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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

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.

  • If you are specifying an entitlement package during import, 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:

import –name ezDeployPackageNameWithPath -profile eZDeploySourceeZDeployProfileName –prefix customPrefix
  • eZDeploySourcePackageNameWithPath is the full name of the eZDeploy package file.
  • (Optional) eZDeployTargeteZDeployProfileName is the target eZDeploy profile. If you have set a global profile you may choose to skip this parameter.
  • customPrefix is optional and is 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:

CustPrfxServBp.png

To allow duplicate option choices

You can create duplicate options while importing in a target environment if the options are already present in the target system. New options are then created with a numbered suffix when another service catalog with the same options is imported. 

You can enable the duplicate option choice facility by using the following parameters during import:

Import mode

Parameter

Example

Interactive

promptOnDuplicateOptionSet

Note: This parameter is specified in command prompt while importing the .eZ file. You must set the value of the parameter as Y (to enable the duplicate option creation) or N (to disable the duplicate option creation).

If the value of the parameter is set to Y during import, it will prompt you to choose if you want to create a duplicate option for every existing option.

import –name ezDeployPackageNameWithPath -profile eZDeployTargeteZDeployProfileName -prefix CustomPrefixName -promptOnDuplicateOptionSet Y

Non-interactive

AllowDuplicateOptionSet

Note: This parameter is specified in answer file. You must set the value of the parameter as TRUE (to enable the duplicate option creation) or FALSE (to disable the duplicate option creation).

AllowDuplicateOptionSet = TRUE

 

To import an eZDeploy package using the interactive mode

  1. Run the following command:

    import –name ezDeployPackageNameWithPath -profile eZDeployTargeteZDeployProfileName -prefix CustomPrefixName -promptOnDuplicateOptionSet Y
    • ezDeployPackageNameWithPath is the full name of the eZDeploy package file

    • (Optional) eZDeployTargeteZDeployProfileName is the target eZDeploy profile.  If you have set a global profile you may choose to skip this parameter.

    • (Optional) CustomPrefixName is the custom prefix applied to the imported artifacts. See To apply a custom prefix for details.)

    • (Optional) promptOnDuplicateOptionSet is set to choose if you want to create duplicate options. See To allow duplicate option choice for details.)

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

    Imprt2.png

     

    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:

      Imprt3.png

      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 custom prefix (if specified) 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:

    Imprt4.png

    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:

    ImportSumry.png

    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

Note

The noninteractive mode is not supported for nested service blueprints. If you want to import nested service blueprints, use the interactive mode.

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 = <CloudAdminUserName>
    CloudAdminPassword = <CloudAdminUserPassword>
    EntitlementPackage = <SampleGlobalEntitlementPackage>
    AllowDuplicateOptionSet = TRUE

    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

    AllowDuplicateOptionSet

    Specify whether you want to create duplicate option choices. If you select yes, and if an option is already present in the target system, new options are created with a numbered suffix when another service catalog with the same options is imported. 

    Boolean

    Yes

    True or False

    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:

import –name ezDeployPackageNameWithPath -profile eZDeploySourceeZDeployProfileName –file answerFileName -prefix CustomPrefixName
  • ezDeployPackageNameWithPath is the full name of the eZDeploy package file.

  • (Optional) eZDeployTargeteZDeployProfileName is the target eZDeploy profile. If you have set a global profile you may choose to skip this parameter.

  • 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.

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 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 blueprint name (or the prefix followed by the blueprint name, if you have applied 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 custom prefix (eZ) applied on the Virtual Guest Package (VGP) name and displayed as an Installable Resource:
      InstlRes.png
  3. If options were imported, go to the Service Catalog console, open Options Editor, and look for options and option choices with the option name (or the prefix followed by the option name, if you have applied a custom prefix during import) as shown in the figure below:
    Options.png
    If required, you can now select the imported options or option choices manually while creating a new 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 service name (or the prefix followed by the service name, if you have applied a custom prefix during import). 

You can view the imported service and service offering with the custom prefix eZ, as shown in the following figure.

ImpServCat.png

Note

  • Service offering option and option choices are imported when you import a service catalog as an eZDeploy package. Also if the service catalog has a request definition, that request definition will be imported; otherwise, a new request definition will be created with the name of the service offering. 
  • Postdeployment actions attached with the option and option choices are only imported from an eZDeploy package, if you originally exported the service (created the eZDeploy package) with the option and option choices attached to the postdeployment action for that service.
  • By default, an imported postdeployment action is in online mode. The offline button is not available for an imported postdeployment action, so you cannot make an imported postdeployment action offline. You can choose to delete the imported postdeployment action, and manually create a new postdeployment action to have the online offline feature.

Related BMC Communities blog post

The following link provides supplemental information available from a blog entry in BMC Cloud Lifecycle Management Communities:

eZDeploy import flow

 

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