1. Pablo Legorreta William Elvington Brian Tannous XenServer Master Class Automated End-to-End Deployment of XenServer

2. © 2013 Citrix | Confidential – Do Not Distribute Cisco Size and timeline  1000+ XenServer Host Design  Three weeks Cisco’s vision for UCS Created scripting cookbook  Framework of scripts

3. © 2013 Citrix | Confidential – Do Not Distribute Applied Materials Size and timeline  200+ XenServer w/HDX 3D Pro Design & Build  Three weeks Automated process needed Installed & configured servers in < 2 weeks!

4. © 2013 Citrix | Confidential – Do Not Distribute Agenda Business Cases for Automation Simple XenServer Deployment Advanced XenServer Deployment Automating XenServer Deployments Demonstration

5. Business Cases for Automation

6. © 2013 Citrix | Confidential – Do Not Distribute Manual Deployment Process Host powered on Boot via installation media Configure initial settings Install hotfixes Configure post-install settings XenServer deployed

7. © 2013 Citrix | Confidential – Do Not Distribute Manual Installation Pain Points Prone to human error and inconsistencies Increased installation times at scale Increased patching and configuration times Manual rollback of installation Manual media management

8. © 2013 Citrix | Confidential – Do Not Distribute Business Cases for Automated Installation Rapid deployment of XenServers ᵒScaling out production ᵒDeploy sandbox environments ᵒScaling disaster recovery sites Introducing new configurations and maintaining uniformity Rolling back new configurations Reduce human error

9. Simple XenServer Deployment

10. © 2013 Citrix | Confidential – Do Not Distribute Installation Method: From CD Process: ᵒMount and boot to ISO ᵒConfigure initial settings via wizard ᵒInstall hotfixes via console ᵒConfigure post-install settings via console Pros: ᵒSimplest method to implement Cons: ᵒProne to human error and inconsistencies ᵒSlowest method to install at scale

11. © 2013 Citrix | Confidential – Do Not Distribute Initial Settings Boot disk Root password DOM0 vCPU and memory Hostname Management IP and interface DNS name NTP server Time zone

12. © 2013 Citrix | Confidential – Do Not Distribute Post-installation: Host Configurations XenServer hotfixes Driver updates Networking Storage Virtual machines

13. © 2013 Citrix | Confidential – Do Not Distribute Post-installation: Resource Pool Creation Requirements ᵒHomogeneous servers ᵒStatic IP ᵒNTP server ᵒNo running VMs Lengthy process ᵒJoin servers serially ᵒServer reboot recommended ᵒMembers receive pool configuration

14. Advanced XenServer Deployment

15. © 2013 Citrix | Confidential – Do Not Distribute Installation Method: From Network Process: ᵒBoot from network: DHCP/PXE/TFTP/HTTP ᵒConfigure initial settings ᵒInstall hotfixes ᵒConfigure post-install settings Pros: ᵒCentralized installation repository ᵒPositioned to automate installation process Cons: ᵒRequires networking components

16. © 2013 Citrix | Confidential – Do Not Distribute Installation From Network: Boot Requirements DHCP Service ᵒProvide IP configuration to hosts Boot Image Deployment: ᵒDHCP option 66 and 67 ᵒPXE Service: Port 67,68, or 4011 TFTP Service: Port 69 ᵒPXELINUX boot environment HTTP Service: Port 80 and 443 ᵒXenServer installation media ᵒunattend.xml ᵒAutomation scripts

17. © 2013 Citrix | Confidential – Do Not Distribute Installation From Network: PXELINUX Used to network boot Linux: pxe + linux (Xen) Boot file: pxelinux.0 XenServer PXELINUX ᵒCopy all to TFTP root directory ᵒLocation: XenServer Install Media\boot\pxelinux

18. © 2013 Citrix | Confidential – Do Not Distribute Installation From Network: PXELINUX Configuration Configuration: pxelinux.cfg/default ᵒCreate this directory and file in TFTP root ᵒProvides initial installation configurations unattend.XML location (optional) DOM0 configuration - CPU - Memory Default installation configuration (console, boot file, install, etc.)

