcore --size=110 --ondisk=naa.6a4badb04384b600138d3d7f0840cb14

#Uncomment to use first detected disk:

#part 'none' --fstype=vmkcore --size=110 --onfirstdisk

part 'Local_[HOSTNAME]' --fstype=vmfs3 --size=48331 --grow --ondisk=naa.6a4badb04384b600138d3d7f0840cb14

#Uncomment to use first detected disk:

#part 'Local_[HOSTNAME]' --fstype=vmfs3 --size=48331 --grow --onfirstdisk

virtualdisk 'esxconsole' --size=47331 --onvmfs='Local_[HOSTNAME]'

part 'swap' --fstype=swap --size=1322 --onvirtualdisk='esxconsole'

part '/' --fstype=ext3 --size=10000 --maxsize=10000 --onvirtualdisk='esxconsole'

part '/home' --fstype=ext3 --size=3000 --maxsize=3000 --onvirtualdisk='esxconsole'

part '/opt' --fstype=ext3 --size=3000 --maxsize=3000 --onvirtualdisk='esxconsole'

part '/tmp' --fstype=ext3 --size=3000 --maxsize=3000 --onvirtualdisk='esxconsole'

part '/var' --fstype=ext3 --size=6000 --maxsize=6000 --onvirtualdisk='esxconsole'

part '/var/core' --fstype=ext3 --size=15000 --maxsize=15000 --onvirtualdisk='esxconsole'

part '/var/log' --fstype=ext3 --size=6000 --maxsize=6000 --onvirtualdisk='esxconsole'

%packages

%post --interpreter=bash

########################################################################

Thanks!

Dave

[dougdavis22]

Dave,

It's probably something to do with the fact you're specifying naa.xxxxx when doing your partitioning. As I understand it, this is unique to each installation hence why it will work on the one you customized it for & not on the next.

I don't have my ks file to hand, but you don't need to specify this.

Rgds,

Doug.

[dwchan]

i was just wonderig if there is any IBM xServer user here? By default, we change the boot order of the server from "hard drive 0" to network, thus it will PXE boot and begin the installation. But at the end of the install, what is the best way (automated) to change the boot order at the BIOS lay to change the boot order back from "network" to "hard drive 0" (or an automated way to change this in the beginning)

In the past, for our HP blade server, we would use HP Rapid Deploy (which is basically Altiris Server Deployment), which come with some pre-package script and executable that would talk to the HP ILO and controller the boot order. I presume there may be something similiar for the IBM side? or maybe there is an easy way that I just over look.

Any feedback would be appreicated

[Thrakorzog]

It may sound overly simplistic, but why don't you just leave the boot

order alone, and manually select the PXE boot when you bring the system

up the first time?

[Michelle_Laveri]

H there.

I think if your IBM customer wanting to do HP RDP/Alteris like functionality should take a look at IBM RDM...

As for the UDA, I wonder if there is some sort BIOS CLI tool (linux only because of the Service Console), that you could use to change the BIOS settings after the install had completed. OR some kind of SNMP trap that goes out to IBM management tool that then would push down the BIOS change...

As others have said - I have disk, PXE, cd, floppy in my BIOS orders. To wipe or build I force a PXE boot. If i wipe the disk, and recreate the local mirror it boots to PXE by default, and then on after the install boots to disk....

Regards

Mike Laverick

RTFM Education

http://www.rtfm-ed.co.uk

Author of the SRM Book:http://www.rtfm-ed.co.uk/2010/03/22/new-administrating-vmware-site-recovery-manager-4-0/

Free PDF or at-cost Hard Copy

[dwchan]

I agree, for now, we will make the network boot a manual process. But in the past, (and I know there is some limitation regarding to what UDA can do), with HP Rapid Deploy (Altiris Deployment Server), one can assign a series of jobs to a server (where UDA seem to be a single job). One of the job is to boot the server into an OS state (i.e. DOS, Linux, WinPE), and utilize one of the OEM utility, which talk to the BIOS and switch the next Boot Order accordingly (among other tasks). It was very very cool.

But for now, thanks for the suggestion/recommendation

[dwchan]

I do have one question. By default (how I am setup now), when you add a new OS, where does it store its initial bootloader for that particular OS information at?

Second, for the rest of the installation process (RPM for example), it seem to keep/get the rest of the information from the network mount that I setup. Is there a way to store everything on the UDA server, so there is no network mount dependency?

dwc

[Michelle_Laveri]

I do have one question. By default (how I am setup now), when you add a new OS, where does it store its initial bootloader for that particular OS information at?

