EMC HomeBase. Enhanced Server Provisioning Product Guide. Version 6.6 P/N REV A01

Transcription

1 EMC HomeBase Version 6.6 Enhanced Server Provisioning Product Guide P/N REV A01

2 Copyright EMC Corporation. All rights reserved. Published in the USA. Published November, 2011 EMC believes the information in this publication is accurate as of its publication date. The information is subject to change without notice. The information in this publication is provided as is. EMC Corporation makes no representations or warranties of any kind with respect to the information in this publication, and specifically disclaims implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. Use, copying, and distribution of any EMC software described in this publication requires an applicable software license. EMC 2, EMC, EMC Centera, EMC ControlCenter, EMC LifeLine, EMC OnCourse, EMC Proven, EMC Snap, EMC SourceOne, EMC Storage Administrator, Acartus, Access Logix, AdvantEdge, AlphaStor, ApplicationXtender, ArchiveXtender, Atmos, Authentica, Authentic Problems, Automated Resource Manager, AutoStart, AutoSwap, AVALONidm, Avamar, Captiva, Catalog Solution, C-Clip, Celerra, Celerra Replicator, Centera, CenterStage, CentraStar, ClaimPack, ClaimsEditor, CLARiiON, ClientPak, Codebook Correlation Technology, Common Information Model, Configuration Intelligence, Connectrix, CopyCross, CopyPoint, CX, Dantz, Data Domain, DatabaseXtender, Direct Matrix Architecture, DiskXtender, DiskXtender 2000, Document Sciences, Documentum, elnput, E-Lab, Xaminer, Xtender, Enginuity, eroom, Event Explorer, FarPoint, FirstPass, FLARE, FormWare, Geosynchrony, Global File Virtualization, Graphic Visualization, Greenplum, HighRoad, HomeBase, InfoMover, Infoscape, InputAccel, InputAccel Express, Invista, Ionix, ISIS, Max Retriever, MediaStor, MirrorView, Navisphere, NetWorker, OnAlert, OpenScale, PixTools, Powerlink, PowerPath, PowerSnap, QuickScan, Rainfinity, RepliCare, RepliStor, ResourcePak, Retrospect, RSA, SafeLine, SAN Advisor, SAN Copy, SAN Manager, Smarts, SnapImage, SnapSure, SnapView, SRDF, StorageScope, SupportMate, SymmAPI, SymmEnabler, Symmetrix, Symmetrix DMX, Symmetrix VMAX, TimeFinder, UltraFlex, UltraPoint, UltraScale, Unisphere, Viewlets, Virtual Matrix, Virtual Matrix Architecture, Virtual Provisioning, VisualSAN, VisualSRM, VMAX, VNX, VNXe, Voyence, VPLEX, VSAM-Assist, WebXtender, xpression, xpresso, YottaYotta, the EMC logo, and the RSA logo, are registered trademarks or trademarks of EMC Corporation in the United States and other countries. Vblock is a trademark of EMC Corporation in the United States. VMware is a registered trademark of VMware, Inc. in the United States and/or other jurisdictions. All other trademarks used herein are the property of their respective owners. For the most up-to-date regulatory document for your product line, go to the technical documentation and advisories section on the EMC online support website. 2 EMC HomeBase Version 6.6 Enhanced Server Provisioning Product Guide

3 CONTENTS Preface Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Installing HomeBase Server An overview of EMC HomeBase Enhanced Server Provisioning Planning the HomeBase Server installation Identifying the HomeBase Server HomeBase Server scalability HomeBase Server operating system Physical or virtual hardware requirements Network configuration requirements Installing HomeBase Server Upgrading HomeBase Server Back up the current HomeBase Server XML database Log in to the HomeBase Server Licensing the HomeBase Server Configuring HomeBase Server Initial HomeBase Server configuration Configure server location Enable deployment Software repository Advanced HomeBase Server configuration Configuring the HomeBase Server web ports Configuring an alternate SMTP relay Configuring the Help screen message Understanding HomeBase Server logging Performance tuning Communication Administration An overview of communication channel configuration Managing and viewing protocol channels HomeBaseSSL Enabling TFTP and DHCP TFTP DHCP Configuring a third-party DHCP server Preparing to Provision Operating Systems Provisioning preparation Preparing for Windows provisioning Preparing for RHEL provisioning Preparing for VMware ESX and ESXi provisioning Configuring HomeBase Server to provision operating systems Uploading software to the HomeBase Server Uploading software using the HomeBase Web Console Uploading software using the hbs package command EMC HomeBase Version 6.6 Enhanced Server Provisioning Product Guide 3

4 Contents Managing uploaded software Creating a HomeBase boot image Creating a HomeBase boot image for a Windows server RHEL operating systems VMware ESX operating systems VMware ESXi operating systems Chapter 5 Appendix A Appendix B Provisioning Operating Systems Provisioning overview Managing deployment Preparing a deployment template Managing deployment sessions Creating a deployment session Monitoring deployment sessions HomeBase Server Commands and Options HomeBase Server command overview Syntax hbs commands General arguments Database load arguments Managing backups of the HomeBase Server Back up the HomeBase Server file Back up the HomeBase Server database Process for restoring from a backup User Account Security Configuring user account security Account credential complexity Username policy settings Password policy settings Account lockout policy settings EMC HomeBase Version 6.6 Enhanced Server Provisioning Product Guide

5 FIGURES Title Page 1 HomeBase login page Initial HomeBase Server configuration page Custom RPM files for RHEL deployments EMC HomeBase Version 6.6 Enhanced Server Provisioning Product Guide 5

6 Figures 6 EMC HomeBase Version 6.6 Enhanced Server Provisioning Product Guide

7 TABLES Title Page 1 An example of HomeBase Server identifiers Supported operating system platforms Minimum requirements Required ports Installation binaries Mail Server Settings HomeBase Server protocols HomeBaseSSL parameters TFTP Configuration Settings DHCP parameters Software needed to provision a source server HomeBase Web Console software upload pages hbs package commands Deployment options for Windows hbd query drivers Deployment options for RHEL Deployment options for VMware ESX Deployment options for VMware ESXi Script functions hbs commands and descriptions General hbs command arguments Database load arguments Username policy settings Password policy settings Account lockout policy settings EMC HomeBase Version 6.6 Enhanced Server Provisioning Product Guide 7

8 Tableses 8 EMC HomeBase Version 6.6 Enhanced Server Provisioning Product Guide

9 PREFACE As part of an effort to improve its product lines, EMC periodically releases revisions of its software and hardware. Therefore, some functions described in this document might not be supported by all versions of the software or hardware currently in use. The product release notes provide the most up-to-date information on product features. Contact your EMC representative if a product does not function properly or does not function as described in this document. Note: This document was accurate at publication time. New versions of this document might be released on the EMC online support website. Check the EMC online support website to ensure that you are using the latest version of this document. Purpose Audience Related documentation This document gives an overview of HomeBase product suite and the technological solution offered by HomeBase. This document is intended for the host system administrator, system programmer, or operator who will be involved in managing HomeBase. The following EMC publications provide additional information: EMC HomeBase Version 6.6 Release Notes EMC HomeBase Version 6.6 Non-EMC Software Copyrights Readme EMC HomeBase Version 6.6 Enhanced Server Provisioning Getting Started Guide EMC HomeBase Version 6.6 Enhanced Server Recovery Getting Started Guide EMC HomeBase Agent Version 6.6 Installation and Configuration Guide EMC HomeBase Server Version 6.6 Installation and Configuration Guide EMC HomeBase Agent Version 6.6 Recovery and Migration Guide EMC HomeBase Server Version 6.6 Administration Guide Conventions used in this document EMC uses the following conventions for special notices: NOTICE is used to address practices not related to personal injury. Note: A note presents information that is important, but not hazard-related. EMC HomeBase Version 6.6 Enhanced Server Provisioning Product Guide 9

10 Preface IMPORTANT An important notice contains information essential to software or hardware operation. Typographical conventions EMC uses the following type style conventions in this document: Normal Used in running (nonprocedural) text for: Names of interface elements, such as names of windows, dialog boxes, buttons, fields, and menus Names of resources, attributes, pools, Boolean expressions, buttons, DQL statements, keywords, clauses, environment variables, functions, and utilities URLs, pathnames, filenames, directory names, computer names, links, groups, service keys, file systems, and notifications Bold Used in running (nonprocedural) text for names of commands, daemons, options, programs, processes, services, applications, utilities, kernels, notifications, system calls, and man pages Used in procedures for: Names of interface elements, such as names of windows, dialog boxes, buttons, fields, and menus What the user specifically selects, clicks, presses, or types Italic Used in all text (including procedures) for: Full titles of publications referenced in text Emphasis, for example, a new term Variables Courier Used for: System output, such as an error message or script URLs, complete paths, filenames, prompts, and syntax when shown outside of running text Courier bold Used for specific user input, such as commands Courier italic Used in procedures for: Variables on the command line User input variables < > Angle brackets enclose parameter or variable values supplied by the user [ ] Square brackets enclose optional values Vertical bar indicates alternate selections the bar means or { } Braces enclose content that the user must specify, such as x or y or z... Ellipses indicate nonessential information omitted from the example Where to get help EMC support, product, and licensing information can be obtained as follows: Product information For documentation, release notes, software updates, or information about EMC products, licensing, and service, go to the EMC online support website (registration required) at: 10 EMC HomeBase Version 6.6 Enhanced Server Provisioning Product Guide

11 Preface Technical support For technical support, go to EMC online support and select Support. On the Support page, you will see several options, including one to create a service request. Note that to open a service request, you must have a valid support agreement. Contact your EMC sales representative for details about obtaining a valid support agreement or with questions about your account. Your comments Your suggestions will help us continue to improve the accuracy, organization, and overall quality of the user publications. Send your opinions of this document to: [email protected] EMC HomeBase Version 6.6 Enhanced Server Provisioning Product Guide 11

12 Preface 12 EMC HomeBase Version 6.6 Enhanced Server Provisioning Product Guide

13 CHAPTER 1 Installing HomeBase Server This chapter contains the following information: An overview of EMC HomeBase Enhanced Server Provisioning Planning the HomeBase Server installation Installing HomeBase Server Upgrading HomeBase Server Licensing the HomeBase Server An overview of EMC HomeBase Enhanced Server Provisioning EMC HomeBase Enhanced Server Provisioning (ESP) supports the deployment of multiple types of operating systems from a single unified interface. Deployment templates prepared in advance enable rapid redeployment of a common operating system build, including the operating system, device drivers, and software. An individual server can be associated with a deployment session that manages the deployment process from start to finish. Deployment to a physical or virtual server can happen through an industry standard PXE boot request, bootable CD/DVD, or USB boot device. Currently, HomeBase Enhanced Server Provisioning supports the deployment of Microsoft Windows, Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) VMware ESX, and VMware ESXi operating systems. In addition, HomeBase Enhanced Server Provisioning supports scripted installations of third-party applications on Windows and RHEL. The HomeBase Software Compatibility Guide on the online Support website at lists all the operating system versions currently supported by HomeBase Enhanced Server Provisioning. Planning the HomeBase Server installation Identifying the HomeBase Server HomeBase has a flexible and robust deployment architecture that can be scaled and deployed to meet the needs of the customer environment. Before beginning a HomeBase deployment, ensure that any deployment plan has addressed the following considerations. EMC Professional Services can provide HomeBase practitioners assistance in specifying and implementing the HomeBase deployment architecture. Each instance of an installed HomeBase Server has two unique identifiers. HomeBase Server unique global identifier HomeBase Server fully qualified domain name Installing HomeBase Server 13

