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Creating a Provisioning operation

A Provisioning operation creates a new instance of a virtual machine (VM), including all computing, storage, and network capabilities and an unattended installation of an operating system. Optional post-install procedures can deploy software, run scripts, and perform other configuration actions on the newly provisioned server. A Provisioning operation is based on a virtual guest package (VGP) defined in BMC Server Automation. Currently, you can only use the Provisioning wizard to deploy VMware operating systems.

In the portal, a simple wizard helps you set up a Provisioning operation. The Provisioning wizard shares many common steps with the wizard you use for defining all other operations in the portal.

This topic describes the full capabilities available when you create a Provisioning operation. It includes the sections listed below.

To create a Provisioning operation

  1. Click the Provisioning drop-down list and select VMware.
    The Create VMware operation opens. It presents the steps you must follow to create a provisioning operation. Headings in a ribbon of chevrons at the top of the page identify each step. For example, one step is named Definition; another is named Content. 

    After you provide all required information, proceed to the next page by clicking Next (at bottom) or clicking the next chevron in the ribbon at top. At any time you can click Back (at bottom left) to display the previous page in the process. Do not use the browser's Back button.

    The blue boxes at right summarize the information provided for each step in the process.

    You can define a simple Provisioning operation, which requires only a few steps, or use the advanced approach, which gives you more options for customizing the provisioned VM.
     

    VMwareOpDefinition.gif

  2. Complete the options on the Definition page.
    The Definition page includes the following options:
    Option
    Description
    Name
    Name of the operation
    Operating System
    Patch Analysis operations only: Select the operating system for which you want to define a Patch Analysis operation. Choose from the following operating systems:
    • IBM AIX (only applicable to operations based on Patch Analysis Jobs already created in BMC Server Automation)
    • Red Hat Linux
    • Oracle Solaris
    • SUSE
    • Microsoft Windows
    Use Existing Analysis JoborCreate Analysis Job from Catalog 
    Patch Analysis operations only; not applicable for the AIX operating system:
    • Select Use Existing Analysis Job to base an operation on a Patch Analysis Job already created in BMC Server Automation.
    • Select Create Analysis Job from Catalog to base an operation on a patch catalog. This option lets you choose the patches that the operation analyzes.
    Description
    Descriptive text for the operation
    Security Group
    The Security Group option specifies your current role in BSA or realm in BNA. If you are assigned to more than one role or realm, this option is available. If you are assigned to only one role or realm, this option defaults to that role or realm and you cannot edit this option.
    Advanced Settings
    (Provisioning operations only): Select to use advanced options when defining a VMware Provisioning operation.By default, the wizard for defining a VMware operation requires three simple steps. If you select the Advanced Settings option, the wizard requires additional information, but you have more flexibility when configuring compute, storage, and network resources and additional choices for post-provisioning, job scheduling and notifications.
     

  3. Depending on whether you chose to use advanced VMware options in the previous step, complete the steps listed below:

    If you are defining a basic VMware operation, select:

    If you are defining a VMware operation with advanced options, select:

    a. Content 

    d. Post Provisioning (optional)

    e. Notifications (optional)

    f. Schedule & Run (optional)

  4. When you have finished defining the operation, take any of the following actions:
    • Click Execute Now to save the operation and run it immediately.

    • Click Finish to save the operation.

      Note

      After you complete the Content page, you can click Finish to save the operation even if some pages are incomplete.

The following sections describe in detail each step in the Provisioning wizard.

Content

The Content page specifies the content that an operation uses when it executes. For Provisioning operations, the only content you can specify is the Virtual Guest Package.

With the Content page, you can specify content by using the following approaches:

For Provisioning operations, perform a text search to identify a Virtual Guest Package (VGP).

  1. Select Search content, enter a text string in the text box at right, and then click Search Search.gif. You can click Search.gif without entering any text to show all possible content.
    The results of the search appear in a list. For each item in the list, the portal provides the BMC Server Automation folder where the item is stored.

    ProvContentSimpleSearch.png


  2. In the list, select an item to use in this operation. 

    ProvOpsContentSearchSelected.png


  3. When you make a selection, you are prompted to select a job group. Navigate to the job group where this operation can be stored in BMC Server Automation. Select it and click OK.
    A default job group may already be assigned for all users at your site or for your portal security group. If a default job group is assigned, you are not prompted to assign one. However, if you want to use a different job group, click Browse and navigate to the job group.

For Provisioning operations, navigate to a Virtual Guest Package (VGP) stored in the Depot.

