vCenter 5.5 unattended installation documentation?

[tbyehl]

Is there any documentation for doing a command-line (unattended) installation of vCenter 5.5? For 5.1 I followed this guide (http://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/techpaper/vsp_51_vcserver_cmdline_install.pdf) but I haven't been able to find the equivalent for 5.5. The parameters for SSO and the Inventory Service have changed, and well, that's as far as I've made it so far.

Thanks!

[admin]

Hello tbyehi,

Although these command are not official supported, you can try these command line to install SSO, Inventory Service, WebClient, vCenter Server, and VI Client if you need some way to do an unattended installation.  Be sure to install SSO & IS before you install vCenter Server:

****To Install VMware Single Sign On********

start /wait VMware-SSO-Server.msi /qr /l*v C:\SingleSignOnInstall.log SSO_HTTPS_PORT=7444 DEPLOYMODE=FIRSTDOMAIN ADMINPASSWORD=SomePassword.123 SSO_SITE=PaloAlto

****To Install VMware Inventory Service*****

start /wait VMware-inventory-service.exe /S /L1033 /v" /L*v C:\InventoryServiceInstall.log QUERY_SERVICE_NUKE_DATABASE=1 SSO_ADMIN_USER=administrator@vsphere.local SSO_ADMIN_PASSWORD=SomePassword.123 LS_URL=https://WIN2008HOST:7444/lookupservice/sdk /qr"

****To Install VMware vCenter Server********

start /wait VMware-vcserver.exe /S /W /L1033 /v" /qr /norestart WARNING_LEVEL=0 VCS_GROUP_TYPE=Single VPX_ACCOUNT_TYPE=System DB_SERVER_TYPE=Bundled /L*v C:\vCenterServerInstall.log IS_URL="https://localhost:10443" SSO_ADMIN_USER=administrator@vsphere.local SSO_ADMIN_PASSWORD=SomePassword.123 VC_ADMIN_USER=administrator@vsphere.local VC_ADMIN_IS_GROUP_VPXD_TXT=false LS_URL=https://WIN2008HOST:7444/lookupservice/sdk "

****To Install VMware Web Client*****

start /wait VMware-WebClient.exe /L1033 /v" /qr SSO_ADMIN_USER=administrator@vsphere.local SSO_ADMIN_PASSWORD=SomePassword.123 LS_URL=https://WIN2008HOST:7444/lookupservice/sdk /L*v C:\WebClientInstall.log

****To Install VMware vSphere Client********

start /wait VMware-viclient.exe /L1033 /v" /qr /norestart /L*v "C:\vSphereClientInstall.log" WARNING_LEVEL=0

[PeteWalkerCCS]

Weidou -- If you'd be so kind, can you take another look at this, and perhaps test each of these out on 5.5 please?  I'm focusing on the SSO portion only (so far), but when I run it (changing the .MSI to .EXE, which I'm guessing was just a typo) I get "Error reading setup initialization file".  I'm running it in an elevated command prompt, by the way.  I also tried running it with the corrected .MSI file name, and it tells you to use the .EXE (I figured as much, but wanted to try it regardless).  Any input you can give us on this would be greatly appreciated.  I also am looking to automate many deployments of VMware, and this is a key portion of that.  Thank you, once again.

[admin]

Here is the unattended/silent install command for installing SSO:

msiexec /i "C:\VMware-VIMSetup-all\Single Sign-On\VMware-SSO-Server.msi" /qr /l*v %TEMP%\vim-sso-msi.log SSO_HTTPS_PORT=7444 DEPLOYMODE=FIRSTDOMAIN ADMINPASSWORD=Ca$hc0w1 SSO_SITE=PaloAlto

Replace "C:\VMware-VIMSetup-all" with the path to the folder where you have extracted the vimiso.

[PeteWalkerCCS]

This doesn't work as written.  The directory and MSI name isn't correct, and if I correct it to the right directory and MSI name, I get the error "The installer should be started using executable file." (which I can't, since it's not an MSI and will just error out).  Please advise.

[admin]

Can you post the build number you are trying to use?, Please use the latest GA build, The installer has been changed from exe to msi in the GA build.

[PeteWalkerCCS]

You nailed it.  Redownloaded the 5.5 GA off the VMware website, and now it works.  I don't know how, but clearly it was my fault I had the wrong version in there.  My sincerest apologies.  Thank you so much.

P.S. Would you be kind enough to either verify, or list the silent installations for the Inventory Service, vCenter, and the web client?  Thank you, once again.

