Creating a system package for Windows and Linux

To perform an unattended installation of an operating system, you must create a system package for each server configuration that you want to install. This topic contains the following sections:

• Overview of system packages
• Before you begin
• To create a system package for Microsoft Windows
• To create a system package for Red Hat Linux
• To create a system package for SUSE Linux
• To create a system package for Citrix XenServer
• To create a system package for ESXi 4.1 and 5.0 servers
• To create a system package for ESX servers
• Where to go from here

Overview of system packages

A system package contains the following types of information:

• All of the instructions needed to install an operating system over the network — A system package type uses installation files for a specific operating system. Consequently, system packages for the various types of Windows, Linux, VMWare ESX and ESXi, Solaris, AIX, Citrix XenServer, and HP-UX operating systems are not interchangeable. You must create separate system packages for servers running different operating systems.
• (Optional) Instructions for running jobs that install software and configure a machine for a particular purpose — You can create a different system package for each server configuration that you want to provision, rather than just creating one system package for each type of operating system. For example, you could create a system package for a web server running Windows 2008 and IIS, and then create another system package running Windows 2008 without the web server configuration.

Before you begin

In the Depot, create one or more folders for your system packages.

To create a system package for Microsoft Windows

1. In the Depot, right-click the folder where you want to add a new system package. From the pop-up menu, choose New > System package.

2. Provide information for the new system package, as described in the following sections: 

   Panel	Description
   System Package Creation - General	Click here to see the descriptions of the fields.
   System Package Creation - Properties	Click here to see the descriptions of the fields.
   System Package Creation - Permissions	Click here to see the descriptions of the fields.

3. Click Finish. The system package opens in the content editor.

4. Define settings in the system package using the tabs at the bottom of the content editor. Each OS type has a different set of tabs.