14 Installing HomeBase Server HomeBase Server unique global identifier The first form of identity is the HomeBase Server unique global identifier, which is used internally by the HomeBase Server to identify itself to another HomeBase Server. This HomeBase Server unique global identifier is used, for example, during replication configuration where profiles are scheduled to be moved between instances of HomeBase Servers. Provide the HomeBase Server unique global identifier during HomeBase Server installation. The HomeBase Server unique global identifier is structured as: <company/organization name> / <country> / <location> / where, < company/organization name> is the top level of the hierarchy of the company or organization deploying the HomeBase Server. <country> is the second level of the hierarchy and is the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) identifier for the country in which the HomeBase Server is being deployed. <location> is the third tier of the hierarchy and may represent a corporate site or physical location, such as a town or city. The HomeBase Server unique global identifier that is provided during the HomeBase Server installation is made permanent when the HomeBase Server is licensed. The HomeBase Server unique global identifier cannot be changed for the lifetime of the installation. HomeBase Agents transmitting profiles into the HomeBase Server can add subsequent levels of refinement to the hierarchy by specifying a <unit>. Therefore, the profiles for any server can be identified by the HomeBase Server unique global identifier, which is defined in the following pattern: <company/organization name> / <country> / <location> / <unit> /<server> where, < company/organization name> is the top level of the hierarchy of the company or organization deploying the HomeBase Server. <country> is the second level of the hierarchy and is the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) identifier for the country in which the HomeBase Server is being deployed. <location> is the third tier of the hierarchy and may represent a corporate site or physical location, such as a town or city. <unit> is the fourth level of the hierarchy and may depict a department or a customer name. <server> is the fifth tier of the hierarchy and typically represents the host name of an individual server. HomeBase Server fully qualified domain name The second form of identity is the fully qualified domain name that is used by the HomeBase Server users to access the HomeBase Web Console. 14 EMC HomeBase Version 6.6 Enhanced Server Provisioning Product Guide

15 Installing HomeBase Server The fully qualified domain name is determined during the HomeBase Server installation as the hostname and the domain name of the host on which the HomeBase Server is being installed. This, however, can be reset later by an administrator. IMPORTANT If you reset the fully qualified domain name after the installation, the web browsers might report a security warning mentioning that the security certificate presented by the website is from a different website address. Example: Big Company Inc. has offices in multiple geographical locations. They plan to build a HomeBase Server network in different offices. The HomeBase Server identifiers could resemble the identifiers presented in Table 1 on page 15. Table 1 An example of HomeBase Server identifiers HomeBase Server unique global identifier bigcompany/us/boston bigcompany/us/denver bigcompany/uk/london Fully qualified domain name hb-boston.intranet.bigcompany.com hb-denver.intranet.bigcompany.com hb-london.intranet.bigcompany.com HomeBase Server scalability HomeBase Server operating system The EMC HomeBase Server is designed to support horizontal and vertical scaling. For most environments, a single-server deployment is sufficient per site. In cases where a large number of machines are to be profiled, a scaled deployment might be preferred, which will require multiple HomeBase Servers. These servers can be arranged to provide load balancing to support this environment. Multiple concurrent provisioning operations place a high load on the HomeBase Server's system resources, including the CPU, memory, and network interfaces. Multiple HomeBase Servers can be deployed and built into an infrastructure that enables larger numbers of concurrent provisioning operations. EMC Professional Services can assist in defining the HomeBase deployment architecture. The HomeBase Server application is available in an operating system-specific installation package. Before starting the installation, ensure that the server has the appropriate level of resources to support the HomeBase Server. The HomeBase Server should have dedicated operating system resources. Running the server on a machine that manages other applications will limit the performance of the HomeBase Server and in extreme cases prevent the HomeBase Server from functioning. Table 2 on page 16 lists the supported operating system platforms. For the up-to-date list of supported target platforms, see the HomeBase Software Compatibility Guide on the EMC Online support website at Planning the HomeBase Server installation 15

16 Installing HomeBase Server Table 2 Supported operating system platforms Installation platforms The following versions of Microsoft Windows running in both physical and virtualized environments. AMD/EM64T 64-bit versions are supported R SP1 and later 2003 R2 SP1 and later The following versions of RHEL running in both physical and virtualized environments. Only 64-bit version is supported. RHEL 5 RHEL 4 Provisioning Target Platforms (ESP) The following versions of Microsoft Windows running in both physical and virtualized environments. 32-bit, AMD/EM64T 64-bit versions are supported. 7 N editions 7 Vista R SP1 and later 2003 R2 SP1 and later XP Professional SP1 and later The following versions of RHEL running in both physical and virtualized environments. Only 64-bit version is supported. RHEL 6.1 RHEL 6.0 RHEL 5.0 RHEL 4.0 The following versions of VMware ESX are supported The following version of VMware ESXi is supported Note: Do not install any web servers (for example, IIS or Apache), that might be provided with the operating system. Do not install any Trivial File Transfer Protocol (TFTP) service if you plan on using the network booting (PXE) facility. Do not install the operating system provided DHCP server unless you plan to use an external DHCP server. In all cases, the 64-bit variant for each operating system is mandatory, but not supported on Itanium. 16 EMC HomeBase Version 6.6 Enhanced Server Provisioning Product Guide

17 Installing HomeBase Server Physical or virtual hardware requirements Table 3 on page 17 lists the minimum requirements for the HomeBase Server. Table 3 Minimum requirements Hardware CPU size Memory size Disk space Minimum requirements Dual-CPU with a minimum CPU of 2.8 GHz. 4 GB HomeBase uses memory caching to maximize performance, but should be installed with the most memory possible. 250 GB Disk configuration Fast Disk or Hardware RAID optimized for high I/O. For example, 10 K-RPM disk or 7.2K-RPM Striped/RAID0. The disk space calculation is based on having 10 operating systems loaded into HomeBase for deployment. Note: For environments where many servers may be provisioned in parallel, consider upgrading the HomeBase Server to gigabit Ethernet bandwidth, and teamed network adapters to improve throughput and performance. Network configuration requirements To support operating system deployment, the HomeBase Server requires that a number of network ports be available for use. Failure to have these ports available in the server platform, or to have correctly configured network security appliances prevents the HomeBase Server from being fully functional. Before installing the HomeBase Server on your server, ensure the following requirements are met: No existing HTTP service is running (port 80 is not being used). No existing HTTPS service is running (port 443 is not being used). Note: Configuring the HomeBase Server web ports on page 29 explains how to change the HTTPS port numbers. No existing DHCP service is running DP (port 67 is not being used), unless you want to use your own third-party DHCP server. This is optional, if you are using the HomeBase Server to host the environment s DHCP service. No existing TFTP service is running (port 69 is not being used). Planning the HomeBase Server installation 17

18 Installing HomeBase Server In addition, configure any locally installed firewall applications to permit connections to the HomeBase Server on the ports listed in Table 4 on page 18: Table 4 Required ports Protocol Port Type Direction HTTP 80 TCP Inbound to HomeBase Server HTTPS 443 TCP Inbound to HomeBase Server HomeBaseSSL TCP Inbound to HomeBase Server HomeBaseSSL TCP Outbound from HomeBase Server DHCP 67 UDP Inbound and outbound to and from HomeBase Server TFTP 69 UDP Inbound to HomeBase Server UDP Inbound and outbound to and from HomeBase Server Installing HomeBase Server The following installation process is for a Windows Server. These steps are identical to those for an installation onto a RHEL server. Table 5 on page 18 lists the installation binaries for each platform. Table 5 Installation binaries Operating system Type Installation binary Windows Server 2008 Windows Server 2008 R2 Windows Server 2003 x64 with Service Pack 1 or later Windows Server 2003 R2 x64 with Service Pack 1 or later RHEL 6 series RHEL 5 series RHEL 4 series 64-bit 64-bit emc-homebase-server-6.6.x-win-amd64.exe emc-homebase-server-6.6.x-linux-amd64.bin Installation binaries can be found at Installation of the HomeBase Server requires that the account being used should have local administration privileges. The HomeBase Server will be installed as a number of operating system services. The installation binary will validate that the account has the correct rights, and terminate the install process if theses are not present. To install the HomeBase Server by using the installer: 1. Start the installation wizard. The Introduction preparation screen appears, then the Introduction screen. 2. Click Next. The Welcome screen appears. 18 EMC HomeBase Version 6.6 Enhanced Server Provisioning Product Guide

19 Installing HomeBase Server 3. Click Next. The License Agreement screen appears. Accept the license agreement terms. 4. Click Next. The Choose Install Folder screen appears. Select a location for the installation: a. Accept the default location. b. Click Choose and select another location. Ensure that the selected location has enough available disk space. An automatic check is performed later in the installation to ensure disk space is available. 5. Click Next to proceed. The Licensing Information screen appears. Complete the license request form: 6. Click Next. Organization, County, and Location should reflect the HomeBase Server GID for the instance being installed. For example: Organization: Big Company Country: US Location: Boston The Unit field is not used by HomeBase Enhanced Server Provisioning and, thus, can be ignored. The SSL Certificate Information screen appears. Type the requested information to generate a certificate that is unique for your EMC HomeBase Server installation. The server address must be the fully qualified domain name of the server host. HomeBase Server fully qualified domain name on page 14 provides details. 7. Click Next. The Pre-Installation Summary screen appears. A summary of the installation location and disk space requirements is displayed. 8. Click Install to start the installation. Upgrading HomeBase Server The Installing HomeBase Server status screen displays the installation progress. 9. After the installation is complete, click Done. An upgrade of HomeBase Server is supported from the past two major releases only. That is, an upgrade is supported from Version 6.4.x and Version 6.3.x only. If you are running an installation prior to Version 6.4.x or Version 6.3.x: 1. Upgrade your installation to one of the supported versions. 2. Upgrade to Version 6.6. The following sections provide information on upgrading a HomeBase Server to Version 6.6. Upgrading HomeBase Server 19

20 Installing HomeBase Server EMC Account Management can provide assistance if you are unfamiliar with the upgrade process. The upgrade process includes the following tasks: Task 1: Back up the current HomeBase Server configuration on page 20 Task 2: Back up the current HomeBase Server database on page 20 Task 3: Upgrade your operating system, if necessary on page 21 Task 4: Install the new HomeBase Server on page 21 Task 5: Reload the HomeBase Server database on page 21 Task 6: Restart the HomeBase Server on page 21 Task 7: Re-create deployment environments on page 22 Task 8: Test the upgrades on page 23 Note: You cannot upgrade an evaluation version of the HomeBase Server. Task 1: Back up the current HomeBase Server configuration To ensure that your configuration is preserved across the upgrade, the current HomeBase Server configuration needs to be backed up. Therefore, you should copy the <installdir>/etc and <installdir>/keys directory to another location as a backup. Task 2: Back up the current HomeBase Server database To ensure that data is maintained across the upgrade, the current HomeBase Server database needs to be backed up and exported to a file. Open a command line window and type the following command: For release 6.2 and earlier: <installdir>/bin/dbtool dump -u <admin> -p <password> For release 6.3.x and later: hbs db dump -u <admin> -p <password> where: <admin> is the administrator user account name for the HomeBase Server. <password> is the administrator user password for the HomeBase Server. The dump operation will report the creation of the file that should be backed up. Back up the current HomeBase Server XML database Backing up the XML database is an optional step during the upgrade process but forms an important part of a full backup for a HomeBase Server. Note: This section is only valid for upgrades from HomeBase 6.4 and later, not for upgrading from older versions. Open a command line window and type the following command: hbs xdb dump -u <username> -p <password> 20 EMC HomeBase Version 6.6 Enhanced Server Provisioning Product Guide

