Using eZDeploy import

The eZDeploy import feature allows you to import the BMC Cloud Lifecycle Management service blueprint and service catalog as an eZDeploy package in both non-interactive (using an answer file) and interactive (using command line) mode. The following sections detail the procedures to be followed for using the import functionality:

• • Prerequisites for using eZDeploy import
  • To apply a custom prefix
  • To import an eZDeploy package using the interactive mode
  •  
  • To use eZDeploy import in noninteractive mode
    • • To create an answer file
      • To import an eZDeploy package
  • To validate the import
    • • To verify the eZDeploy package import
      • To verify the imported service catalog

Prerequisites for using eZDeploy import

Ensure that you have met the following prerequisites for importing an eZDeploy package:

• Profiles must be created in the target environment prior to importing a service blueprint or a service catalog. See Managing-eZDeploy-profiles for details.
• BMC Cloud Lifecycle Management is installed and configured.

• You must have created one Global entitlement package on the BMC Cloud Lifecycle Management environment where you are importing the service catalog.

  Note

  Due to a limitation in eZDeploy utility, you cannot fetch tenant-specific entitlement packages while importing the service catalog in your BMC Cloud Lifecycle Management environment. You need to have at least one Global entitlement package when importing service catalog using eZDeploy utility.

• You have the Virtual Center (VC) server name, Virtual Center templates and the datastore name.

• You have the location details (single or multiple storage) of the software(s) to be installed.

  Tip

  • To avoid performance issues, store all software in a common single-level directory, which is accessible to the BMC Server Automation Server and the Virtual Center Server.
  • For specific information related to unbundled software packages used with the infrastructure zipkits downloaded from the BMC Communities, refer to the Where to download the Zipkit section of the individual zipkit documentation available at Configuring-infrastructure-application-ZipKits.
• BMC Server Automation is configured:
  
  • The VC server is added and registered in BMC Server Automation.
  • You have run the Distribute Configuration Object (also known as DCO) job.
• (Importing in noninteractive mode) You have created an answer file (answer.txt) specifying your environment details to import a blueprint or service catalog in noninteractive mode.

To apply a custom prefix

eZDeploy facilitates you to distinguish the service blueprint and service catalog components by applying your own custom prefixes during import. You can apply a custom prefix to the following artifacts of a service blueprint during import:

• Blueprint name
• Referenced blueprint name in inclusive blueprint
• Virtual Guest Package (VGP) name
• Deployment model name
• Service name in the service catalog
• Service offering name 
• Option name 
• Option choice name

The prefix can consist of any letters, numbers, or a combination of letters and numbers and should not exceed 6 characters.

Run the following command:

• eZDeploySourcePackageNameWithPath is the full name of the eZDeploy package file.
• eZDeploySourceZDeployProfileName is the target eZDeploy profile.
• customPrefix is the custom prefix to be added to the beginning of the names of the blueprint artifacts.

This command imports the service blueprint with the custom prefix applied to all the artifacts. The following figure displays the custom prefix JeZ applied on the service name eZ-eZDeploy Service:

To import an eZDeploy package using the interactive mode

1. Run the following command:

   import –name ezDeployPackageNameWithPath -profile eZDeployTargeteZDeployProfileName -prefix CustomPrefixName

   • ezDeployPackageNameWithPath is the full name of the eZDeploy package file
   • eZDeployTargeteZDeployProfileName is the target eZDeploy profile

   • (Optional) CustomPrefixName is the custom prefix applied to the imported artifacts. If the prefix name is not provided, the artifacts are imported with a default prefix of eZ- (See To apply a custom prefix for details)

   The BMC Server Automation artifacts (system packages, software packages, and NSH scripts, if any) are imported as shown in the figure below:

   

    

   Note

   For all the third-party components not bundled with eZDeploy, you must provide a single location.

   If eZDeploy cannot locate the software bits, download the software(s) and copy it to a common location that is accessible to the BMC Server Automation Server and the Virtual Center (VC) Server; for example, \\BLUEPRINT-REPO\Blueprint Software.

2. eZDeploy prompts with the following message:  Enter path for unbundled softwares separated by (;)

   • (Microsoft Windows) You can enter the path or URL on eZDeploy as a network path: //host/pathIncludingInstallerFile. For example: \\BLUEPRINT-REPO\Blueprint Software as shown in the figure below:

     

     Note

     Ensure that the software is in a shared location and is accessible or eZDeploy will not accept the network path while importing a blueprint.

   • (Linux) You can provide mounted path if using eZDeploy Linux version: //eZdeploy/Sample Path
3. eZDeploy checks for an existing installable resource (a Virtual Guest Package, or VGP) available on the BMC Server Automation Server. eZDeploy prompts with the following message:  Do You Want to Select Existing Virtual Guest Package ? [y/n].
   1. If  you select y, all VGPs available on the BMC Server Automation Server are listed and you can select an ID assigned to that displayed VGP. In this scenario, you can skip step c. 
   2. If you select n, you must create a VGP (see step c).

   3. Create an installable resource (Virtual Guest Packages) by using the following guidelines:

      • If eZDeploy detects VC Servers registered on the BMC Server Automation server and lists them on the console, enter the ID assigned to the VC Server and press Enter.
      • If eZDeploy detects VMWare templates available on the VC Server and lists them on the console, enter the ID assigned to the template name that you will use for creating a Virtual Guest Package and press Enter.
      • If eZDeploy detects datastores available on the VC Server and lists them on the console, enter the ID assigned to the datastore name and press Enter.
      • (Optional) If your .eZ file is a Windows based service blueprint, enter the Windows license key for creating VGPs and press Enter.
      • If your .eZ file is a Windows based service blueprint, enter the Administrator password (or, for blueprints on UNIX platforms, enter the root password) and press Enter.

