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Provision VMware ESXi-based servers

Provisioning VMware ESXi 5.5

  1. Network boot a server, as described in Network booting.
  2. In the network boot menu, allow the Autoboot: option to boot (the default boot is to Linux 7 64-bit Service OS. Alternatively, select the SA OS Build Plan Service OS Menu, then choose Linux 7 64-bit Service OS.
  3. In third-party certificate mode, when the server shows a Please wait for the server to register with the HPSA core message, go to the SA Client and approve the server registration request. For more information on this approval step, see the Bring a server into Maintenance when working in third-party certificate mode section.

  4. Wait for the server to enter Maintenance mode.

LLinux Maintenance BIOS.

  1. Note the server's IP address and the SA Server ID; these will help you identify the server later on.
  2. Start the SA Client and in the Navigation pane, select Library and set the view to By Type and select the OS Build Plans folder.
  3. Create a new Build Plan. (right click New). Name it accordingly and provide some description.

  4. From the Views panel tree, select Build Plan Items view, click Copy Plan and select ESXI 5 Default Install Build Plan.

EESXi Build Plan Properties

  1. In the Build Plan Edit window, from the Views pane tree, select Build Plan Items. A list of Build Plan steps is displayed.
  2. From the listed steps, select Set Media Source. The Run Script panel displays the Parameter setting for this step. Note the protocol, NFS, and the media path /media/opsware/linux/ESXi-5.5.

EESXi Build Plan Steps

  1. As described in the User Guide: Provisioning, "The Provisioning Process", "Phase1: Preparing the media", has a media share with the ESXi DVD extracted under /media/opsware/linux/ESXi-5.5.
  2. In the Edit Build Plan Views pane, select Custom Attributes.

EESXi Build Plan Custom Attributes

  1. Complete the MediaServer custom attribute field with the hostname or IP address of the machine serving the share you prepared previously.
  2. Save the Build Plan by pressing Ctrl+S or use File > Save.
  3. From the Actions menu, select Run.... The Run OS Build Plan window is displayed.

    Refer to the Starting the Build Plan section for the detailed procedure.

    The Build Plan you specified will be displayed as selected in the OS Build Plan pane.

  1. When the Build Plan is complete, the server should be up-and-running and managed by a VCenter Virtualization Manager if there is one registered to the SA Core.

EESXi Managed Server

Note If there are no virtualization services registered, the Build Plan will be completed successfully and the server can be found under Unprovisioned Servers as an unmanaged server.

EESXI Unmanaged Server Pool