19. Automating XenServer Deployments

20. © 2013 Citrix | Confidential – Do Not Distribute Automating XenServer Deployments Utilize network installation method Automation Opportunities:  Silent install  XenServer updates  Driver updates  Create and configure virtual machines  XenServer resource pool creation  Scaling out  Server can be reimaged

21. © 2013 Citrix | Confidential – Do Not Distribute Automated Deployment Process Host powered on Boot via network installation Silent install provided by unattend.xml Post install script First boot script XenServer deployed

22. © 2013 Citrix | Confidential – Do Not Distribute Installation Automation: Unattend.XML Referenced via pxelinux.cfg/default Configurations ᵒPrimary disk ᵒGuest disk ᵒKeymap ᵒRoot password ᵒInstallation source location ᵒDriver source location ᵒPost installation script ᵒAdmin network interface ᵒTime zone ᵒName server ᵒHostname ᵒNTP server

23. © 2013 Citrix | Confidential – Do Not Distribute Automated Deployment Process Host powered on Boot via network installation Silent install provided by unattend.xml Post install script

24. © 2013 Citrix | Confidential – Do Not Distribute Installation Automation: Post Install Script Referenced via unattend.xml Runs at end of installation before first reboot Purpose ᵒDownloads first boot script ᵒSets first boot script to execute on each boot

25. © 2013 Citrix | Confidential – Do Not Distribute Automated Deployment Process Host powered on Boot via network installation Silent install provided by unattend.xml Post install script First boot script

26. © 2013 Citrix | Confidential – Do Not Distribute Post-Installation Automation: First Boot Script Referenced via post install script Purpose ᵒRun during each boot ᵒPerform post-installation configuration via xe and shell commands ᵒClean up after itself Potential post installation configurations ᵒSpecify license and license server ᵒPerform hotfixes ᵒDriver updates ᵒConfigure network settings ᵒImport virtual machines ᵒConfigure resources pools ᵒAnything that can be done via xe

27. © 2013 Citrix | Confidential – Do Not Distribute Automated Deployment Process Host powered on Boot via network installation Silent install provided by unattend.xml Post install script First boot script XenServer deployed

28. XenServer Automated Installation

29. © 2013 Citrix | Confidential – Do Not Distribute

30. Demonstration: Start Installation

31. © 2013 Citrix | Confidential – Do Not Distribute Automated Install Process: Installation Process Reboots Download and runs post-script.sh Installs XenServer using HTTP repository Connects to TFTP server for PXELINUX and unattend.xml Host Powers on and boots via network

32. © 2013 Citrix | Confidential – Do Not Distribute Automated Install Process: first-boot-script.sh Reboot Download and runs hostname.sh Uses inventory CSV file: hostname, IP address, and pool master address Configure license server and license edition Download XenServer updates from HTTP server Runs upon each XenServer reboot. Begins by checking if first run: Yes: first run

33. © 2013 Citrix | Confidential – Do Not Distribute Automated Install Process: first-boot-script.sh Cleanup Create resource pool Using inventory CSV file Download, clone, and configure virtual machines Install XenServer updates Runs upon each XenServer reboot. Begins by checking if first run: No: second+ run

34. © 2013 Citrix | Confidential – Do Not Distribute XenServer Deployed!

35. © 2013 Citrix | Confidential – Do Not Distribute How to Get Started Download package to Windows Server: http://bit.ly/XSAIM http://bit.ly/XSAIM Execute XSAIMunpack.exe Copy required files(details in appendix):  XenServer 6.1 installation media  XenServer hotfixes  Virtual machine template Configure environment specifics  XSPools.csv  Get creative! SCAN THIS!