21 Installing HomeBase Server The backup will be created in the <installdir>/backups/ directory. Note: These XML database backups typically take up a lot of space. As such, old backups should be removed periodically when they are no longer required. Task 3: Upgrade your operating system, if necessary From the HomeBase Server Release 6.4 and later, a 64-bit operating system is required. If you are currently running on a 32-bit operating system, you must upgrade your operating system before upgrading the HomeBase Server. Task 4: Install the new HomeBase Server Install the new HomeBase Server as described in Installing HomeBase Server on page 13. Once installed, the HomeBase Server starts automatically. Task 5: Reload the HomeBase Server database The database dump file created in Back up the current HomeBase Server database on page 20 can now be reloaded into the new installation of the HomeBase Server. To reload into the new installation of the HomeBase Server, open a command window and type: hbs db load -u <admin> -p <password> <db_backup_file> where: <admin> is the administrator user account name for the HomeBase Server. <password> is the administrator user password for the HomeBase Server. IMPORTANT Specify the full path to the db_backup_file and the db_backup_filename. An error occurs during the upgrade if you fail to specify the complete path. Watch the debug.log for a message indicating Finished database/loaddatabase to ensure that the load is complete. Note: After the installation is complete, the administrator user s password is reset to the default password, which is admin. To load the database correctly, run the hbs db load command with the default password. The original username and password is restored after the database is loaded correctly. Task 6: Restart the HomeBase Server Restart the HomeBase Server. Open a command line window and type: hbs service restart Upgrading HomeBase Server 21

22 Installing HomeBase Server This step allows certain application settings such as custom directories for the profile and package repositories to take hold in the upgraded installation. Note: The emc-homebase-server.log in the section, Understanding HomeBase Server logging on page 40 provides information on verifying that your server has started successfully. Task 7: Re-create deployment environments Creating Windows deployment environment While the HomeBase Server has now been upgraded, it still contains software deployment environments from the previous HomeBase Server version. These deployment environments must be updated to work with the new HomeBase Server. Re-create the deployment environments for Windows, Red Hat Enterprise Linux, VMware ESX, and VMware ESXi with the following commands: 1. Run the following command: hbd create windows -l <homebase-server-url> -u <admin> -p <password> -d <path_to_additional_drivers> where: <admin> is the administrator user account name for the HomeBase Server. <password> is the administrator user password for the HomeBase Server. < homebase-server-url> is the resolvable address of the HomeBase Server that the created deployment environment will use. < path_to_additional_drivers> is the directory path name where additional third-party drivers required for the deployment targets are located. Note: This command can be run on a Windows HomeBase Server only. If the deployment environment is a Linux HomeBase Server, then run the command on a Windows Server and use the HomeBase Server URL field to refer to the target Linux server. Creating Linux deployment environment 1. Run the following command: hbd create redhat -l <homebase-server-url> -u <admin> -p <password> where: <admin> is the administrator user account name for the HomeBase Server. <password> is the administrator user password for the HomeBase Server. < homebase-server-url> is the resolvable address of the HomeBase Server that the created deployment environment will use. 22 EMC HomeBase Version 6.6 Enhanced Server Provisioning Product Guide

23 Installing HomeBase Server Note: By default, the Red Hat boot environment uses the first network card it finds, which for Linux is eth0. If you want to use a different network card, you may specify a different device, for example: --device eth1. Creating ESX deployment environment 1. Run the following command: hbd create esx -l <homebase-server-url> -u <admin> -p <password> where: <admin> is the administrator user account name for the HomeBase Server. <password> is the administrator user password for the HomeBase Server. < homebase-server-url> is the resolvable address of the HomeBase Server that the created deployment environment will use. Note: By default, the ESX boot environment uses the first network card it finds, which for ESX3 is eth0 and for ESX4 is vmnic0. If you want to use a different network card, you may specify a different device, for example: --device eth1. Creating ESXi deployment environment 1. Run the following command: hbd create esxi -l <homebase-server-url> -u <admin> -p <password> where: <admin> is the administrator user account name for the HomeBase Server. <password> is the administrator user password for the HomeBase Server. < homebase-server-url> is the resolvable address of the HomeBase Server that the created deployment environment will use. Note: By default, the ESX boot environment uses the first network card it finds, which for ESX3 is eth0 and for ESX4 is vmnic0. If you want to use a different network card, you may specify a different device, for example: --device eth1. Task 8: Test the upgrades EMC recommends that you develop a process to validate your recovery infrastructure after the upgrade so that the readiness for a recovery event can be assured. The tests will be unique to the HomeBase configuration and its supporting infrastructure but the following should serve as a guide to some of the checks that should be considered: Manually run a profile on an agent and ensure that the profile comes through: Verify that alerts are generated and are sent. Verify a profile report can be created. Check that the displayed licence information is as expected. Upgrading HomeBase Server 23

24 Installing HomeBase Server Check that replication agreements are there as before: Test that a replication agreement still works. Check that recovery sessions are there as before: Log in to the HomeBase Server Perform a test recovery to ensure that the sessions still work as expected. The Homebase Server supports the following browsers and versions: Microsoft Internet Explorer 7.0 or later Mozilla Firefox 3.0 or later Note: The HomeBase Web Console should be viewed with a minimum resolution of 1024 x 768. To log in to the HomeBase Server: 1. Open a browser and enter the URL for the HomeBase Server in the Address bar. A security certificate is issued by the HomeBase Server. The certificate enables the more secure HTTP/SSL communication before any data is transmitted from the server. 2. Accept the certificate and choose to continue to this site. The HomeBase login page appears, shown in Figure 1 on page 24. Figure 1 HomeBase login page Licensing the HomeBase Server 3. Log in by typing admin for both the default username and password. Once the HomeBase Server has been licensed, change the default password. After the HomeBase Server is installed and is executing on the host platform, it needs to be licensed. 24 EMC HomeBase Version 6.6 Enhanced Server Provisioning Product Guide

25 Installing HomeBase Server Note: EMC does not offer any trial/evaluation version of HomeBase Enhanced Server Provisioning. During the installation of the EMC HomeBase Server, a full license request file is generated. The server is not fully enabled until a valid license has been issued by EMC Licensing. Permanent license To obtain a permanent license, the License Request file must be sent to the HomeBase licensing team. The License Request file was generated during the installation process and can be located at: Windows: <installdir>\keys\homebase@<hostname>.licenserequest RHEL: < installdir >/keys/homebase@<hostname>.licenserequest This request file must be attached to an and sent to [email protected] for validation and activation by the EMC Licensing Department. The file must include the following information: Customer organization Contact name of the customer organization address for the customer organization contact Purchase order reference After the request is received, EMC Licensing Department s an installation-specific HomeBase Server license key (called license.zip) to the designated customer contact. The HomeBase Server license key (license.zip) should be copied into the following directory: Windows: <installdir>\keys\ RHEL: <installdir>/keys/ To allow the HomeBase Server to read the provided license keys, restart the server with the following command: hbs service restart The HomeBase Server is now fully licensed and ready to provision operating systems. Licensing the HomeBase Server 25

26 Installing HomeBase Server 26 EMC HomeBase Version 6.6 Enhanced Server Provisioning Product Guide

27 CHAPTER 2 Configuring HomeBase Server This chapter contains the following information: Initial HomeBase Server configuration Advanced HomeBase Server configuration Understanding HomeBase Server logging Performance tuning Initial HomeBase Server configuration After the HomeBase Server is licensed, the administrator can log in and set basic configuration parameters. These basic configuration options are typically required for each installation of a HomeBase Server. Advanced HomeBase Server configuration on page 29 describes advanced options for configuration. Each of the basic configuration areas are presented at login as tasks as shown in Figure 2 on page 27. The tasks are a reminder of the basic configuration and are not automatically cleared once the component is configured. Hence, after each task is completed, the administrator can clear the related checkbox, so that it is not displayed again. Figure 2 Initial HomeBase Server configuration page These initial log-in tasks are elaborated on as follows: Configuring HomeBase Server 27

28 Configuring HomeBase Server Configure server location Enable deployment Configure server location on page 28 Enable deployment on page 28 Software repository on page 28 After you have completed the basic configuration tasks, the initial login page for the HomeBase Web Console appears. If you need to perform more administration tasks, click Administration. You will navigate to main administration tasks page. This configuration option allows the administrator to set the URL that a user of HomeBase must enter to access the HomeBase Web Console. Refer to HomeBase Server fully qualified domain name on page 14 for additional information. Two protocols, Trivial File Transfer Protocol (TFTP) and Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) must be available for the HomeBase Server to be capable of deploying the supported Windows, RHEL, VMware ESX and VMware ESXi operating systems. These protocols can be provided by the HomeBase Server. For DHCP, external third-party applications that can be configured to support the deployment process for the HomeBase Server can be provided. For third party DHCP servers, the following scope options are required for HomeBase: 003 Router 005 Name Servers 066 Boot Server Host Name 067 Bootfile Name If less automation is required, then you can choose to start from a CD rather than over the network. In this case, TFTP is not required. In case of provisioning Windows, DHCP can also be disregarded if you provide static networking information when prompted. Software repository To deploy Windows, RHEL, VMware ESX, and VMware ESXi operating systems, those operating system installation binaries, and any required third-party device drivers (not provided as standard by the operating system installation binaries), must be loaded into the HomeBase Server. The EMC HomeBase Sever Administration Guide provides the following information: How to prepare an OS to be uploaded and how to upload it to HomeBase. How to prepare a driver for uploading to HomeBase and how to upload it. How to prepare an application for uploading, and how to upload it. These descriptions include instructions on using the 'Upload Software' panel, the Bulk Upload' panel, and the command line package tool. 28 EMC HomeBase Version 6.6 Enhanced Server Provisioning Product Guide

29 Configuring HomeBase Server Advanced HomeBase Server configuration If required, you can set the advanced configuration options after the HomeBase Server is installed and licensed. The following sections describe these options. Configuring the HomeBase Server web ports on page 29 Configuring an alternate SMTP relay on page 29 Configuring the Help screen message on page 30 Configuring the HomeBase Server web ports After installation, the HomeBase Web Console is available on two ports: HTTP (port 80) and HTTPS (port 443). If a user connects to the nonsecure port (HTTP), the HomeBase Server automatically redirects to the secure port (port 443). Secure port The HTTPS protocol provides increased security (encryption and non-repudiation) to protect user credentials upon logging into the HomeBase Server application. If required, edit the HomeBase Server configuration file to change the secure port. To change the default HTTPS port from 443: 1. Open the configuration file in a text editor. The default location is: <installdir>/jboss/server/all/deploy/jbossweb-tomcat50.sar/server.x ml 2. Locate the following line and change the port number: <connector port="443"> When browsing to a HomeBase Server that is listening on a nonstandard port, for example 8443, you must add the port number to the URL, as follows: Note: Ensure that no other application on the server is using the same port. 3. Restart the HomeBase Server. Open a command line window and type: hbs service restart Nonsecure port The nonsecure HTTP port can also be changed if appropriate. You can change the HTTP port from the default (80) to another (for example, 8080 with the URL becoming Configuring an alternate SMTP relay The HomeBase Server has a built-in SMTP relay that transmits alert s and notifications to user mailboxes. The configuration of the internal SMTP relay is available through the SMTP Channel Configuration page. To configure the HomeBase Server to use an external SMTP relay service: Advanced HomeBase Server configuration 29

30 Configuring HomeBase Server 1. Login to HomeBase Web Console. 2. Navigate to Administration > Application Settings > System Settings. 3. Under Mail Server Settings, supply the information in Table 6 on page 30 to use an external SMTP relay. Table 6 Mail Server Settings Property Mail Server Mail Server Username, Mail Server Password Mail Sent From Name Mail Sent From Address Description Defines the IP address or DNS name of the mail server. Defines any necessary authentication details required by the external SMTP relay server. Defines the name of the sender to be included in the Defines the sending address to be included in the 4. Select Save. 5. Restart the HomeBase Server. Open a command line window and type: hbs service restart Configuring the Help screen message The HomeBase Server supports a customizable Help screen message that can provide site-specific information for support calls. To customize the HomeBase Server Help screen, 1. Select the Help icon at the top of the HomeBase Web Console home page. 2. Select Edit Support from the Related Tasks menu. 3. Type a custom message for the help screen. Each part of the line should be specified as follows: The first part of each line should be the name of the country or region. The second part should be the contact information, such as a phone number. Each part of the line should be separated by a colon (:). Plain text lines can also be included. For example, a support information entry should look like the following: United States: nnn-nnnn Outside United States: 1-nnn-nnn-nnnn Please have your Site ID ready. 4. Click Update when finished. 5. Restart the HomeBase Server. Open a command line window and type: hbs service restart 30 EMC HomeBase Version 6.6 Enhanced Server Provisioning Product Guide