   Panel	Description
   Pre-install scripts - Windows	Click here to see the descriptions of the fields.
   Disk partition - Windows	Click here to see the descriptions of the fields. The Disk Partition tab lets you define partitions for Microsoft Windows provisioned servers. You can define partitions using a script or fields in the GUI. Drive labels If you define multiple partitions, the drive letters used in the provisioned servers are not guaranteed to be the same as the drive letters you configured in the system package. The Windows OS reassigns the drive letters in alphabetical order on boot, skipping A and B. The letter C is the boot partition. The letter K is reserved for mapping to the provisioning data store; BMC recommends that you not use the letter K for any drive in disk partitioning. Defining partitions using a script If you are creating a WinPE-based Windows system package, the script must use DiskPart syntax. The script executes in its entirety during the disk partition stage of provisioning. Note: When you use a script for partitioning, you are defining both the initial AND the permanent partitions. The initial partition size defined in the system package type object is not used in this case. (For information about specifying the initial partition size in the system package type object, see Creating-custom-system-package-types.) Defining partitions using the GUI fields If you use the GUI-based approach and you define the primary partition and other partitions, the primary partition (that is, the C drive), is provisioned during the Disk Partition stage of provisioning. Field definitions Use script for disk partitioning To supply a script that defines the disk partitions, select this option. Then add a script in the script text box using one of the following methods: Type the script directly in the input box. Type the name of a local property that contains the script, enclosing the property name with double question marks. Click Select Property to display a drop-down menu of available properties. Select the property that contains the script from the list. For information, see Inserting a script in a system package. To use the GUI fields to define disk partitions, clear this option. Then add or edit lines in the disk partition table as follows: To create a new partition, click Add . To modify an existing partition, select the partition in the Disk Partition list and click Open . To save your changes, click OK. The new or changed partition appears in the Disk Partitions list. Warning Note If you have EFI-based hardware on the server that you are provisioning and you want to enable booting using Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) during provisioning (rather than using BIOS), you must define a UEFI partition, in addition to the primary partition. Label Select a drive letter for the partition. Primary partition Select this option if the partition is the primary partition. EFI partition Select this option if the partition is a UEFI partition. Type The type of file system. Select one of the following: FAT32 — An enhanced version of the file allocation table file system. FAT32 offers compatibility with other operating systems, so if you are configuring a dual-boot system, you may want to use FAT32. If you are configuring a dual-boot partition with another Microsoft operating system, the primary partition must be FAT32. The maximum size you can specify for a FAT32 partition is 32 GB. For a UEFI partition, FAT32 is the only valid option. NTFS — NT File System is one of the file systems that Windows operating systems use for storing files. Microsoft recommends NTFS over FAT32 because of better security, compression, and performance. However, NTFS may not be compatible with other operating systems, so it may not be the correct choice if you are configuring a dual-boot system. ReFS — Resilient File System (ReFS) is a new local file system. This file type is applicable for Windows 2012 and Windows 2012 R2 operating systems. Warning Note Support for the ReFS File System type is available for Windows 2012 and Windows 2012 R2 disk partitioning through the product user interface. ReFS is not supported when you create a partition using a script. ReFS is a secondary partition. Size The size of the partition in megabytes. Set this value according to Microsoft's available disk space recommendations for the operating system specified in this system package. To ensure that the operating system installation completes successfully, the provisioning process requires the following primary disk partition values: For Windows 2008 and Windows 2008 R2 operating systems: At least 10000 MB for an x86 system package type and at least 15000 MB for an x64 system package type. For Windows 2012 and Windows 2012 R2 operating systems: At least 20000 MB. For all other Windows operating systems: At least 2000 MB. For a UEFI partition, specify a size between 50 to 250 megabytes. The default for a UEFI partition is 200 megabytes. Fill all unused space on disk Check this option if you want the partition to fill all remaining space on the disk. Only one partition can fill all unused space. Quick format Check this option to format the partition much faster than the normal format option. Partition label The name for the partition. This name appears with the drive letter. For example: Misc (D:) . Proceed to the Post-disk-partition-Windows tab.
   Post-disk partition - Windows	Click here to see the descriptions of the fields.
   Basic configuration - Windows	Click here to see the descriptions of the fields. The Basic Config tab lets you provide local information about a Microsoft Windows server, such as its name, workgroup, domain, and user account. Field Definitions Computer Name The unique name that should be assigned to the server. Enter a name or check Auto-generate computer name. Auto-generate computer name Check this option to generate a name automatically using the Windows algorithm. Rather than auto-generate names, you can use the same system package to provision multiple servers and assign a unique name to each server when you apply the system package to the server. See Provisioning-multiple-servers-tips. OM Server Name (Optional) Specifies a different name for this server to display when it appears in the TrueSight Server Automation Console. To have the server display its Computer name when it appears in the TrueSight Server Automation Console, leave the OM Server Name field blank. If you choose to use a different OM Server Name for this machine, make sure that this new name can be resolved to the IP address of the server. Administrator password The local administrator's password. Enter the password. Then confirm your typing by entering the password again in the Confirm password field. Warning Note In Windows 2003 system packages, if you use an administrator password that starts with a pound sign (#), enclose the password in double quotation marks ("). Workgroup Specifies that the server should be part of a workgroup. Select this option and then enter the name of the workgroup in the text box to the right. A workgroup is a group of computers with the same workgroup name. Windows server domain Specifies that the server should be part of a domain. Select this option and then enter the name of the domain in the text box to the right. A workgroup is a group of computers with the same workgroup name. Create a computer account in the domain Check this option to create an account so the computer can be added to a domain. If you do not check this option and you are adding a server to a domain, a computer account for the server must already exist in the domain. User name The user name for the account you are creating. Password The password for the user's computer account. Enter the password and then confirm your typing by entering the password again in the Confirm password field. When finished, proceed to the Computer-settings-Windows-2008-or-later tab.