  1. Select the Browse tab. The Depot folder appears at left. 
    OperationContentBrowse1.gif
  2. Navigate to the depot folder containing the content you want to use.
    If the folder holds content that is appropriate for this type of operation, the content appears in the list at right. 
    As you navigate through folders, a trail of "bread crumbs" appears above the Folder list. You can select any name in the bread crumbs to display the contents of that folder.

  3. Select an item from the list to use in this operation.

    OperationContentSelectByBrowseInclusion.png


  4. When you make a selection, you are prompted to select a job group. Navigate to the job group where this operation can be stored in BMC Server Automation. Select it and click OK.

    A default job group may already be assigned for all users at your site or for your portal security group. If a default job group is assigned, you are not prompted to assign one. However, if you want to use a different job group, click Browse and navigate to the job group.

For Provisioning operations, use the Preferred content (Prov.) tab to select a Virtual Guest Package (VGP) that an administrator has chosen for you.

BMC Server Automation administrators populate the Preferred Content tab by setting the IS_HIGHLIGHTED property for an item to True.

  1. Select the Preferred Content tab.
  2. Using the search or browse techniques, find the preferred content you want to use. To show all applicable preferred content, click load all.

  3. Select an item to use in this operation.

    ProvOpContentPreferred.png

  4. When you make a selection, you are prompted to select a job group. Navigate to the job group where this operation can be stored in BMC Server Automation. Select it and click OK.
    A default job group may already be assigned for all users at your site or for your portal security group. If a default job group is assigned, you are not prompted to assign one. However, if you want to use a different job group, click Browse and navigate to the job group.

Back to list of steps

System Info

The System Info page lets you select the virtual processor, memory, and disk settings appropriate for VM being provisioned.

The appearance of the System Info depends on whether you are defining a VMware or a VMware Advanced operation. The interface is more complex for a VMware Advanced operation (shown below).

The appearance of the System Info page depends on whether you are defining a default or advanced Provisioning operation.

Default approach

VMwareOpSystemInfoDefault.gif

Advanced approach

VMwareOpSystemInfo.gif

To configure the VM to be provisioned

To add virtual disks for the VM to be provisioned

  1. Take one of the following actions:
    • To add a new disk, click Add new virtual disk.
    • To modify an existing disk, roll your cursor over the disk you want to modify and click Edit.
      A utility for defining a virtual disk appears. You cannot modify a virtual disk defined in a VGP.
      AddVirtualDisk.gif
  2. Under Data Storage for Virtual Disk, select a datastore or datastore cluster where the virtual disk can be allocated.
    If necessary, you can click on the drop-down list and then search for the appropriate datastore or datastore cluster. 
  3. For Disk Size, enter the size of the virtual disk you are adding.
  4. For Use Thin Disk, select:
    • Yes—Indicates physical space is not preallocated. Instead, physical space is allocated when necessary.
    • No—Indicates physical space is allocated for the virtual disk you are adding.
  5. Click SaveIcon.gif.

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Network Info

The Network Info page lets you specify network settings and adapters for the VM being provisioned.

VMwareOpNetworkInfo.gif

To define network settings

Option

Description

Computer Name

Name of the VM that is used for network access. The name:

  • Can be a maximum of 15 characters. 
  • Can be a combination of letters, numbers, and dashes. 
  • Cannot consist exclusively of numbers.

This option is only available if the VGP has the Customize OS option enabled (under Guest Operating System on the VMware - Config panel).

Auto-generate

Indicates the system can automatically generate a name for the VM when it is provisioned.

This option is only available if the VGP has the Customize OS option enabled (under Guest Operating System on the VMware - Config panel).

Default DNS Suffixes

A comma-separated list of Domain Name System (DNS) suffixes to use if the VM being provisioned is accessing a particular DNS. The DNS suffix is used in DNS name registration and DNS name resolution. If the VGP is configured so the VM should obtain a DNS automatically, this option is disabled.

Workgroup

Select to indicate the VM should be part of a workgroup. Then enter the name of the workgroup in the text box below. A workgroup is a group of computers with the same workgroup name.

Windows Server Domain

Select to indicate the VM should be part of a Windows domain. Then enter the name of domain in the text box below.

Create a computer account in the domain

If you selected Windows Server Domain, check this option to create an account for the VM in the Windows domain. If you do not select this option, and you are adding the VM to a domain, an account for the VM must already be defined in the VM. If you select this option, you must also provide a user name and password for the account that will be created.

User Name

User name for the account you are creating in the Windows domain.