31 Configuring HomeBase Server Understanding HomeBase Server logging The EMC HomeBase Server produces log files that can provide detailed information about user activity and server performance. Log files are located in the <installdir>/logs directory. The following log files are available: debug.log This file provides verbose output of the functional activities performed by the HomeBase Server. The debug.log has autoroll capability. When it reaches a certain file size, the file is auto rolled. It will append a sequential number to the file name and generate a new debug.log file. For instance, once the file reaches its specified limit, it will rename the existing file to debug.clog.1 and generate a new debug.clog. packages.log This file provides information about package events within the software repository. error.log This file provides verbose output of any errors that occur during a HomeBase Server session. This log file should be monitored regularly. audit.log.csv Performance tuning This file provides an audit trail of user login activity. It is provided in.csv format so that Microsoft Excel can be used to read the file. Each communication channel has a log file to which any errors raised by the protocol handling function are written. All communication channel log files are located in <installdir>/logs/service/channels. It is not necessary for a customer to understand all the messages written to these log files. However, note where these files exists because they might be required by EMC Customer Support for any problem resolution activities. EMC recommends that the HomeBase Server is run on a dedicated operating system so that all available operating system memory is available. If necessary, adjustments can be made to improve performance. Typically, the HomeBase Server and HomeBase database services are configured to use the same amount of memory, with the total not exceeding the amount of addressable physical memory in the host, and leaving at least 512 MB for the operating system to use. For example, when installed on a 4 GB host, the recommended memory to use per service would be: (4096 MB MB) / 2 = 1792 MB To configure the memory use of the two services, the wrapper.java.maxmemory and wrapper.java.initmemory properties need to be configured in both of the service configuration files: <installdir>/etc/service/emc-homebase-server.properties Understanding HomeBase Server logging 31

32 Configuring HomeBase Server <installdir>/etc/service/emc-homebase-serverdb.properties The amount of memory used by each service can be specified in megabytes and typically the two values should be identical. For example to use 1 GB per service, the following lines should be added to the file: wrapper.java.initmemory=1024 wrapper.java.maxmemory=1024 For memory-intensive operations such as package matching, adjust the balance of memory as follows: By increasing the use of the HomeBase Server service and By decreasing the use of the HomeBase Server database service to accommodate the change. For these changes to take effect, the service needs to be restarted by using the hbs service restart command. Note: If the service fails to start, this typically means that the memory requested is not available and should be readjusted. 32 EMC HomeBase Version 6.6 Enhanced Server Provisioning Product Guide

33 CHAPTER 3 Communication Administration This chapter contains the following information: An overview of communication channel configuration HomeBaseSSL Enabling TFTP and DHCP An overview of communication channel configuration The Channel Configuration section of the HomeBase Server web pages define network communication protocols for operating system deployment. These protocols are typically determined as part of the installation planning process. Each of the supported protocols supports a specific function of the HomeBase Server. Table 7 on page 33 lists the supported protocols. Table 7 HomeBase Server protocols Protocol channel HomeBaseSSL TFTP DHCP Function Used by the HomeBase Server to communicate with target systems while they are provisioned. Used for transmitting operating system installation binaries during deployment. Used for allocating a temporary IP addresses during an operating system installation process. Managing and viewing protocol channels HomeBaseSSL The following sections provide details about protocol parameters. To manage or view the protocol channels: 1. Login to the HomeBase Web Console. 2. Navigate to the Administration > Channels page. The Channels page appears. The configuration settings can be modified from this page. HomeBaseSSL protocol is used by the target systems to communicate back to the provisioning server while the operating system installation is taking place. This protocol is enabled and configured on installation. If necessary, its settings can be edited. This protocol provides encryption of all data sent between the target system and the HomeBase Server. Communication Administration 33

34 Communication Administration Configuring HomeBase SSL To configure HomeBaseSSL parameters: 1. From the Channels page, click HomeBaseSSL, or select Edit HomeBaseSSL from the Related Tasks list. The Edit HomeBaseSSL page appears. 2. Select the Enabled checkbox to enable the service. This service is automatically enabled at installation. 3. Provide a name for the protocol connection banner in the Connection Banner field. Table 8 on page 34 describes the available configuration settings. Table 8 HomeBaseSSL parameters Parameter Concurrent Connections Backlog Connections Per Connection Lifetime Per Command Timeout Description Defines the maximum number of connections that can be handled concurrently by HomeBase. The value is dependent on operating system type and server performance. Defines the maximum number of connections that can be queued on a network interface card. Typically, the value is left as the card default. Defines the total length of time available before the connection is closed. Values are defined in milliseconds. Over very slow networks, this value might need to be increased. Defines the length of time that a single protocol command can take to execute. This value is always less than Per Connection Lifetime and the values are defined in milliseconds. Enabling TFTP and DHCP Deployment of operating system binaries and packages is provided by the HomeBase Server and its support for the PXE boot process. The PXE protocol is dependent on two protocols: TFTP DHCP TFTP HomeBase uses the TFTP service to download operating system binaries during recovery. The HomeBase Server TFTP channel can be activated by enabling the channel and providing the local host IP address of the HomeBase Server. No further configuration is required. Note: TFTP is a UDP-based protocol, and as such, is not naturally available across subnets. Many network devices actively prevent UDP messages from crossing subnet boundaries. If deployment across subnets is required, all such network devices must provide some form of TFTP message relay. To configure these parameters: 34 EMC HomeBase Version 6.6 Enhanced Server Provisioning Product Guide

35 Communication Administration 1. From the Channels page, click TFTP, or select Edit TFTP in the Related Tasks list. The Edit TFTP page appears. 2. Select the Enabled checkbox to enable the service. A default network address of is provided. On Windows systems, a specific IP address should be specified as an alternate in the Local Host field. 3. Click Save when finished. Table 9 on page 35 describes the advanced TFTP configuration settings. Table 9 TFTP Configuration Settings Configuration Setting Connection Poolsize Maximum Activity Maximum inactivity Description The maximum number of connections available for concurrent use. This should be increased if more connections are required. Connection Lifetime is the maximum number of seconds that a connection is allowed to last for. The maximum number of seconds allowed for the activity. The maximum number of seconds allowed for the inactivity. Rollover The block counter roll-over wrap settings (zero or 1). DHCP HomeBase uses the DHCP service to provide temporary IP addresses to target recovery servers. If DHCP is not configured in the environment, a one-click recovery is not possible. The DHCP services may be configured and provided via HomeBase or you can use a third-party DHCP service provider. Configuring DHCP To configure DHCP parameters: 1. From the Channels page, click DHCP, or select Edit DHCP in the Related Tasks list. The Edit DHCP page appears. 2. Select the Enabled checkbox to enable the service. 3. Edit the necessary parameters as described in Table 10 on page Click Save when finished. Table 10 on page 35 describes the available configuration settings. Table 10 DHCP parameters Parameter Local Host Lease Period Description This defines the IP address of the HomeBase Server on which DHCP will be available. You cannot use localhost or This defines the expiry period for client leases. Local Address Defines the scope for the pool of IP addresses to be leased and is defined by using Classless Inter-Domain Routing (CIDR) notation. Enabling TFTP and DHCP 35

36 Communication Administration Table 10 DHCP parameters Parameter Default Gateway Override Subnet Mask Reserved Addresses Description Defines the default gateway IP address for DHCP clients to use. Defines an alternate subnet to use, rather than the calculated subnet. Defines the set of IP addresses that should not be leased from the lease pool, typically because they are used by other servers or visible networked devices. Use of these parameters allow most customers to configure DHCP use for their environments. Note: DHCP is a UDP based protocol and is not typically available across subnets. Many network devices actively prevent UDP messages from crossing subnet boundaries. If deployment across subnets is required, all network devices must provide some form of DHCP message relay. For example, the Big Company Inc s disaster recovery site in Denver has a Class C subnet, providing the IP ranges through to Big Company decides to allocate a portion of this available range to be used for the recovery environment, so the DHCP service is configured to provide 30 usable IP addresses. This is done by setting the local address to be /27. Note: The provided address, , does not sit on a CIDR boundary. Rather, it is used to reference a set of addresses that are calculated to be a contiguous block of IP addresses. The lease pool of IP addresses are calculated to be and a subnet mask of Servers that are provided IP addresses from this pool will only be able to talk to other servers within the calculated IP range. At a minimum, the servers must communicate with the HomeBase Server to permit deployment to continue. Communication is possible if the HomeBase Server IP address is set to an IP address in the lease pool during installation. Note: To prevent the DHCP channel from leasing out the HomeBase Server IP address to another server, the address should be added to the Reserved Addresses field (with no corresponding Hardware Address). If the HomeBase Server IP address is set outside to an IP address outside the lease pool, then communication would not be possible. To permit servers in the lease pool to communicate with the HomeBase Server, an Override Subnet Mask value should be provided of This new subnet mask will allow the lease pool servers to communicate to all the servers on the x subnet. 36 EMC HomeBase Version 6.6 Enhanced Server Provisioning Product Guide

37 Communication Administration Configuring a third-party DHCP server To use a third-party DHCP server for operating system deployment, the following DHCP scope options are required to be set: Boot File Name: /pxelinux.0 Boot-Server: HOMEBASE_SERVER_ADDRESS Router: <Gateway> Consult the DHCP server documentation to set these parameters. Additional network-related parameters (gateway address and subnet mask) might be required to enable DHCP addresses to be used correctly. Enabling TFTP and DHCP 37

38 Communication Administration 38 EMC HomeBase Version 6.6 Enhanced Server Provisioning Product Guide

39 CHAPTER 4 Preparing to Provision Operating Systems Provisioning preparation This chapter contains the following information: Provisioning preparation Configuring HomeBase Server to provision operating systems Uploading software to the HomeBase Server Managing uploaded software Creating a HomeBase boot image Before starting any server provisioning to a new host, ensure that all required components are available and that the deployment environment is fully commissioned. This requires that a number of tasks be performed in the HomeBase Server environment to ensure that it is ready for undertaking the installation. In general, ensure that the following conditions are met: Communication between the new host and the HomeBase Server is critical for all operating system deployments. Dedicated VLANs will provide the best performance when provisioning the operating system. Ensure that the time set on the new host is synchronized with the HomeBase Server time. Preparing for Windows provisioning Consider the following when preparing for provisioning on Windows platforms: The target hardware or virtual image must have adequate memory for operating system provisioning. A minimum of 2GB of RAM is required for a 64-bit operating system. When uploading other Windows operating installation media, make sure that your HomeBase Server has the correct Windows operating installation media (including any required service packs) loaded into the software repository. Uploading software to the HomeBase Server on page 41 provides more information. Make sure that the new host is recognized from a hardware perspective by the deployed operating system, as the new target hardware might require new drivers to be installed that are not part of the standard Microsoft operating system installation media. The additional drivers must be: Appropriate to the Windows version Uploaded into the HomeBase Server Selected in the provisioning template Preparing to Provision Operating Systems 39