      The VGP is created and saved on the BMC Server Automation Server with the selected prefix or the default prefix eZ followed by the VGP name.

4. Enter the username and password details of BMC Cloud Lifecycle Management target environment, when eZDeploy prompts with the following messages as shown in the figure below:

   1. Enter the cloud administrator username of CLM: 
   2. Enter administrator password of CLM user:

   
   

   eZDeploy creates the service and service offering with the custom prefix specified by you or the default prefix eZ.

5. eZDeploy detects and displays the existing entitlement packages on your BMC Server Automation System and prompts you to enter the assigned ID:

   Select Entitlement Package from the list# : 

   The request definition is created and the import summary listing the successful import of the service blueprint and service catalog components is displayed in the command prompt as shown in the figure below:

   

   Tip

   eZDeploy logs each step at eZDeployInstallationDirectory/ezdeploy.log. You can review the log file for troubleshooting purposes. See Troubleshooting eZDeploy issues for details.

To use eZDeploy import in noninteractive mode

To use eZDeploy import in noninteractive mode you must:

• Create an answer file
• Import the eZDeploy package

To create an answer file

1. Using a text editor, create a .txt file with the following format:

   SoftwarePath = "<SoftwarePath1>";"<SoftwarePath2>"
   MountedNetworkPath = "<SampleNetworkPath>"
   ExistingVGP = TRUE
   VGPName = <SampleVGPName>;<SampleVGPName1>
   vCenterServer = <IPAddressOrHostNameOfvCenterServer>
   Datastore = <NameOfDatastore>
   Template = <NameOfvCenterTemplate>
   LicenseKey = <LicenseKeyValue>
   AdminPassword = <xxxx>
   CloudAdminUser=Sample CloudAdmin User
   CloudAdminPassword=Sample Password
   EntitlementPackage=Sample Global EntitlementPackage

   Complete the following import option details for your environment in the answer file:
   
   

   Import option	Description	Value type	Required	Sample value
   SoftwarePath	Enter common paths for unbundled software separated by semicolons (;). Each software path or URL can be a network path. For Linux, you can use Mounted path for software repository.	String	Yes	"C:\eZdeploy\Software1"; "C:\eZdeploy\Software2"
   MountedNetworkPath	(Optional) The mounted network path applies only for a eZDeploy Linux version	String	No	"//eZdeploy/Sample Path"
   ExistingVGP	Specify whether you want to use an existing VGP.	Boolean	Yes	True or False
   VGPName	Provide the existing VGP name.	String	Yes	eZDeploy
   vCenterServer	Provide the vCenter server's IP address or host name which you have used in BSA.	String	Conditional; required only if you specify ExistingVGP = False.	11.111.111.11
   Datastore	Provide the vCenter datastore name.	String	Conditional; required only if you specify ExistingVGP = False.	Datastore1
   Template	Provide the vCenter template name.	String	Conditional; required only if you specify ExistingVGP = False.	Template1
   LicenseKey	(Optional) If you selected a Windows template, provide the license key.	String	No	xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx
   AdminPassword	Enter the plain-text administrator password for logging onto the BMC Server Automation application installed in your environment. Note: The current release of eZDeploy does not support the password encryption feature.	String	Yes	xxxx
   CloudAdminUser	Enter the plain-text Cloud Administrator username for logging onto the BMC Cloud Lifecycle Management.	String	Yes	xxxx
   CloudAdminPassword	Enter the plain-text Cloud Administrator password for logging onto the BMC Cloud Lifecycle Management.	String	Yes	xxxx
   EntitlementPackage	Enter the entitlement package for importing the blueprint.	String	Yes	Global Entitlement Package

   Note

   SoftwarePath, VGPName, Datastore, and Template are case sensitive. Ensure that you provide exact values in the answer file. Do not leave any field empty.

2. Save the file.

To import an eZDeploy package

Run the following command:

• ezDeployPackageNameWithPath is the full name of the eZDeploy package file.
• eZDeploySourceeZDeployProfileName is the target eZDeploy profile.
• answerFileName is the complete path details specifying the location and the file name of the answer file.
• (Optional) CustomPrefixName is the custom prefix applied to the imported artifacts. If the prefix name is not provided, the artifacts are imported with a default prefix of eZ- (See To apply a custom prefix for details)

The service blueprint and service catalog components are then imported according to the import parameters stated in the answer file.

To validate the import

To validate that the import was successful, verify that the eZDeploy package and the service blueprint or service catalog or both were imported.

To verify the eZDeploy package import

1. Go to the BMC Cloud Lifecycle Management Service Designer console and locate the blueprint with the prefix eZ followed by the blueprint name (if you did not apply a custom prefix during import). 
2. Open the imported blueprint and check for the following items:
   • Application and deployment models
   • System packages and software packages
   • Whether installable resources attached to the models
     The following figure shows a eZ default prefix applied on the Virtual Guest Package (VGP) name and displayed as an Installable Resource:
     
3. If options were imported, go to the Service Catalog console, open Options Editor, and look for options and option choices with the prefix eZ followed by the option name (if you did not apply a custom prefix during import) as shown in the figure below:
   
   You can now select the imported options or option choices manually while creating a service offering from the eZDeploy imported service blueprint.

To verify the imported service catalog

Go to the Service Catalog console and locate the service with the prefix eZ followed by the service name (if you did not apply a custom prefix during import). 

You can view the imported service and service offering with the default prefix eZ, as shown in the following figure. If you have applied a custom prefix, the same prefix is applied to the service and the service offering names.