How to use Nutanix Prism deploy Business Critical Application
Recently , Nutanix had announced a new NOS release 4.6 . One of the function is customized script to deploy your virtual machine .
In the Windows guest environment is very easy to prepared . We can use sysprep to deploy Windows guest OS . In Linux guest OS , we using cloud-init package to deploy.
You can reference Chris Rasmussen site .
http://digitalformula.net/articles/nutanix-vm-customisation-with-cloud-init/Most of the steps are same, but some of configuration must be noted.
I use Oracle database and Oracle linux as a example . Oracle version is 11.2.0.4 , Oracle Linux is version 6.7. Nutanix Acropolis Prism is 4.6.0.2 and we use Acropolis Hypervisor (AHV).
Step 1: Prepare your template image -
First , we need to create a OS template that for deployment in your environment . You can install a clean Linux OS environment or just clone from virtual machine. due to Linux OS always assign a new virtual NIC to new virtual machine. So you need to delete the /etc/udev/rules.d/70-persistent-net.rules . Otherwise , you will have eth1,eth2 ,eth3 ... everytime you clone you get increase number . If you removed this file, after you clone virtual machine . Linux OS will not increase the ethx number , will keep using eth0 .
Secondary , you need to install the cloud-init package. Every Linux installation methods maybe not same . Some will use apt , some will use yum . Here is a example that install cloud-init package in Oracle Linux or RedHat, Centos .
example :
wget http://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/epel/6/x86_64/epel-release-6-8.noarch.rpm
rpm -Uvh epel-release-6-8.noarch.rpm
yum install cloud-init
After installation , just leave everything default . Do not need to configure any setting .Because Nutanix Prism will help everything we need . Simplified cloud-init package setting .
The you need to put your Oracle installation binary in the OS , and also prepare auto-install script . I create a simple one, and you can reference this. ( Not only Oracle have automatic installation , but also all Business Critical Application have it's owned automatic/silence installation method , you can script them easily)
From my example - The script I created is called install_demo.sh. After steps , you can shutdown the virtual machine , and start put it into image service .
Step 2 : Create Image for deployment
Nutanix Acropolis 4.6 provide upload image , you can upload image from the Prism GUI.
But if your virtual machine is on the AHV, you don't need to export and import again . Just using single commend to put your image into image service . We will use acli commend to put image into repository. command like this :
image.create autodeploy_oracle clone_from_vmdisk=vm:Goldmaster:scsi.0
** autodeploy_oracle is template name
** Goldmaster:scsi.0 mean Goldmaster VM it's first scsi disk .
This command is take 1 second to finish . Go back to Prism check the image is successful installed.
Step 3: Deployment your Business Critical Application ( Oracle for ex , others same method)
First you need to create a new VM- In the Prism , select the VM tab, and start to create a VM.
Give the CPU and Memory values -
Add disk - Choose Operation , select "CLONE FROM IMAGE SERVICE" ,and select the image "autodeploy_oracle" the template we created.
Add the new NIC -
The key is "Custom Script" , Here are three options we can choose. "ADFS" or "upload a file" or "Type or paste script". This time we use "Type or paste script". Because we need to change hostname and run the customized scripts.
Type those text in the text box .
#cloud-config
disable_root: 0
ssh_pwauth: 1
hostname: Oracle112
runcmd:
- [/root/install_demo.sh,once-per-instance]
Click Save , and wait for 100% create process . Must wait for 100 % ,otherwise you will get a failed ....
Step 4: Power on your VM -
Just select power-on your Virtual Machine, also open your console . you will see the cloud-init is running. That means will change my hostname , and also automatic install Oracle binary and create database for me .
I also put all process avi in this blog , you can reference .
Conclusion :
From my 19 years IT experience , when I talked to customers, they don't want a complicated solutions . They just want some simple and handle their daily job.
Some software they create too many object like blueprint , endpoint .. Really complicated solution. Some vender also mentioned they can deploy 10000 VMs in 10 minutes. I think , in real world , we don't need this kind of software , because we didn't need deploy 10000 VMs everyday or need very complicated processes to deploy a VM . Nutanix Prism already can help on your daily job to deploy those application for you. Make your life easier.