40 Preparing to Provision Operating Systems For example, incorrect network drivers might cause the HomeBase Server to fail to communicate with the new host and the process appears to stop responding or stop at the end of an otherwise successful installation. From version 6.6 onwards, HomeBase supports provisioning custom Windows images (WIM). When provisioning custom WIM images, make sure that the correct Windows operating installation media is installed in to the software repository. In addition, the custom WIM image must be correctly system prepared before the image is captured. This involves using Sysprep.exe to prepare the image for capture by cleaning up various user and computer-specific settings as well as log files. The Sysprep tool can be run from a command prompt by typing: c:\windows\system32\sysprep\sysprep.exe /oobe /generalize /shutdown Note: HomeBase supports custom WIM images that contain one volume only. Booting Windows Operating System Preparing for RHEL provisioning To allow the HomeBase Server to boot a Windows operating system, Microsoft Windows Automated Installation Kit (WAIK) for Windows 7 is required. This toolkit is used to prepare the HomeBase boot image, which is a small executable file that is used during the boot process to initiate the communication from the new host to the HomeBase Server. Refer to Creating a HomeBase boot image on page 48 for more information on WAIK. For hardware that is not automatically recognized by the WAIK, additional drivers (for example Remote Installation Service or monolithic drivers) might be required in the HomeBase boot image. In such cases, it is necessary to supply the additional --driver* option. This must be applied when creating the Windows boot environment to specify a directory where the drivers can be found. It is not necessary for these drivers to be uploaded into the software repository. The WAIK is based on the Windows 7 kernel and thus might require drivers marked for Windows Server 2008 R2 or Windows 7, even when the provisioned operating system is Windows Server Consider the following when preparing for provisioning on RHEL platforms: The target hardware or virtual image must have adequate memory for operating system provisioning. A minimum of 2GB of RAM is required for a 64-bit operating system. Make sure that the HomeBase Server has the correct RHEL operating installation media loaded into the software repository. HomeBase requires that each operating system being deployed is available within the HomeBase Server. Uploading software to the HomeBase Server on page 41 provides more information. Make sure that the new host for your server is recognized from a hardware perspective, as the new target hardware might require the installation of new drivers that are not part of the standard RHEL operating system installation media. Loading of 40 EMC HomeBase Version 6.6 Enhanced Server Provisioning Product Guide

41 Preparing to Provision Operating Systems additional drivers into HomeBase Server for RHEL is not supported since these platforms generally have suitable storage and network drivers. The other option is to manually supply drivers when prompted by the installers. Preparing for VMware ESX and ESXi provisioning Consider the following when preparing for provisioning on VMware ESX or ESXi platforms: Make sure that the HomeBase Server has the correct VMware ESX or ESXi operating installation media loaded into the software repository. Uploading software to the HomeBase Server on page 41 provides more information. Make sure that the new host for your server is recognized from a hardware perspective, as the new target hardware might require new drivers to be installed that are not part of the standard VMware ESX installation media. Loading additional drivers into HomeBase Server for ESX or ESXi is not supported since these platforms usually have suitable storage and network drivers. The other option is to manually supply drivers when prompted by the installers. Configuring HomeBase Server to provision operating systems Currently, the HomeBase Server requires that service packs be bundled with the operating system installation media. HomeBase cannot install stand-alone service pack upgrades. The tasks that you must complete to configure a HomeBase Server to provision an operating system are listed below: Enabling TFTP and DHCP - HomeBase uses the TFTP and DHCP services to download operating system binaries and provide temporary IP addresses to target servers respectively. Enabling TFTP and DHCP on page 34 describes how to configure TFTP and DHCP services for HomeBase Server Upload the operating system - Uploading software to the HomeBase Server on page 41 describes uploading the operating system installation media and device drivers to the HomeBase Server. HomeBase boot image - Creating a HomeBase boot image on page 48 describes how to create a HomeBase boot image. Uploading software to the HomeBase Server You can upload software to the HomeBase Server software repository using the: Upload, Bulk Upload, and Import Avamar Software pages. Uploading software using the HomeBase Web Console on page 43 provides more information. hbs package upload and hbs package uploadcustom commands. Uploading software using the hbs package command on page 44 provides more information. Configuring HomeBase Server to provision operating systems 41

42 Preparing to Provision Operating Systems Table 11 on page 42 describes the software that needs to be uploaded to the HomeBase Server repository before an operating system can be deployed. Table 11 Software needed to provision a source server Software Operating system installation media Description For supported Windows, Windows WIM images, RHEL operating systems, and VMware ESX operating systems, the HomeBase Server can perform an unattended installation onto a target server. To prepare for this, the required installation media needs to be uploaded into the HomeBase Server: For Windows Vista, 7, 2008, 2008 R2: Zip the entire installation media. For Windows XP and 2003: Supply the ISO or Zip the i386 folder (and amd64 folder if Windows x64) from the installation media. For Windows Server 2003 R2 on multiple CDs: Copy the contents of both CDs into one temporary folder and then zip up the temporary folder. Refer Uploading Windows Server 2003 R2 using CDs on page 45 For Linux, ESX, and ESXi: Upload each ISO image for that version of the operating system. Note: HomeBase Server cannot upload the base operating systems and separate Service Packs. Each supported operating system should be uploaded into the HomeBase having been slipstreamed to the appropriate Service Pack. Device drivers Custom software Custom WIM image If installation requires any non-standard device drivers not included in the operating system installation media, you must upload these drivers to the HomeBase Server. Uploading additional software on page 46 describes how to create a Zip file for a device driver. During deployment, the HomeBase Server can deploy custom software to a Windows target server. Custom software is not part of the operating system itself and can be silently (non-interactively) installed on a target server during deployment. You can upload custom software for any platform supported by HomeBase. The HomeBase Server, however, can deploy custom software to Windows servers. For example, you can install a Windows application either through a.exe command or a.msi file. To include custom software in a deployment, it needs to be added to a deployment template. In addition, the HomeBase Server can deploy RPM files on Linux servers. Refer to Preparing a deployment template on page 56 for more information. HomeBase can provision the following operating systems from Custom WIM images: Windows 7 Windows Vista Windows 2008 R2 and 2008 To provision from custom WIM images, you must load the correct Windows operating installation media in to the software repository. Also, the Custom WIM image must be system prepared before the image is captured. Note: If the Operating System that is being captured was originally provisioned from a HomeBase Server, then the deploy folder must be excluded when capturing the image. Refer the Windows Automated Installation Kit (WAIK) documentation, which contains instructions for making exclusions. 42 EMC HomeBase Version 6.6 Enhanced Server Provisioning Product Guide

43 Preparing to Provision Operating Systems Uploading software using the HomeBase Web Console Table 12 on page 43 describes the HomeBase Web Console options through which you can upload software to the HomeBase Server software repository. Table 12 HomeBase Web Console software upload pages Tool Upload Software page Bulk Upload page Description The Upload Software page provides a simpler workflow than the Bulk Upload page. The Upload page only prompts you for information about a file that it cannot automatically identify. Use the Upload page to: Upload a zip or tar file that contains operating system installation media. Upload a Zip file that contains custom software. Build a custom software package and upload it to the HomeBase Server. Upload individual files. Upload file that contains multiple packages. The Upload page cannot: Upload files larger than 800 MB. Create Zip files for Windows operating systems. Scan a directory tree that contains operating system installation media and upload that media. Upload more than one file at a time. The Bulk Upload page can upload zip and tar files that in turn contain zipped or tarred archives of other packages. Note: Through the HomeBase Web Console, you cannot upload files greater than 800 MB in size. If a file exceeds 2 GB, use the hbs package upload or hbs package uploadcustom commands to upload the file to the HomeBase Server software repository. Uploading software using the Upload Software page Complete the following steps to upload operating systems, device drivers, and custom software packages to the HomeBase Server. To upload the software: 1. Navigate to Software > Upload Software. The Upload Software page appears. 2. Browse to the.zip, tar or the file containing the operating system, device drivers or custom software packages and click Analyse. The HomeBase Server analyzes the contents of the zip, tar or the file and displays the result of its analysis. 3. Click Upload to upload the contents of the zip, tar or file to the HomeBase Server software repository. The View Software page displays detailed information about the packages after it is uploaded to the software repository. 4. For Windows only, click Edit Software. The Edit Software page appears. Type the license key for the Windows page that you just uploaded and click Save. The license key is not prompted during deployment. Uploading software to the HomeBase Server 43

44 Preparing to Provision Operating Systems Uploading software using the hbs package command You can upload software to the HomeBase Server using the hbs package upload and hbs package uploadcustom commands. Table 13 on page 44 compares the two commands. Table 13 hbs package commands Command hbs package upload command hbs package uploadcustom command Description Use the hbs package upload command to: Upload operating system installation media as an ISO, in a zip or a tar file format. Upload Window WIM image. Upload individual files. Upload a Zip or a tar file that contains zipped/tarred archives of other packages. Create a Zip file of the Windows operating systems from a directory and upload it. Scan an entire directory tree and upload multiple discrete packages. Upload custom software that has already been zipped. The hbs package upload command cannot build custom software packages. Use the hbs package uploadcustom command to: Upload custom software in a Zip file. Build a custom software package and upload it. Refer Appendix A, HomeBase Server Commands and Options for the complete syntax of the hbs package command. Using the hbs package command, you can accomplish the following tasks: Uploading Microsoft Windows installation media on page 44 Uploading Custom Windows images on page 45 Uploading Microsoft Windows installation media Uploading VMware ESX and ESXi operating system files on page 46 Uploading customized operating system installation media on page 46 Uploading customized operating system installation media on page 46 All Microsoft Windows installation media required to support server deployment or recovery must be uploaded into the HomeBase Server. You can upload the Windows media into HomeBase by using any of the following methods: Manually locating the i386 or amd64 installation directory and creating the.zip file for these two directories. Loading the installation media into a drive Mounting the ISO files Uploading the ISO files locally. For Windows ISO files containing single or multiple editions of the operating system, for example, Windows 2003 Enterprise and Windows 2003 Standard, these can also be uploaded directly into the HomeBase. For multi CD Windows R2 media, the existing method of copying all contents into one folder is still required. The ISO image of the installation media can be uploaded into the HomeBase Server by using the following command: 44 EMC HomeBase Version 6.6 Enhanced Server Provisioning Product Guide

45 Preparing to Provision Operating Systems hbs pkg upload <ISOFile> Alternatively, the media files can be packaged as a zip file before uploading. To package as ZIP files: 1. Load the installation media into a drive. If the installation starts to autostart, terminate the installer. 2. Compress the i386 Windows directory, in zip format, from the installation media or determine the root directory of the installation media. Note: If you have Windows x64, you must also compress the amd64 directory. 3. Open a command line window, and type the following command: hbs pkg upload <WindowsMedia> where <WindowsMedia> is a compressed zip file containing the Windows I386 directory or the root directory of the installation media. The created ZIP archive is now uploaded into the HomeBase Server. Uploading Windows Server 2003 R2 using CDs If you upload Windows Server 2003 R2 using DVDs, the R2 components are uploaded automatically. If you upload by using CDs, do the following: 1. Copy the entire contents of CD 1 to a new folder, for example, Win2003 R2. 2. From CD 2, copy the CMPNENTS folder to the folder you created in step Upload that newly created Zip or Tar folder, which contains all the needed contents from both CDs, to HomeBase Server. Note: On a Linux HomeBase server, it is possible to mount and upload a Windows 2008 ISO that has been uploaded to the operating system using the following commands: mount -o loop -t udf <Windows>.iso /mnt hbs pkg upload /mnt Uploading Custom Windows images Uploading RHEL operating system files HomeBase version 6.6 allows you to upload custom Windows images (.wim). The HomeBase software repository can hold custom.wim images ready for deployment later. Use the following command to upload a.wim file to HomeBase. hbs pkg upload <drive> For Linux operating system files, upload the ISO images of the installation media to the HomeBase Server. Uploading software to the HomeBase Server 45

