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Table of Contents

Info

This page describes how to configure guest setup

for

that will use hypervisor tools on VMware vCenter and VCD.

You must install hypervisor tools on your VM templates before you configure guest setup.

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With hypervisor tools, Abiquo can do the following:

...

Note

To inject a network configuration (static IP address) in Windows, you must use a custom specification. You cannot use an unattend file.

Info

  • Guest setup with hypervisor tools can run the first time you deploy a VM and when you add a NIC to a VM that is powered off.

  • On Linux VMs, the platform will configure a global DNS that will apply to all NICs on the VM

...

Customize the Windows unattend file for hypervisor tools

...

Note

If you are using vCenter 7.0.3 U3, please see Use a Windows unattend file with vCenter 7.0.3 U3.

For guest tools with Windows, the platform default is to use a Windows unattend file.

The default unattend file is Abiquo default Windows unattend file.

Info

When you configure Windows with an unattend file, the VM obtains its IP addresses using DHCP

Guest setup with a Windows unattend file runs the first time you deploy a VM.
If the guest setup is not successful, the VM deploy or reconfigure will fail and roll back.

Using the Windows unattend file, Abiquo sets:

  • Fully qualified domain name (FQDN)

  • Guest password at deploy time

The Abiquo default Windows unattend file also includes these static settings:

  • TimeZone with default W. Europe Standard Time

  • JoinWorkgroup with default WORKGROUP

To configure a custom Windows unattend file for a datacenter

  1. Log in to the Remote Services server as an administrator

  2. Create your own custom unattend file and make the tomcat user the owner of the file

    1. By default Abiquo will replace the following variables:

      • $adminPassword

      • $domain

      • $hostName

  3. Edit the abiquo.properties file and set the location of your custom unattend file. For example:

    Code Block
    // Path to Windows unattend file
com.abiquo.esxi.experimental.customize.win.unattendfile=/root/windows_unattend.xml

Your Windows VMs will obtain their network configuration with DHCP.

...

Configure Windows with a custom specification for hypervisor tools

If you do not want to use an unattend file, then you can use a custom specification.
See Limitations of a custom specification to configure Windows.

Tip

If there is no DHCP service available and you use a custom specification, Abiquo can assign a static IP address to the VM.
The guest setup will run the first time you deploy a VM and when you add a NIC to a powered-off VM

On VMware, to use a custom specification to configure Windows, set the unattend file unattendfile property to false.

Code Block
com.abiquo.esxi.experimental.customize.win.unattendfile=false

...

Configure guest initial password

excerpt-include

...

Prepare for guest setup with cloud-init or similar
Prepare for guest setup with cloud-init or similar
nameConfigure guest initial password
nopanel

Configure default FQDNs for guest setup

true

...

Configure FQDN

Insert excerpt
Prepare for guest setup

...

with cloud-init or similar
Prepare for guest setup with cloud-init or similar
nameConfigure FQDN
nopaneltrue

...

Prepare VM templates for static IP injection with hypervisor tools

By default, Abiquo uses DHCP to configure IP addresses.

...

If you are not using DHCP, prepare your VM templates for

...

static IP injection.

For Linux with CENTOS:

  1. Download a minimal CentOS OVA, for example, https://sourceforge.net/projects/virtualappliances/files/Linux/CentOS/CentOS-7.0-amd64-minimal.ova/download

  2. If Perl is not installed, then install it

  3. Install VMware tools from vCenter, following the instructions for Option 2 at: https://webhostinggeeks.com/howto/how-to-install-vmware-tools/

For Windows:

  1. Download a Windows template such as WS-2019-template-40GB-BIOS-1.vmdk

  2. Install VMware tools

  3. In Abiquo, for the Guest setup option, select Hypervisor tools, and select the Guest initial password checkbox

...

Edit a VM template for guest setup

excerpt-include

...

Prepare for guest setup with cloud-init or similar
Prepare for guest setup with cloud-init or similar
nameEdit a VM template for guest setup
nopaneltrue

...

Users can now automate their VMs with guest setup. See Automate first boot of a VM with for guest setup

...

Troubleshooting hypervisor tools

For troubleshooting Linux VMs, please check this file: /var/log/vmware-imc/toolsDeployPkg.log