Creating OS sequences

An OS Sequence defines what to install on a server, such as operating system configuration information taken from an OS Installation Profile that you specify, software and patch policies, and the target servers on which to install the operating system.

When you create an OS Sequence, it is saved into the Folder list in the Library. You must have permissions to the folder where you want to save the OS Sequence. For more information on how folder permissions work, see “User and Group Setup and Security” in the SA 10.51 Administer section.

OS sequence contents

You can specify the following in an OS Sequence:

• Properties: Allows you to name the OS Sequence and choose a location to save it in a library folder. You must have permissions to write to the folder where you save the OS Sequence, otherwise you will be unable to save it in the selected location in the library.
• Install OS: Allows you to choose an OS Installation Profile. If the OS Installation Profile already has a customer associated with it, you will be unable to select a customer for the OS Sequence. If it does not have a customer associated with it, then you can select one here. Once you choose a customer, then all servers on which you install the operating system using this OS Sequence will be associated with that customer.

  Attach Patch Policies is available for Windows and Solaris OS Sequences.

  For more information about patch management, see the "Server patching" in the SA 10.51 Use sectionUse

• Attach Device Group: Allows you to select a device group (group of servers) for a the server once the OS Sequence has been run. You can select any public static group to attach to the OS Sequence.

  A group of servers can also have software and patch policies associated with it. If you enable remediation in the OS Sequence (in Remediate Policies), then all software and patches associated with the group of servers will also be installed on the server when you run the OS Sequence. If you disable remediation, then none of the software or patches in the policies attached to the group of servers will be installed on the server.

  For information on device groups, see "Server Management" in the SA 10.51 Use section.

• Remediate Polices: Allows you to choose to enable or disable remediation when the server is provisioned with the OS Sequence. The Default is Disabled.

  When remediation is disabled, running an OS Sequence installs the operating system however no policies in the OS Sequence are remediated —that is, no software or patches in any of the policies attached to the OS Sequence are installed when the sequence is run.

  If you enable remediation, then all software and patches in all policies attached to the server will be installed when the OS Sequence is run. This is also true for any policies attached to the group of servers selected for the OS Sequence. You can also set reboot and pre and post installation script options.

In order to perform OS Provisioning with remediation, you must have at minimum read access to all server module policies.

Defining an OS sequence

To create an OS Sequence:

1. In the SA Client, from the Navigation pane, select Library and then select OS Sequences.
2. Choose an OS folder.
3. From the Actions menu, select New...
4. In the Views pane of the OS Sequence window, select Properties and enter a name for the OS Sequence.
5. Click Change in the Content pane to choose a location in the folder library to save the OS Sequence. You must have permissions to write to the folder where you save the OS Sequence.
6. From the Views pane, click Tasks then Install OS to choose an OS Installation Profile.
7. If the OS Installation Profile does not have a customer associated with it, then select a customer from the Assign Customer drop-down list. If the OS Installation Profile already has a customer associated with it, you will be unable to select a customer for the OS Sequence. All servers provisioned with this OS Installation Profile will be associated with the specified customer (if a customer has been assigned).
8. From the Views pane, select Attach Software Policy.
9. At the bottom of the Content pane, click Add and select a software policy to add to the OS Sequence.
10. From the Views pane, select Attach Patch Policies.
11. At the bottom of the Content pane, click Add and select a patch policy to add to the OS Sequence.
12. From the Views pane, select Attach Device Group.
13. At the bottom of the Content pane, click Add. Select a device group to place the server into, after the OS Sequence has been run. You can only select a public static group for this option.
14. From the Views pane, select Remediate Polices.
15. In the Content pane, choose to enable or disable remediation when the server is provisioned with the OS Sequence. If you select Disable Remediation, then when you run the OS Sequence, the operating system will be installed but no policies in the OS Sequence will be remediated — this means that no software in any of the policies attached to the OS Sequence will be installed when the sequence is run.
16. If you select Enable Remediation, then you will need to configure the Rebooting and Scripts parameters. For the rebooting options, you can select one of the following:

    Reboot servers as dictated by properties on each installed item: Selecting this option will allow any reboot settings to run that might be set in any software or patch policies attached to the OS Sequence.

    Hold all server reboots until after all items are installed: This option will override any pre-install reboot options that might be set in any software or patch policies attached to the OS Sequence. If any post-install reboots have been set, then they will execute after the operating system has been installed.

    Suppress all server reboots: This option will override reboot options set in any software or patch policies attached to the OS Sequence.

17. Next, in the Scripts section, select either a Pre-Install/Post-Install Script. These tabs allow you to set a pre- or post-install script to be executed before the OS Sequence has been run and after the operating system has been installed. Click Enable Script to enable a the script parameters.
18. From the Select drop-down list, select either Saved Script or Ad Hoc Script. Each script type has its own settings:

    Saved Script

    • Command: Add any commands or arguments to be executed here.
    • Script Timeout: Enter a numerical value for the number of minutes to pass until the script will timeout.
    • User: Enter a user name and password, or choose to run the script as Local System. (If using UNIX, choose root as the user.)
    • Error: Select if you want the OS Sequence job to stop if the script returns an error.

    Ad Hoc Script

    • Type: Choose UNIX shell for UNIX systems, or for Windows, select BAT or VBSCRIPT.
    • Script: Enter the text of the script. An Ad-Hoc script runs only for this operation and is not saved in SA. In the Script box, enter the contents of the script.
    • Command: If the script requires command-line flags, enter the flags here.
    • Script Timeout: Enter a numerical value for the number of minutes to pass until the script will timeout.
    • User: Enter a user name and password, or choose to run the script as Local System account. (If using UNIX, choose root as the user.)
    • Error: Select if you want the OS Sequence job to stop if the script returns an error.
19. When you have finished making your selections, from the File menu, select Save to save the OS Sequence.