46 Preparing to Provision Operating Systems For older versions (and as an alternate for current versions), the set of CD images (usually five disks) can be downloaded from the Red Hat website and uploaded individually to the HomeBase Server. Physical DVDs or CD sets would first need to be created as ISO images from the media, by using third-party software. To upload the media files: 1. Load the installation media or the ISO image into a drive. If the installation starts to autostart, terminate the installer. 2. Open a command line window 3. Type the following command: hbs pkg upload <image> where <image> is the location and name of the.iso file. The OS is now uploaded into the HomeBase Server. Uploading VMware ESX and ESXi operating system files For VMware ESX and ESXi operating system files, upload the ISO images of the installation media to the HomeBase Server. To upload the media files: 1. Load the CD/DVD installation media into a drive. 2. Open a command line window and type the following command: hbs pkg upload <VMware ISO name> The ISO archive is now uploaded into the HomeBase Server.\ Note: On a Linux HomeBase Server the hbs command can be pointed directly at an ESX or ESXi iso file that has been uploaded using the hbs pkg upload <ESX_name>.iso command. Uploading customized operating system installation media Uploading additional software Some cases might require customized forms of the operating system installation media. This might include the bundle of media keys or the slip streaming of additional content to be installed. The creation of a customized form of an operating system might compromise the ability of HomeBase to recover a server and extreme care should be taken in creation of such images. Verify if such customizations are tested thoroughly before deployment. EMC Customer Support Representative can provide HomeBase practitioners who can help in creating and testing such customized images. The HomeBase Server software repository has the capability to store additional operating system elements for use during deployment. These additions might be required to support the successful deployment of a server, such as: Windows nonstandard device drivers software 46 EMC HomeBase Version 6.6 Enhanced Server Provisioning Product Guide

47 Preparing to Provision Operating Systems Linux software Windows operating system installation media provides a number of standard device drivers that permit the operating system to communicate with the hardware such as network interface card, disks, and storage devices. To upload non-standard Windows device drivers, follow these steps: 1. Extract the device driver. Temporarily extract the drivers into a directory on a local hard drive. If the vendor has supplied a self-extracting archive, use that to extract the driver contents into a known folder. The vendor might have also provided a Zip file that can be manually extracted, or a CD with contents can simply be copied. 2. Identify each driver to upload. It is common that device driver vendor will bundle more than one device driver per archive. To identify each device driver, locate each of the sub-folders that contains an.inf file other than autorun.inf. 3. For each identified folder, create a Zip archive. Note: The Zip archive (folder) should only contain the parent directory and not subdirectories. Having subdirectories in the Zip folder will result in an incorrect directory structure and will be rejected by the HomeBase Server. 4. The resulting Zip file is now ready to be uploaded and will be correctly identified as a Windows driver package by HomeBase Server. hbs pkg upload <ZIP_archive> Additional Linux software can also be uploaded as a.rpm file to the HomeBase software repository. To upload additional Linux software: 1. Copy the.rpm file locally to the HomeBase Server. 2. Use the following command to upload the software. hbs pkg upload <file> Managing uploaded software where <file> is the location and name of the.rpm file that is being uploaded. Once operating system binaries and supporting software are added to the HomeBase Server repository, images can be managed from the HomeBase Server web pages or the command line. Perform the following to manage software from the HomeBase Server web pages: 1. From the HomeBase Web Console, select Software > Windows Software. Managing uploaded software 47

48 Preparing to Provision Operating Systems Note: This procedure uses the Windows process. The Linux, ESX, and ESXi processes are the same. The Windows Software page appears. This page displays all of the Windows operating system variants that are loaded into the HomeBase Server and available for deployment. It also lists additional device drivers that can be used during the deployment of an operating system, and are not provided by the Windows installation media, and lastly, it lists third-party applications for Windows. 2. Click an entry in the list and choose an option displayed in the Related Tasks list. 3. To search the repository, type any search criteria in the fields provided and click Display. Columns can also be sorted by clicking the column headings at the top of the page. To manage software from the command line, use the hbs pkg command line options. The hbs command is described in detail in Appendix A, HomeBase Server Commands and Options. To manage software from the HomeBase Server web pages, navigate to the Software pages. Each operating system specific list is displayed. The following tasks are available: Delete Software Removes the software from the repository. View Software Lists the specifics of the software package. The details of this package can be edited from this page. Reindex Software Rebuilds the HomeBase software database. This is only needed if the database is out of sync with the contents of the repository. Note: Reindexing the software repository can take several hours to complete, depending on the number of software packages that have been uploaded and the available computational power of the server host. Creating a HomeBase boot image The HomeBase boot image is a lightweight operating system that controls downloading and installing a full operating system on a target server. This boot image undertakes a number of low-level storage and network-related activities to prepare a server to receive operating system installation executables. You must create a HomeBase boot image for each type of operating system before you attempt to provision it. For example you need to create a Windows boot environment before you can provision a Windows or an RHEL operating system. (You don't have to do it per server). When you create a boot image, it is automatically loaded into the nominated HomeBase Server. From the HomeBase Server, you can download the boot image and burn it onto a CD or copy it to a USB device (Windows only), if booting a target host from one of these devices. Creating a HomeBase boot image for a Windows server Creating a HomeBase boot image for a Windows server requires: 48 EMC HomeBase Version 6.6 Enhanced Server Provisioning Product Guide

49 Preparing to Provision Operating Systems The Microsoft Windows Automated Installation Kit (WAIK). The WAIK is based on a cut-down version of Microsoft Windows 7 and contains standard supplied drivers for many hardware types. In some circumstances, the target host-specific device drivers must be supplied to the boot image. The WAIK will only run on a Windows HomeBase Server. If you are using a Linux HomeBase Server to deploy a Windows OS then you must create the HomeBase boot image on a Windows based HomeBase Server. When creating the environment on another computer, the deployment directory needs to be manually copied from the local computer to the target HomeBase Server. If you have installed the latest version of WAIK, ensure that you restart the system after the installation is complete to avoid non-availability of some commands such as hbd create. If you encounter an error message cannot mount Windows PE image to <path>, make sure that the 'en-us' language pack for WAIK is available. Hardware specific network and storage drivers (optional). Complete the following steps to create a HomeBase boot image for Windows operating systems: 1. Download and install the Microsoft WAIK that supports the Windows version installed on the source server. Note: Creation of a Windows deployment image can only be performed on a Windows HomeBase Server. 2. Copy the 'en-us' language packs from the install media if you are using a non-english version of WAIK. <install media path>\winpe_langpacks\<arch>\en-us to %Program Files%\Windows AIK\Tools\PETools\<arch>\WinPE_FPs\en-us Where, <install media path> is the location of the WAIK and <arch> is either x86 or amd Download and unpack third-party device drivers into a directory, if required. 4. Use the hbd create windows command to create the HomeBase boot image. Note: Before using the hbd create windows command, ensure that you have restarted your system after installing WAIK. 5. From a command window, type the following command: hbd create windows 1 <url> -u <username> -p <password> -d <driver_directory> for adding drivers to the boot image as part of the hbd create command. Supply a valid username, password and HomeBase Server URL combination for the boot image to use when communicating with HomeBase. This is validated by the hbd command. The hbd create windows command queries the specified HomeBase Server for drivers that match the WinPE boot environment and add them to the boot environment. Creating a HomeBase boot image 49

50 Preparing to Provision Operating Systems There are several Windows specific options available when running the hbd create windows command. Table 14 on page 50 lists these options. Table 14 Deployment options for Windows Deployment option --waik --arch(a) --driver(d) --nodownload --deploymenturl(url) Description Specifies the WAIK program to use. If the WAIK is not available on the system path, the installation directory can be provided. Only create the boot environment for the specified architecture. Options are x86 or amd64. Folder containing the additional driver to add to the WinPE boot environment. Do not download drivers from the specified HomeBase Server. URL to use in the deployment environment. The resulting HomeBase boot image is automatically uploaded to the HomeBase Server and is ready for use. hbd query drivers The hbd query drivers allows the server administrator to query which drivers have been added to the HomeBase Boot Environment. Table 15 on page 50 explains the various hbd query options. Table 15 hbd query drivers Query option --waik (-w) --output (-o) --format --image (-i) Description Specifies the WAIK program to use. If the WAIK is not available on the system path, the installation directory can be provided. Specifies the path of the output. Specifies the output format to use. The options available here are: list table Specifies the path of the HomeBase environment to query. Preparing a physical boot media HomeBase works best using network PXE booting to install operating systems. However, in some cases, you might prefer to boot from physical media such as a CD or USB flash device instead. You can download the HomeBase boot image and burn it onto a CD or copy it onto a USB device (Windows only). You can then use the CD or USB device to boot a target server during deployment. To create a bootable CD 1. Use the download feature to download the ISO image from HomeBase to your local machine. 2. Burn the ISO image to the CD. 50 EMC HomeBase Version 6.6 Enhanced Server Provisioning Product Guide

51 Preparing to Provision Operating Systems RHEL operating systems When burning the CD, ensure that the burning application is set to burn an ISO image and that the burn session is closed at the end. To create a bootable USB device IMPORTANT This procedure is supported on Windows only. To download a HomeBase boot image to a USB device: 1. Follow the instructions in Creating a HomeBase boot image for a Windows server on page 48 to create a HomeBase boot image for your Windows server. 2. Format a bootable USB device on a Windows Vista, 2008, or Windows 7 machine. This places the correct boot sector onto the device so that a server booting from it is able to locate the HomeBase boot image. 3. Open the deployment CD ISO image by using ISO Buster or similar and extract the contents to the USB drive. If the target machine is configured to boot from USB devices, the CD ISO image can be used as a direct replacement for using a burnt CD in the deployment scenarios (whether recovering or provisioning). To create a HomeBase boot image for RHEL operating systems: 1. Download and unpack any optionally required third-party device drivers into a directory. 2. From a command window, type the following command: hbd create redhat -l <url> -u <username> -p <password> Supply a valid username, password, and HomeBase Server URL combination for the boot image to use when communicating with HomeBase. There are several Red Hat options available when using the hbd create redhat command. Table 16 on page 51 lists these options. Table 16 Deployment options for RHEL (page 1 of 2) Deployment option --default -mkisofs --arch(a) --device --ip Description Default label to use on timeout. This is useful for systems with no monitor or keyboard. The default is local. Path to the ISO authoring software, mkisofs. Only create the boot environment for this architecture. Options are x86 or amd64. On a multi-homed host it might be required to specify the Ethernet device to use. The default is eth0. Gives the boot image a static IP, rather than using DHCP. This is more suitable for creating a Boot Image CD for a specific target host. Creating a HomeBase boot image 51

52 Preparing to Provision Operating Systems Table 16 Deployment options for RHEL (page 2 of 2) Deployment option --netmask --gateway --hostname --nameserver Description Gives the boot image a network mask. Gives the boot image a gateway. Gives the boot image a hostname. Gives the boot image a nameserver. VMware ESX operating systems To enable the HomeBase Server to deploy supported VMware ESX operating systems, create a boot image used in the initial stages of deployment. Each boot image is uniquely created for a specific HomeBase Server. This boot image undertakes a number of low level storage and network related activities. These activities prepare any new host to receive the ESX installation executables. To create the boot image for supporting ESX operating systems, open a command window and type the following command: hbd create esx -l <url> -u <username> -p <password> Provide a valid username, password, and HomeBase Server URL combination for the boot image to use when communicating with HomeBase. There are several ESX-specific options available when using the hbd create esx command. Table 17 on page 52 lists these options. Table 17 Deployment options for VMware ESX Deployment Option --default <label> -mkisofs <file> --device <device> --ip <ip> --netmask <netmask> --gateway <ip> --hostname <hostname> --nameserver <ip> Description Default label to use on timeout. This is useful for systems with no monitor or keyboard. The default is local. Path to the ISO authoring software, mkisofs. On a multihomed host it might be required to specify the Ethernet device to use. The default is eth0. Gives the boot image a static IP, rather than using DHCP. This is more suitable for creating a Boot Image CD for a specific target host. Gives the boot image a network mask. Gives the boot image a gateway. Gives the boot image a hostname. Gives the boot image a nameserver. The boot image, if created without an error, is automatically uploaded into the HomeBase Server ready for use. 52 EMC HomeBase Version 6.6 Enhanced Server Provisioning Product Guide

