automatically create an esx installation script based on a current server's configuration like the 2.x mui used to

[jackjack2]

Thanks to everyone who responded to the original post below. For a simple reinstall of a server that would restore all of the same settings except for the partition structure, I think I might be able to do a backup and restore of key server config files (minus grub, and maybe boot) using tar as outlined in the url below:

http://vmetc.com/2008/10/11/how-to-backup-vmware-esx-servers/

This seems like it would be much simpler then any of the other options.

Anyone see any gotchas with this method?

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Is there a way to make the esx 3.5 scripted installer work like the esx 2.x scripted installer used to? If I recall correctly the 2.x mui offered the option to create an installation script based on the configuration of the current server it was run on. Then with minor modifications to the script (name, ip address, etc.) identically configured servers could easily be installed with minimal manual intervention.

I have an esx host with a fairly complex networking scheme (multiple virtual switches and vmkernals for nfs and iscsi) that I need to rebuild due to an inefficient partitioning scheme on the local drive, and I keep putting it off because I don't want to manually recreate the networking.

Is there a way I can just extract this servers current configuration to a script, modify the local drive partitioning scheme, then reinstall the server with the modified script and have everything else intact with out having to manually reconfigure anything?

[Aftenposten]

Hi,

I'm not sure if this is what you are looking for, but if you point your browser to one of your hosts you will on the right hand side have an option called "Log in to the scripted installer". Please refer to the VMware Web Access Administrators Guide for instructions on how to setup your host to support scripted installer. Another option might be to use the ITQ Infrastructure client to copy network settings from one host to another. Download it from here: . Hope this helps.

Regards,

GB

[admin]

You have to enable the installer, check this out...

http://communities.vmware.com/message/896308#896308

or check out xtravirt.com they have a script builder, its free!

http://engineering.xtravirt.com/products/ks-quickconfig.html

[jackjack2]

Aftenposten and Zippydamct,

Thank you for responding. I have the scripted installer enabled, the problem is that it doesn't seem to have the same capability as the old esx 2x install script builder, to extract the current configuration of the host server to build the installation from; the current script installer is just a series of prompts for which you need to fill in the blanks, and the additional networking isn't part of the interview.

The ITQ infrastructure app looked like a good possibility to export and import the networking configuration from that server, but the utility doesn't seem to be working for me - it can connect to virtual center and see all of the servers and vm's, but for some reason can't see any resources to enable the export of the networking configuration. The firewalls are turned off on both the esx servers and virtual center so I'm not sure what the problem is. Are there any other utilities that have this network configuration export feature?

[admin]

I did not know you could export the current settings to a ks.cfg file - in 2.x how did you do this because all my memory from those days required me to copy then modify the @post bit

[Aftenposten]

The ITQ Infrastructure app works fine for me. Just for information, I have outlined the steps I do to copy network settings from one host to another.

Doubleclick the host to copy the settings from so that it is listed in selected resources.

Select what to do with the host, in this example import/export portgroup information.

Click export button. The settings are displayed in the text box to the right below the import/export buttons.

Remove the host and add the host you want to import to.

Click import button.

That's it, but I guess you have tried just that already. The app doesn't seem to be able to create the virtual switch, only the portgroups but since I only have 2 virtual switches it is not a big deal for me to create one portgroup to get the virtual switch created.

GB