36. Questions

37. Work better. Live better.

38. Appendix

39. © 2013 Citrix | Confidential – Do Not Distribute Documentation http://docs.vmd.citrix.com/XenServer/6.1.0/1.0/en_gb/ http://support.citrix.com/article/CTX134586

40. © 2013 Citrix | Confidential – Do Not Distribute PXE Setup/pxelinux Documentation http://www.syslinux.org/wiki/index.php/PXELINUX http://support.citrix.com/article/CTX116021 http://support.citrix.com/article/CTX137332

41. © 2013 Citrix | Confidential – Do Not Distribute XSAIM Tool details: Directory template Root directory ᵒNWA_PXE XS61 - XenServer installation media copied here - boot - pxelinux mboot.c32 menu.c32 pxelinux.0 pxelinux.cfg default XSScripts - Scripts go here (First boot, post install, ect.) XSTemplates - VM template exported from XenServer goes here XSUpdates - xsupdate files go here ᵒServa.chm ᵒServa.evc ᵒServa.ini ᵒServa32.exe

42. © 2013 Citrix | Confidential – Do Not Distribute XSAIM Tool details: TFTP Server Directory The TFTP server root directory is configured to serve from the ROOT\ NWA_PXE\XS61 directory. The TFTP server root directory contains a copy of the following files listed below:  XenServer 6.1 install image files  XenServer 6.1 install image\boot\pxelinux\pxelinux.cfg  XenServer 6.1 install image\boot\pxelinux\mboot.c32  XenServer 6.1 install image\boot\pxelinux\menu.c32  XenServer 6.1 install image\boot\pxelinux\pxelinux.0

43. © 2013 Citrix | Confidential – Do Not Distribute XSAIM Tool details: HTTP Server Directory XS61. The contents of this directory are described in the TFTP Server section above. XSScripts. This directory contains the scripts required for the XenServer automated installation. These files are as follows:  first-boot-script.sh  hostname.sh  post-script.sh  XSPool.csv XSTemplates. This directory contains the virtual machine template required for virtual machine creation. XSUpdates. This directory contains the XenServer update files, which are applied in alphabetical order. unattend.xml. Used for unattended installation configuration

44. © 2013 Citrix | Confidential – Do Not Distribute XSAIM Tool details: XSScripts details default file. The XenServer default is a configuration file that allows for an unattended installation of XenServer. The pxe boot configuration as well as a location to the unattend.xml file. unattend.xml answer file. The XenServer unattend.xml is a configuration file that allows for an unattended installation of XenServer. This file contains the keymap settings, local storage configuration, root password, installation media and post-installation locations, as well as network time configurations. A full list of the unattended.xml configurations can be found at: CTX130421.CTX130421 post-script.sh. The post-script.sh script runs at the very end of the XenServer installation. This script is only used to download and configure the first-boot- script.sh to run at startup of the XenServer host. Note: This file must be saved using UNIX format line endings (LF).

45. © 2013 Citrix | Confidential – Do Not Distribute XSAIM Tool details: XSScripts details first-boot-script.sh. The first-boot-script.sh script runs after the newly imaged XenServer’s first boot. This script is used to automatically configure a newly imaged XenServer host. Firstly, the XenServer host will download XenServer update files from the HTTP server, assign a license, and set the hostname. After a reboot, the host will continue by patching itself using updates downloaded in the previous step in order by file name. If a given update requires a reboot or a XAPI restart the required action will be preformed and the host will continue where it left off. After patched, the host will then download a virtual machine template from the HTTP server, clone two virtual machines from the template, and assign the appropriate networks to these virtual machines. Next, the XenServer host will join its pool by using the information assigned within the XSPools.csv inventory file. Finally, the host will preform a cleanup of the installation method. Note: This file must be saved using UNIX format line endings (LF).

46. © 2013 Citrix | Confidential – Do Not Distribute XSAIM Tool details: XSScripts details hostname.sh. The hostname.sh script downloads the XSPools.csv inventory file and searches for the host’s hostname. If the host’s management IP address matches a machine in the inventory, the hostname and name-label of the XenServer host will be configured as per the inventory file. Note: This file must be saved using UNIX format line endings (LF). XSPools.csv. The XSPools.csv inventory file is a list of XenServer hostnames, management IP addresses, and it’s pool master’s IP addresses. Note: This file must be saved using UNIX format line endings (LF).