53 Preparing to Provision Operating Systems VMware ESXi operating systems To enable the HomeBase Server to deploy supported VMware ESXi operating systems, create a boot image used in the initial stages of deployment. Each boot image is uniquely created for a specific HomeBase Server. This boot image undertakes a number of low level storage and network related activities. These activities prepare any new host to receive the ESXi installation executables. To create the boot image for supporting ESXi operating systems, open a command window and type the following command: hbd create esxi -l <url> -u <username> -p <password> Provide a valid username, password, and HomeBase Server URL combination for the boot image to use when communicating with HomeBase. There are many ESX-specific options available when using the hbd create esxi and hbd create esxi5 commands. Table 18 on page 53 lists these options. Table 18 Deployment options for VMware ESXi Deployment Option --default <label> -mkisofs <file> --device <device> --ip <ip> --netmask <netmask> --gateway <ip> --hostname <hostname> --nameserver <ip> Description Default label to use on timeout. This is useful for systems with no monitor or keyboard. The default is local. Path to the ISO authoring software, mkisofs. On a multihomed host it might be required to specify the Ethernet device to use. The default is eth0. Gives the boot image a static IP, rather than using DHCP. This is more suitable for creating a Boot Image CD for a specific target host. Gives the boot image a network mask. Gives the boot image a gateway. Gives the boot image a hostname. Gives the boot image a nameserver. The boot image, if created without an error, is automatically uploaded into the HomeBase Server ready for use. Creating a HomeBase boot image 53

54 Preparing to Provision Operating Systems 54 EMC HomeBase Version 6.6 Enhanced Server Provisioning Product Guide

55 CHAPTER 5 Provisioning Operating Systems Provisioning overview This chapter contains the following information: Provisioning overview Managing deployment Managing deployment sessions Management of the deployment of a server is provided through the HomeBase Web Console. The HomeBase Server controls and manages the process in two distinct phases: OS deployment This manages the installation of an operating system, an initial configuration, additional device drivers and a HomeBase Agent. Additional deployments This manages the installation of any required third-party software onto the newly deployed operating system. Managing deployment Deployment management is undertaken by using two types of management objects within the HomeBase Server: Deployment template - To install an operating system onto a new host, you must create a deployment template. A deployment template represents a logical relationship between an operating system and any additional required drivers. The template, once complete, contains the components necessary to create an answer file normally associated with remote operating system installation. The deployment template can be thought of as a customization of the operating system to be deployed. Each deployment template can be reused many times. Deployment session - To manage the PXE or CD boot deployment request from a new host, you must create a deployment session. The deployment session maintains the relationship between the deployment process and a single host, which is identified by a MAC address. If the HomeBase Server receives a deployment request from a host and cannot match the request to a deployment session, the HomeBase Server automatically generates a new unconfigured deployment session. For the HomeBase Server to automatically start an operating system deployment, a deployment template must have been associated with a deployment session. This is shown in the HomeBase Web Console by the session being in a configured state. If the HomeBase Server has an unconfigured deployment session, you must apply a deployment template to the session. The Deployment page lists the available deployment templates. Selection of one of the templates changes the deployment session to the configured state. If the deployment request is still executing and waiting for a deployment session to be available, the HomeBase Server starts to deploy the nominated operating system. Provisioning Operating Systems 55

56 Provisioning Operating Systems Preparing a deployment template After a deployment request is associated (through its MAC address) to a configured deployment session, the HomeBase Server automatically starts the installation of the associated operating system. To install an uploaded operating system on a physical or virtual server, you must create a deployment template. Each template can be reused multiple times, and represents a logical connection between a server, an operating system, and any additional required drivers. To use a deployment template, you must create a deployment session, which tracks the progress of the operating system installation on a particular server. To create and manage deployment templates: 1. From the HomeBase Web Console, select Provisioning > Manage Templates. The Manage Templates page appears. 2. Click Create Template in the Related Tasks menu. The Configure Deployment page appears. 3. Type a name for this template and select its location in the profile hierarchy. 4. On the Operating System tab, select an image from the Operating System list. If the media key was provided when the software was added to the repository, the Media Key field is populated. If not, type a valid key. 5. Select the Initial Config tab. Provide the information that will identify this server: Organization Name (Windows only) Workgroup/Domain (Windows only) Password Hostname Specifies the organization name that is passed to the Windows installer. Specifies the name of either the workgroup or domain in which the server will reside. Specifies and confirms the administrative password for the server. Specifies the hostname of the server. If installing on multiple servers, enter a value in the Incrementing Hostname Suffix field. The deployment will define thehostname+1 for the number provided. Note: By default, when provisioning, HomeBase uses the whole of the first disk for the operating system with Windows installations being rooted at C:\WINDOWS. The initial storage configuration can be customized by using the options appropriate to the operating system being installed. Note the following when setting the options in the Initial Config tab: Users cannot modify partitions but can modify the datastores, which are the partitions where the virtual machines are stored. 56 EMC HomeBase Version 6.6 Enhanced Server Provisioning Product Guide

57 Provisioning Operating Systems The hostname can contain alphabets a to z, numbers 0 to 9, and hyphen ( - ). It cannot contain any other characters. In addition to the default partitions, the default datastore is also created on the first disk. Additional datastores can be added in different disks. Only one datastore per disk is allowed and the datastore name must be unique. The name of the disk should be a valid ESXi disk device name. 6. Click the Drivers tab. Select the drivers to install with the operating system from the Available list, then click Add to add them to the Selected list. 7. Click the Applications tab. 8. Select any additional applications to install with the operating system from the Available list, then click Add to add them to the Selected list. Note: If you are deploying RHEL under the Applications tab, there is now a Custom Software section which shows a list of RPM files contained within the HomeBase package repository, which can be selected for installation. Refer to Figure 3 on page 58. Any packages that are selected are installed during the post-installation stage of the RHEL kick start process. Although Figure 3 on page 58 covers the Linux case, the Custom Software section is available for Windows, as well. Using the Install this Agent dropdown list, you can also install a HomeBase agent on the target server. Managing deployment 57

58 Provisioning Operating Systems Figure 3 Custom RPM files for RHEL deployments 9. Select the Post-Install tab. The configuration information for this deployment is displayed. 10. For RHEL, in the Type your %post script field, type a Bash shell script. The contents of this script are automatically merged into the RHEL kick start file's post-installation section. All scripts entered here are executed immediately after the OS has finished installing, but before the machine reboots. Note: You can add a post install script to an ESX or ESXi template too. Before using the install_pkg function, use the View Software page to view the RPM you would like to use and verify that its dependencies have been met. The title of the package can then be used as the argument to install_pkg to download and install that RPM. 58 EMC HomeBase Version 6.6 Enhanced Server Provisioning Product Guide

59 Provisioning Operating Systems Table 19 Script functions Script function install_pkg <pkg_filename> log_msg Testing testing 123 ${url_prefix} ${url_install} Description Installs an RPM from the HomeBase package repository. Logs a message on the HomeBase deployment session log. Is a variable containing the URL prefix for contacting the HomeBase Server. Is a variable containing the URL prefix to access any package on the HomeBase Server. 11. After the configuration is complete, click Save to save the template, or Deploy to create the deployment session. The session is now ready to initiate when the server is booted with a boot CD or USB device or PXE. Additionally, the server can be powered up by using the Wake on LAN feature from the HomeBase Web Console if Wake on LAN is supported and enabled on the target server. After a template is saved, it can be viewed and edited from the Provisioning > Manage Templates pages. Note: Once a deployment session is associated with a template, the configuration is set. If the template is changed, the changes will not be propagated to the sessions that use it. The deployment session must be reconfigured to use the updated template. Managing deployment sessions Once a deployment template is created, it can be used to create server deployment sessions. A template can be used for multiple sessions, but a session can only have one template configuration associated with it at a time. A session can be configured to have multiple media access control (MAC) addresses to handle hardware with several network cards. This type of deployment uses the first MAC address found on the network. When configuring a deployment session, ensure that MAC addresses are entered correctly and are on the same machine. Note: Once a deployment session is configured with a template, the configuration is set. If the template is changed, the changes will not be propagated to the sessions that use it. The deployment session must be reconfigured to use the updated template. Creating a deployment session To create a deployment session: 1. From the HomeBase Web Console, select Provisioning > Deployment Sessions. The Deployment Sessions page appears. 2. Click Create Session in the Related Tasks list. The Create Deployment Session page appears. Managing deployment sessions 59

60 Provisioning Operating Systems 3. Type a name for the session in the Name field. 4. Type one or more MAC addresses for the server being deployed. Click Add after each address is typed. 5. Click Save. The session is added to the Deployment Sessions page and is listed as unconfigured. Note: As an alternative to creating the session manually, the session can be automatically created in an unconfigured state by booting the server and creating a deployment request. Servers booted with an unconfigured session will wait until the session is configured and a template is applied. Monitoring deployment sessions 6. Select the session and click Configure Session in the Related Tasks list. The Select Deployment Template page appears. 7. Select a deployment template to run for this session or click New to create a new template. Preparing a deployment template on page 56 provides information about creating a template. 8. Click Deploy to save the deployment. Existing sessions can be changed with the Unconfigure Session and Reconfigure Session options. Unconfigure Session is useful for disabling a deployment session but saving the MAC addresses of the session. Use the Wake on LAN option to enable a wake on LAN session for servers that are powered off. At any stage during the deployment life cycle you can view the status of all deployments that have been attempted, executed, or have completed. To view deployment sessions: 1. From the HomeBase Web Console, select Provisioning > Deployment Sessions. The Deployment Sessions page is displayed. 2. To view the progress of a session, select it from the list and click View Session in the Related Tasks menu. The status for that session is listed in the Log section. 3. Perform one of the following Related Tasks: To manually update the log information, click Update Status. To automatically poll for updates, click Enable Auto Update. 60 EMC HomeBase Version 6.6 Enhanced Server Provisioning Product Guide

61 APPENDIX A HomeBase Server Commands and Options This appendix contains the following information. HomeBase Server command overview Managing backups of the HomeBase Server HomeBase Server command overview Syntax HomeBase Server service management can be performed from the command line with the hbs utility. Executing the help command provides a complete list of the available command line options. For each option, the format of the parameter and the arguments is listed. The hbs utility is installed in the bin directory of the server installation location, but can be run from any location. Some commands and options have both long and short form representations. Following is the command syntax: hbs <command> [options] [arguments] HomeBase Server Commands and Options 61

62 HomeBase Server Commands and Options hbs commands Table 20 on page 62 lists the available commands and arguments. Table 20 hbs commands and descriptions Command database db Description decode Decodes an exported database (dump) into text. dump Exports the HomeBase database to a specified location. Database load arguments on page 63 lists specific portions of the database. Note: Critical sections of the HomeBase database should be exported as a standard backup practice. load Loads all or portions of an exported database file into the HomeBase database. Note: The HomeBase Server must be restarted after loading a database. reindex Re-creates the database indexes for better performance. licensing lic package pkg service svc show Lists licensing details for this server. request (req) Generates a license request file. delete (x) Deletes packages matching specified search criteria. download (d) Downloads packages matching specified search criteria. match (m) Lists packages matching specified search criteria. reindex (r) Reindexes packages in the software repository. search (s) Searches for packages in the repository. status (st) Displays the number of packages per operating system in the repository. upload (u) Uploads a specified package to the repository. uploadcustom (uc) (Windows only.) Uploads software that is not part of the operating system itself and that can be silently (non-interactively) installed on a Windows server. Use this command to upload applications that can later be deployed to a Windows server using a setup.exe command with the appropriate command line arguments or using a.msi file. Specifying the command with no arguments results in the command prompting you to supply the required information. install Installs the server and database services. uninstall Uninstalls the server and database services. start Starts the server and database services. stop Stops the server and database services. status Displays status of the server and database services. restart Stops and starts the server services. 62 EMC HomeBase Version 6.6 Enhanced Server Provisioning Product Guide