Second, for the rest of the installation process (RPM for example), it seem to keep/get the rest of the information from the network mount that I setup. Is there a way to store everything on the UDA server, so there is no network mount dependency?

dwc

The answer is yes. The first release 1.x allowed you to add and VMDK, and then there was proceedure to format, and mount it - when you adding your .iSO it would get copied to DISK2. I believe UDA 2.0 allows this - but its tucked away in the storage or configuration area...

I've actually ive switched to using a network location to aviod having innumberable copies of ISOs all over (like ISOs for VMs and then ISOs inside the UDA)...

Regrds

Mike

[dwchan]

Is there any documentation or precedure on how to add the ISO permanently to the UDA locally? I guess for v2.0 Beta.

[Michelle_Laveri]

Ok. Played about a bit and got it working. I would have to say it wasn't intutive but I got there in the end.

1. I shutdown the UDA and added another disk... (I guess you don't have to do this, but I prefer it...)

2. Power back on the UDA. Login as Admin. Then go to system > diskspace > select locallv > Click Extend

3. Back to System > Upload > Browse for ISO image... watch it get uploaded

4. Then to the OS menu > New > Select a friendly name and OS type

5. Next, on the pull-down list for storage - select local, and you should find your ISO ready to mount...

Simplez...

Regards

Mike

[dwchan]

With my previous (before UDA) automated kickstart scripts, there is a step during the post where it d/l some additional management script and binary to the esx host. Since UDA doesn't come with any ftp daemon, what other option do I have? (can you do (sftp or nfc) within the esx shell back over to the UDA?, where would be a good place for the repository?)

[Michelle_Laveri]

I had the same issue. I wanted to download the HP insight agents from the UDA, and then in the %post automate the installation.

The way I used to it - was drop the binary on the webserver on the UDA...

Then open port 80 during the installation with esxcfg-firewall -e 80,tcp,out,http

then I used lwp-download to pull down the binaries(s)

and then close port 80...

The nice thing about this is you don't have to worry about authentication because HTTP is truly anonymous...

Regards

Mike Laverick

RTFM Education

http://www.rtfm-ed.co.uk

Author of the SRM Book:http://www.rtfm-ed.co.uk/2010/03/22/new-administrating-vmware-site-recovery-manager-4-0/

Free PDF or at-cost Hard Copy

[CPA_TDA]

Has anyone had any joy with esxi 4.1 scripted installs yet through uda 2.0 beta 14? Doesn't seem to want to play ball with regards to uploading the OS.

[unsichtbare]

I am unable to get ESXi 4.1 set up with UDA. The New Operating System import fails with:

Error
Could not copy file ienviron.tgz to /var/public/tftproot/esx4i.ESX41i.ienviron.tgz

-J

[Michelle_Laveri]

That's because its not supported. I don't when or if it will ever be...

There's a comment on this blog post:

http://www.rtfm-ed.co.uk/2010/06/23/new-version-of-the-uda-2-0-build-14/

Where someone explains how to do it with the UDA without using the import facility...

Regards

Mike Laverick

RTFM Education

http://www.rtfm-ed.co.uk

Author of the SRM Book:http://www.rtfm-ed.co.uk/2010/03/22/new-administrating-vmware-site-recovery-manager-4-0/

Free PDF or at-cost Hard Copy

[StefanPahrmann]

Hi,

it's true that it isn't supported but the reason for the error is, that ESXi 4.1 use other files than earlier esxi-versions. You can easily bypass it by copying the files manually if you have some linux-knowledge.

Log on via putty (or any other ssh-client).

Go into /var/public/tftproot

Create a folder (ie esxi41)

copy following files from /var/public/www/esx41/ into /var/public/tftproot/esxi41 :

cim.vgz, ienvieron.vgz, install.vgz, mboot.c32, menu.c32, sys.vgz, vmkboot.gz and vmkernel.gz.

At the webinterface add following for the new template:

kernel:

esxi41/mboot.c32

Kernel option command-line:

 esxi41/vmkboot.gz  ks=http://UDASERVER/kickstart/[TEMPLATE]/[SUBTEMPLATE].cfg --- esxi41/vmkernel.gz --- esxi41/sys.vgz --- esxi41/cim.vgz --- esxi41/ienviron.vgz --- esxi41/install.vgz 

Works like a charm here.

Regards

Stefan