target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="https://hostupdate.vmware.com/software/VUM/PRODUCTION/main/vmw-depot-index.xml">https://hostupdate.vmware.com/software/VUM/PRODUCTION/main/vmw-depot-index.xml
Using this address as the location for the repository ensures that you always have access to the most recent versions of drivers and ESXi. Remember that you must have Internet connectivity, and be sure to take into account how long it will take to download the packages.
You can add as many of these bundles as needed to the cmdlet in Listing 2-2, which checks for packages that have been added and shows an example return.
Listing 2-2: Showing available bundles
Each bundle contains one or more software packages that will be combined, using the cmdlets, to make the customized install media for your installation. To list the available packages, use the Get-EsxSoftwarePackage cmdlet. The most interesting will be the non-VMware packages, since these are the ones you are probably trying to add to the default set. In Listing 2-3, we use PowerShell to show only those packages that are not part of VMware’s default bundle.
Listing 2-3: Listing non-VMware software packages
After you have downloaded the bundles, you can begin to modify the default images to customize them for your environment. Each bundle includes several image profiles; you can build an image profile to meet your needs from there. To view the existing image profiles, use the Get-ESXImageProfile cmdlet, as we did in Listing 2-4.
Listing 2-4: Showing available image profiles
The packages have three basic types: Standard, which includes VMware Tools; No-tools, which is self-explanatory; and those that have a name ending with “s,” which are security updates images. The steps for creating a package are as follows:
1. Clone the base profile.
2. Add and remove packages as needed.
3. Export the profile.
Listing 2-5 shows the PowerCLI used to execute those steps and ends by exporting the modified profile as an ISO image that can be used for loading your servers.
Listing 2-5: Modifying the ESXi profile
Pipelining the commands makes for an easy way to do all three operations (clone, add, and remove) in one simple step. The final operation is to export the newly customized installation profile to an ISO image (see Listing 2-6).
Listing 2-6: Exporting the customized image
The final parameter for the command can be either ExportToIso, which will output an ISO that can be used to install vSphere to the host, or ExportToBundle, which will output a bundle capable of being ingested by Update Manager or directly on the host for providing updates to packages.
Now that you have ensured the drivers and other packages for your physical servers are a part of the default install package, let’s investigate the different ways of loading the OS onto the physical host.
The Installation Medium
There are several different methods to install vSphere, ranging from the humble CD/DVD to the more complex, but more flexible, PXE. The installation method is the starting point from which you work backward. Once you have selected an install medium, you then tailor your automation and workflows to that method.
A large part of choosing the installation method is related to the size of your vSphere environment. Each of the available methods carries with it a series of trade-offs. We’ll cover each medium available, highlighting the advantages and disadvantages of each in addition to identifying a target environment size.
CD/DVD Old faithful, the CD/DVD, has been around since long before ESX, and it continues on with vSphere. This is the most basic medium because it offers no updating facility. CD/DVD is most commonly used in small environments with just a handful of hosts. It is, however, the simplest, which means that anyone can leverage this method.
Thumb Drive/USB Key The heir apparent to the optical drive, USB keys are the preferred installation medium for small/medium environments, generally those with fewer than 10 hosts. They have the inherent ability to be updated easily, and they are significantly faster than optical drives. Because they can be easily updated, they are also an excellent source for vSphere Kickstart-based installations.
PXE The most flexible (and usually fastest) of all installs, Preboot Execution Environment (PXE) has the most complex setup. Once configured, it’s easy to maintain and update the images as needed. The biggest downside is the infrastructure required to perform a PXE-based installation. Though not extreme, it is still overkill for small/medium environments. We consider PXE a minimum requirement for any environment with more than 10 hosts.
Gathering Required Software
We’re going to make the assumption that, since you’re reading a PowerCLI book, your management station is a Windows PC. Therefore, the following requirements apply:
CD/DVD For a CD/DVD installation, you will need an ISO Image editing tool such as ImgBurn, available for download from www.imgburn.com/.
Thumb Drive/USB Key For a thumb drive/USB key installation, you’ll need UNetbootin, available from http://unetbootin.sourceforge.net/.
PXE A multitude of PXE implementations are available, most of them based on Linux. That said, we recommend you use what you’re comfortable with, and if you have no comfort zone, we recommend Carl Thijssen’s Ultimate Deployment Appliance (UDA), available from www.ultimatedeployment.org/.
Automate an Installation
Automating a vSphere installation can mean many different things. At its core, it means you have a zero-touch installation. As you learned earlier, this can be accomplished regardless of the media you choose. You will, however, outgrow this minimal automation solution very quickly, as it doesn’t help solve the bigger problem of host configuration. To resolve that issue, you must first answer one simple, multiple-choice question.
Are you more comfortable using:
1. BusyBox/Python
2. PowerCLI
3. Host profiles
4. All of the above
If you chose option A, you will want to try to do as much as possible with the first boot and postinstall sections within Kickstart – but you will find you cannot do everything. The advantage of option A is that there are no external requirements. This is a great solution for small environments. If you have the time and skill set to configure a vSphere host via BusyBox/Python, it