63 HomeBase Server Commands and Options General arguments There are general command options for the HomeBase Server commands. Table 21 on page 63 lists these options and their descriptions. Table 21 General hbs command arguments Argument --help -h --version --force -f --quiet --detailed --url -l --username -u --password -p Description Lists options and descriptions for each command. Lists the version of the specified command. Forces the action without prompting for confirmation. Displays less verbose information. Displays more verbose information. Specifies the URL of a remote HomeBase Server. If this option is not specified, the local HomeBase Server is the default. Specifies the username to log into the HomeBase Server. If this option is not specified,but is required for completing an operation, a prompt for the information is displayed. Specifies the password to log into the HomeBase Server. If this option is not specified,but is required for completing an operation, a prompt for the information is displayed. Database load arguments There are additional options for loading database items into the HomeBase database. By default, when loading an exported database (dump), the entire running database is cleared in preparation for the new data. If the data to be added is just a section of the database, such as the users and licensing portions, specify these with the --partial option. Just the specified sections within the database are cleared and all other sections remain untouched. HomeBase Server command overview 63

64 HomeBase Server Commands and Options Table 22 on page 64 lists load arguments and their descriptions. Table 22 Database load arguments Argument --partial --add --encoding Description Loads specified sections in the exported database (dump) file, instead of reinitializing the entire database. The following are categories in the database that can be loaded: users Users and their received alerts and settings packages Index of software packages used for deployment. licensing License batches assigned to this HomeBase Server and licenses contained. profiles The index of profile metadata. organizations, countries, locations, units The organizational folders within the HomeBase profile repository hierarchy. servers Also part of the organizational folders but contains additional information, such as the latest connection details. This would not be recreated using the hbs profiletool reindex command. servergroups Custom groupings of servers. changealerts Named rule set alert configurations. recovery Any recovery sessions and legacy recovery batches. deployment Any deployment templates and sessions, including those required by recovery. replication The HomeBase Server replication agreements. Adds the specified exported database (dump) file to the database without removing the existing contents. Sets the default character encoding to use when loading a database. Note: For the database load command (or any HomeBase command), the --help option provides the most complete and recent usage information on all available arguments. Managing backups of the HomeBase Server Back up the HomeBase Server file The following instructions are provided for administrators who want to back up the HomeBase Server. In most cases, HomeBase Servers are deployed in pairs and the built in replication feature is used to replicate profiles between instances and protect the server data. The following process is a high-level overview of tasks that must be tailored for the particular backup manager of choice in the event that HomeBase replication is not available or as an extra layer of protection. Back up the HomeBase Server file system, by configuring the backup application or manually copying the following directories: <installdir>/keys/ <installdir>/etc/ <installdir>/packages <installdir>/profiles 64 EMC HomeBase Version 6.6 Enhanced Server Provisioning Product Guide

65 HomeBase Server Commands and Options <installdir>/deployment Back up the HomeBase Server database To back up the HomeBase Server database: Open a command window and type: hbs db dump u <admin> -p <password> where: Process for restoring from a backup <admin> is the administrator user account name for the HomeBase Server. <password> is the administrator user password for the HomeBase Server. The dump operation will report the creation of a dated.zip file in the HomeBase Server s install directory. A backup application may be configured to backup the file or manually copy the.zip file to another location. EMC HomeBase Server Version 6.6 Installation and Configuration Guide > Chapter 2 Configuring the HomeBase Server > Performance tuning provides detailed information on this. To restore from a backup: 1. Restore the HomeBase directories such as keys, packages, deployment, HomeBase Server dump, and xdb dump that you have previously backed up. 2. Install the new HomeBase Server. Note: The license information is picked from the Keys directory. So, a new licensing process is not required. 3. Reload the HomeBase Server database. Note: For large HomeBase Server installations, you may need to temporarily increase the memory allocation in order to load the old database dump. Example: hbs db load -u <admin> -p <password> <dated zip file containing the dump> Note: The default username is admin and the default password is also admin. After the dump is reloaded, the password changes to the password stored in the dump. 4. Restart the HomeBase Server. hbs db restart 5. Reload the HomeBase Server XML Database. Example: hbs xdb load -u <admin> -p <password> <backup id> Where <password> is the admin password set for the HomeBase Server. This picks the latest backup from the <install_dir>/backups directory. 6. (Optional) Move the restored xdb dump to this location before starting the load. Managing backups of the HomeBase Server 65

66 HomeBase Server Commands and Options 7. Reindex the packages in the HomeBase Server. 66 EMC HomeBase Version 6.6 Enhanced Server Provisioning Product Guide

67 APPENDIX B User Account Security This appendix contains the following information. Configuring user account security Configuring user account security The HomeBase Server provides a set of default account, username, and password policy settings that affect all accounts, including the administrator account. Policies can be defined that enable automatic lock-down of an account after a number of repeated failed login attempts. Policy settings also enforce username and password format restrictions within HomeBase. Enforcement of the defined security settings occurs when: A user attempts to log in. A user attempts to change his or her password. A new user account is created or updated. Account credential complexity Usernames and passwords, by default, can include any combination of characters. Use complex passwords to ensure secure transactions. The HomeBase Server enables you to define policy that enforces the minimum secure standards required by your organization. By default, HomeBase Server usernames and passwords have the following properties: English uppercase characters (A through Z). English lowercase characters (a through z). Base-10 digits (0 through 9). Non-alphanumeric (!, $, #, %), extended ASCII, symbolic, or linguistic characters. Note: Using extended ASCII, symbolic, or linguistic characters in passwords can have unexpected results. Test these characters before using them in a production environment. Username policy settings Account policy settings should be communicated to HomeBase Server users to facilitate account creation and changes. To configure the username policy settings: 1. Login to HomeBase Web Console. User Account Security 67

68 User Account Security 2. Navigate to Administration > Application Settings > System Settings > User Account Settings. 3. Under Username Policy, supply the information described in Table 23 on page 68. Table 23 Username policy settings Policy options Minimum Length Maximum Length Minimum Digits Minimum Uppercase Characters Minimum Lowercase Characters Minimum Special Characters Allowed to Contain User s Names Description Defines the minimum length of a username. Valid values are between 0 and n, with a default value of 8. Setting the value to 0 specifies no enforcement of this policy. Defines the maximum length of a username. Valid values are between 0 and n, with a default value of 0. Setting the value to 0 specifies no enforcement of this policy. Defines the number of numeric characters required in a username. Valid values are between 0 and n, with a default value of 0. Setting the value to 0 specifies no enforcement of this policy. Defines the number of uppercase characters required in a username. Valid values are between 0 and n, with a default value of 1. Setting the value to 0 specifies no enforcement of this policy. Defines the number of lowercase characters required in a username. Valid values are between 0 and n, with a default value of 1. Setting the value to 0 specifies no enforcement of this policy. Defines the number of special characters required in a username. Valid values are between 0 and n, with a default value of 0. Setting the value to 0 specifies no enforcement of this policy. Verifies that a username does not contain a user s entire first or last name. Valid values are true or false, with a default value of true. A value of true indicates that user s first or last name are allowed while false indicates they are not. Password policy settings 4. Select Save. 5. Restart the HomeBase Server. Open a command line window and type: hbs service restart To configure the password policy settings: 1. Login to HomeBase Web Console. 2. Navigate to Administration > Application Settings > System Settings > User Account Settings. 68 EMC HomeBase Version 6.6 Enhanced Server Provisioning Product Guide

69 User Account Security 3. Under Password Policy, supply the information described in Table 24 on page 69. Table 24 Password policy settings Policy options Minimum Length Description Defines the minimum length of a password. Valid values are between 0 and n, with a default value of 8. Setting the value to 0 specifies no enforcement of this policy. Note: If you specify the default value, provide the default value for all the settings in the tables for username and password and lockout. Maximum Length Minimum Digits Minimum Uppercase Characters Minimum Lowercase Characters Minimum Special Characters Allowed to Contain User's Names Allowed to Contain Reverse of User's Names Maximum sequence of identical character Defines the maximum length of a password. Valid values are between 0 and n, with a default value of 0. Setting the value to 0 specifies no enforcement of this policy. Defines the number of numeric characters required in a password. Valid values are between 0 and n, with a default value of 1. Setting the value to 0 specifies no enforcement of this policy. Defines the number of uppercase characters required in a password. Valid values are between 0 and n, with a default value of 1. Setting the value to 0 specifies no enforcement of this policy. Defines the number of lowercase characters required in a password. Valid values are between 0 and n, with a default value of 1. Setting the value to 0 specifies no enforcement of this policy. Defines the number of special characters required in a password. Valid values are between 0 and n, with a default value of 1. Setting the value to 0 specifies no enforcement of this policy. Verifies that a password does not contain a user s entire first or last name. Valid values are true or false, with a default value of false. A value of true indicates that user s first or last name are allowed while false indicates they are not. Indicates whether a password can contain the user name spelled backwards. Valid values are yes and no, with a default of no. Defines the maximum length of a sequence of identical characters in a password. Valid values are between 0 and n, with a default value of Select Save. 5. Restart the HomeBase Server. Open a command line window and type: hbs service restart Account lockout policy settings Complete the following steps to configure the account lockout policy settings: 1. Login to HomeBase Web Console. 2. Navigate to Administration > Application Settings > System Settings > User Account Settings. Configuring user account security 69

70 User Account Security 3. Under Account Lockout Policy, supply the information described in Table 24 on page 69. Table 25 Account lockout policy settings Policy options Account Lockout Threshold Account Lockout Duration Description Defines the number of times that a user can fail to login before the account is locked. Set a value between 1 and 999. Setting the value to 0 specifies no enforcement of this policy. Defines the length of time for an account to be suspended before it is reactivated by the server. Set a time value in hours between 1 and 999. Setting the value to 0 specifies no enforcement of this policy. 4. Select Save. 5. Restart the HomeBase Server. Open a command line window and type: hbs service restart 70 EMC HomeBase Version 6.6 Enhanced Server Provisioning Product Guide

71 A administration overview 13 advanced configuration 29 help screen message 30 secure web port 29 SMTP relay 29 B boot image for Linux deployment 51 boot image for Windows deployment 48 C channel communication 33 D database command 62 database properties 32 deployment boot image for Linux 51 boot image for Windows 48 configuration after install 28 creating a template 56 creating sessions 59 management 55 required ports 28 using MAC addresses 59 disk space calculation 17 E EMC online support website 9 H hbd command 50, 51, 52, 53 hbs command 61 database load arguments 63 general arguments 63 HomeBase SecureFTP service 61, 67 HomeBase Server administration 13 backing up the server 64 channel communication 33 command overview 61 initial configuration 27 licensing 24 logging 31 minimum platform requirements 17 performance tuning 31 required ports 18 scalability 15 server service properties 31 software management 47 upgrading the server 19 HomeBase Server installation 18 account priviledges required 18 binaries 18 HomeBase Server steps to install 18 upgrading the server 19 HomeBase Web Console initial log in 24 supported browsers 24 I installation platform support 17 L licensing command 62 licensing for HomeBase Server 24 log files 31 M MAC addresses for deployment 59, 60 memory requirements 17 N network requirements 17 P package command 62 performance tuning 31 ports required for HomeBase Server 18 PXE boot 40 R recovery general preparation 39 preparing for Linux recovery 40 preparing for Windows recovery 39 replication agreement 28 S SecureFTP service configuration file options 61, 67 server location 28 service command 62 sessions creating for deployment 59 software management 47 software repository 28 T templates for deployment 56 configuration options 56 U upgrading the server 19 backup current configuration 20 backup current database 20 backup current XML database 20 install the new server 21 recreate deployment environments 22 reload the database 21 EMC HomeBase Version 6.6 Enhanced Server Provisioning Product Guide 71

72 restart the server 21 testing the upgrade 23 upgrade your operating system 21 user account complexity 67 policy options 67, 68, 69, 70 W WAIK Toolkit EMC HomeBase Version 6.6 Enhanced Server Provisioning Product Guide