[atulkatiyar]

I think "VMware-SSO-Server.msi " is not a file in C:\VMware-VIMSetup-all\Single Sign-On.It is VMware SSO Server.msi, go to C:\VMware-VIMSetup-all\Single Sign-On and rename it(VMware SSO Server.msi) as VMware-SSO-Server.msi, then try it out.

[shaka]

Were you able to figure out the command line arguments for joining a new vcenter to an existing SSO site.  Looking at the command line arguments in ORCA, I find that Deploymode=EXISTINGDOMAINSAMESITE should be the option but I am unable to get it to work with these additional arguments: DOMAINNAME=vsphere.local PARTNERHOSTNAME=other.server.blah ADMINENAME=Administrator ADMINPASSWORD=password SSO_SITE=originalsite

[tbyehl · Accepted solution]

One of my company's contacts finally tracked down the document. Doesn't seem to be on the web anywhere yet so I'm attaching it here.

[Edited to remove vsp_55_vcserver_cmdline_install.pdf by admin]

[admin]

Hi, I'm the author of the 5.5 VC command-line install doc, which is finalized, but not yet published on vmware.com.  It is in process with the VMware Web team.

tbyehl, I don't know where you accessed the document you attached in your post, and I don't know whether it is the latest, final version of the doc. I'm guessing that it came from an internal VMware Socialcast thread, where I posted the URL of the doc for internal VMware consumption by the VMware employees on that thread. Since I don't know where you obtained the version you have attached here, I can't vouch for it as the final version, and must point out that the document is not yet published, and should not have been released externally until it is published on vmware.com.

[VMguru1]

So elliott, when is the correct document going to be published on vmware.com? 

More importantly, if it will be a while, how do you add identity sources from the command line for SSO?

[MillardJK]

Any ETA on when this document will be finalized and published? My AutoLab isn't very "auto" if I have to manually install vCenter 5.5...

[admin]

Hi, all,

At last, the web team has posted the 5.5 VC command-line install doc. Sorry for the delay. See:

Command-Line Installation and Upgrade of vCenter Server 5.5

[vmhpdeep]

Hi Srinu

Thank you this worked for Singke sighn on, but can you give command syntax for other componets installation, for example I tried following command to install Inventory Servcie

msiexec /i "C:\Users\Public\Desktop\LabFiles\vCenter GA installer\Inventory Service\VMware-inventory-service.exe /S /L1033 /v" /L*v C:\InventoryServiceInstall.log QUERY_SERVICE_NUKE_DATABASE=1 SSO_ADMIN_USER=administrator@vsphere.local SSO_ADMIN_PASSWORD=SomePassword.123 LS_URL=https://WIN2008HOST:7444/lookupservice/sdk /qr"

I get error saying "Installation package cannot be opened"

It didnt work, can you please guide if some syntax missing, also can you give sysntax for ****To Install VMware vCenter Server******** Web clinet and ****To Install VMware vSphere Server********

Thanks

Pradeep

[PeteWalkerCCS]

Looks like you have a space in your installation location.  Either use quotes, or change the directory name you are pointing at so that it doesn't have any spaces.  Let me know how it goes.

Also, I see you did what I thought to do, then thought better of it.  The LS_URL entry doesn't have italics in the documentation, so I'm assuming you don't change that.  I could be wrong, of course.  I'm in the midst of creating a batch file to run all this back to back.  Trying it without modifying it, for starters though.

[kgottleib]

Where's the doc?  It appears to have been removed from this post?   Is it a valid doc or taken down due to flaws and errors? 

[PeteWalkerCCS]

The link is still there, further down the page.  Here's what it points to:

Command-Line Installation and Upgrade of vCenter Server 5.5

[ITSnoesberger]

Hi

We do encounter issues with the installation of vCenter Server and SSO. As it seems, those setups require an interactive session to be installed successfully. The other VMware components install fine.

SSO: The required prerequisites are not installed.

vCenter Server:The MSI InstallUISequence is required to fill some properties and execute actions for a successful installation. Installation with only the InstallExecuteSequence (/qn) fail. There also seems to be some msi code, that reads the logged-on user. And  this seems to return 0 when being executed under the system account.

User	Not Interactive Session	Interactive Session
System	Fail*	Fail*
Administrator	Fail*	Success**

*Generic MSI error code 1603.

**error code 0.

Does anybody have a solution for this problem, because the deployment will be triggered through puppet agents and/or desired state configuration (dsc) on windows servers.

Thanks.