Password

Password for the account you are creating in the Windows domain.

To define network connections

 

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Post Provisioning

The Post Provisioning page lets you specify Batch Jobs that can install software and perform other configuration tasks after a VM is provisioned.

You can specify Batch Jobs by using the following approaches:

Perform a text search to identify a Batch Job.

  1. Select the Search tab, enter a text string in the text box at right, and then click Search Search.gif. The results of the search appear in a list. For each item in the list, the portal provides the BMC Server Automation folder where the item is stored.
    Results of a search return the first 100 items found.

    BatchSearch.png


  2. In the list, select an item to use.  

    BatchSearchForJobs.png

     

Navigate to a Batch Job.

  1. Select the Browse tab. The Jobs folder appears at left. 
    VMwarePostInstallBrowse1.gif
  2. Navigate to the folder containing the Batch Job you want to use.
    If the folder holds content that is appropriate for this type of operation, the content appears in the list at right. 
    To find content, you may need to navigate through a folder structure. As you traverse folders, a trail of "bread crumbs" appears above the Folder list. You can select any name in the bread crumbs to display the contents of that folder. 

  3. Select an item from the list to use in this operation.

    PostInstallBrowseSelected.png


Back to list of steps

Notifications

The Notifications page defines notifications that are generated based on conditions you specify. For example, you can instruct the portal to send an email when an operation fails or aborts. 

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Schedule & Run

The Schedule & Run page lets you schedule an operation to run. It also lets you run the operation immediately.

 

The Schedule & Run page of the Create Operation wizard lets you schedule an operation to run. It also lets you run the operation immediately.

Note

If an operation uses a deploy template based on an Advanced Deploy Job in BMC Server Automation, you cannot set a schedule using the Schedule & Run page. Instead, the operation uses the schedule defined in the deploy template.

 

OperationSchedule2.png

To run an operation immediately

At the bottom, click Execute Now. The operation is saved and runs immediately.

After you have defined content for an operation, the Execute Now option is always available.

To schedule an operation

  1. Specify a time for the operation to run by clicking the clock icon ClockIcon.gifbeside Start At.
    An interface similar to a digital clock appears.
    DigitalClock.gif
  2. Set the hour and time. Then click AM or PM to toggle between those choices.
  3. At right of the clock icon, select a time zone.
  4. Set the interval at which the operation runs:
    • Run Once
    • Daily
    • Weekly—If you select this option, you must also select the day of the week and specify the weekly interval, such as every 2 weeks.
    • Monthly—If you select this option, you must also select one of the following options for when the operation runs:
      • A date, such as Day 15.
      • A weekday, such as Second Monday,.
      • The last day of the month.
    • Interval—If you select this option, you must also select the first date for running the operation and the interval at which it runs afterwards, such as every 8 hours.
  5. Click SetSchedule.gif.
    The operation appears in the list of scheduled operations.

To delete a scheduled operations

Select the operation and click Remove DeleteIcon.gif.

Requesting job approvals

If you integrate BladeLogic Portal with BMC Atrium Orchestrator, you can request a job approval through BMC Remedy ITSM Change Management for any BladeLogic Portal operation. 

If the content of an operation is a job already defined in BMC Server Automation and that job is defined to require job approval, the portal shows that job approval information in a read-only format. If the BMC Server Automation job does not include job approval, the portal does provide any options for job approval.

BAOApproval Information.gif

To request job approval 

  1. For Approval Type, select one of the following options:
    • Manual Approval—Use this option for jobs that require a BMC Remedy ITSM administrator to review the job details and impact level prior to approving execution. By default, this option generates a change request with a Change Timing value of Normal.
    • No Approval Required—Use this option if you are not required to enter the additional BMC Remedy ITSM parameters. If a job type requires approval and you select No approval, the approval mechanism is bypassed and the job executes either immediately or as scheduled.
    • Emergency Approval—Use this option for jobs that need immediate attention and must be run immediately. By default, this option generates a change request with a Change Timing value of Emergency and an Urgency value of High.
    • Automatic Approval—Use this option for change requests that use an Approval Process Configuration form to automatically approve the request. By default, this option generates a change request with a Change Timing value of No impact.
  2. If you want to customize the approval request, click Show Advanced Options and provide the information for any of the following options:
    • Change Type—Enter the type of change being requested.
    • Impact—Select the scope of the change being requested. For example, is the job targeted for one server or a large number of servers? The default value is Minor/Localized.
    • Risk Level—Select the severity of the change being requested.

 

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