   Computer settings - Windows 2008 or later	Click here to see the descriptions of the fields. The Computer Settings tab lets you provide information about users, plug-and-play drivers, software license keys, and localization of the Microsoft Windows 2008 or later operating system that you are installing. Field definitions Name The user name. Organization Name of the user's organization. PnP driver paths Specifies the location of plug-and-play (PnP) drivers and mass storage drivers in your data store. For configuring PnP or OEM drivers, for PnP driver paths, click Browse to select drivers. For information, see For PnP drivers, you can alternatively enter a semicolon-delimited list of paths in the field. Each path should be relative to the root of the data store. This example shows selection of two PnP drivers: drivers\Compaq\Win2008\Display;drivers\HPDLG30g5\Win2008\RAID License key Enter the key to the software license you are using, including all hyphens in the key. Then, under License key, do one of the following: If the license is granted on a per-server basis, select Per server. For Number of concurrent connections, enter the number of users that can use a license simultaneously. This number must be set higher than 5. If the license is granted on a per-seat basis, select Per seat. Warning Note To install an evaluation version of Windows Server 2008 R2 (or one that uses a Multiple Activation Key), leave the License Key field blank. You can activate the license key on the target server later or you can customize the Unattend.xml file by providing the activation key. By default, the system package accepts the KMS license key. Time zone Select a time zone for the server. Locale Select a language option. For example, in the United States, select English United States. For additional information, see Selecting-drivers-Windows-2008. When finished, proceed to the Computer-settings-Windows-operating-systems-earlier-than-Windows-2008 tab.
   Computer settings - Windows operating systems earlier than Windows 2008	Click here to see the descriptions of the fields. The Computer Settings tab lets you provide information about users, plug-and-play drivers, software license keys, and localization for Microsoft Windows operating systems earlier than Windows 2008. Field definitions Name The user name. Organization Name of the user's organization. Specify path to $OEM$ directory Specifies whether the $OEM$ drivers are directly beneath the i386 or amd64 directory or in a different location in the data store. If you leave Specify path to $OEM$ directory unchecked, you are telling the provisioning process that either your $OEM$ directory and its drivers are already directly beneath the i386 or amd64 directory, or that you plan to use the GUI to copy your drivers to this location. If you check Specify path to $OEM$ directory, you are telling the provisioning process that your $OEM$ directory is in a different location. Enter this location in the Path to $OEM$ directory field. For more information, see When-to-use-Specify-path-to-OEM-directory. PnP driver paths Specifies the location of plug-and-play (PnP) drivers in your data store. To enter paths, do one of the following: Click Browse   and use the driver selection GUI to automatically fill in the PnP driver paths. For information, see Using the driver selection GUI - PnP driver paths. Warning Note Browsing the data store for the PnP and mass storage drivers has the following requirements: The drivers must be located in the same data store as the rest of the installation files for this system package. There must already exist in the TrueSight Server Automation environment a server object whose name matches the LOCATION property of the data store instance you selected. Type a semicolon-delimited list of the paths to the directories holding plug-and-play drivers. If you specified a path in the Path to $OEM$ directory field, the paths you enter here must be relative to the $OEM$\$1 directory. If you did not specify a path in the Path to $OEM$ directory field, the paths you enter must be relative to the root of the data store. Mass storage drivers Specifies the location of mass storage drivers in the data store. Click Browse and use the driver selection GUI to automatically fill in the mass storage drivers. For information about how to use this GUI, see Using-the-driver-selection-GUI-mass-storage-drivers. License key Enter the key to the software license you are using, including all hyphens in the key. Then do one of the following: If the license is granted on a per-server basis, select Per server. For Number of concurrent connections, enter the number of users that can use a license simultaneously. This number must be set higher than 5. If the license is granted on a per-seat basis, select Per seat. Time zone Select a time zone for the server. Locale Select a language option. For example, in the United States, select English United States. Proceed to the OS-components-Windows-2008-or-later tab.
   OS components - Windows 2008 or later	Click here to see the descriptions of the fields.
   OS components - Windows operating systems earlier than Windows 2008	Click here to see the descriptions of the fields.
   Network - Windows	Click here to see the descriptions of the fields.
   Unattend entries - Windows 2008 or later	Click here to see the descriptions of the fields.
   Unattend entries - Windows operating systems earlier than Windows 2008	Click here to see the descriptions of the fields.
   Post-install configuration - Windows and Windows R2	Click here to see the descriptions of the fields. The Post-Install Configuration panel lets you specify processes to run after the operating system is installed on the server. For Microsoft Windows R2 operating systems, you must provide a post-install script to complete the R2 portion of the installation. The following sections describe the fields available on the Post-Install Configuration panel. Install RSCD agent Check this option to install an RSCD agent on the target servers. (An agent must be installed on every server that you want to manage using the TrueSight Server Automation Console or Network Shell.) Information Note You must have Microsoft Visual C++ 2015 Redistributable Update 3 is installed on the server. Agent Install Options* (Optional) Type one or more properties that override the default settings for the Windows RSCD agent installation. To specify a property, use the format: PROPERTY=value. Separate properties with a space. For example: INSTALLDIR="C:\Program Files\RSCD" KEYLOGS=0 MAPUSER=Administrator RSCDPORT=4400 The following table lists the properties: Property Description Possible values INSTALLDIR The target location for the RSCD installation. The default is C:\Program Files\BMC Software\BladeLogic\RSCD Any valid path for Windows. Enclose the path in double quotation marks (""). KEYLOGS Enables or disables the use of keystroke logs for nexec commands. 1 (enable) or 0 (disable). The default is1. LOGFILEDIR Location of agent log files. The default is C:\Program Files\BMC Software\BladeLogic\RSCD Valid directory for RSCD log files. MAPUSER A local user's account. If you specify a value for this option, the exports configuration file is modified to force the agent to impersonate the specified user for all activities. By default the property is not set and no user mapping is created. String RSCDPORT Sets the RSCD port number in the rscd entry of the agent's secure configuration file. Valid port number SECURELOGS Enables or disables use of secure (digitally signed) logs for the RSCD agent. Secure agent logs have message authentication codes and sequence numbers assigned to the current log and digitally rolled logs. 1 (enable) or 0 (disable). The default is 1. REBOOT Suppresses server reboot after agent installation. Without this parameter, the server reboots when the agent installation finishes. Use this parameter in system packages for Windows 2008 Server Core. For more information, see Post-install script for Windows 2008 Server Core installations at the end of this panel description. This property is not necessary for Windows 2012. Suppress EXPORTSFILETEXT Set this parameter to modify the exports file content. For example, to allow administrator access only from appserver1 and appserver2 hosts, use this value:  "appserver1,appserver2 rw" For more information about configuring the Exports file, see Configuring-the-exports-file. String BLRSCD_RAND_PW_LEN If the BladeLogicRSCD user account doesn't already exist, the RSCD Agent will create it and assign a randomly generated password that is 24 characters long. If you'd like to customize the password length, you can specify an optional parameter during the RSCD Agent installation or upgrade: BLRSCD_RAND_PW_LEN=<VALUE>. The chosen password length will be used when generating the password. For example, BLRSCD_RAND_PW_LEN=30 The valid range is from 16 to 24.       Push ACLs Check this option to push the ACLs defined for the server in the TrueSight Server Automation system to the RSCD agent you are installing on the server. Selecting this option automatically translates the permissions you have defined for the server in the TrueSight Server Automation system into a users configuration file on the RSCD agent. In this way, you control users' access to the server not only through the TrueSight Server Automation Console but also through Network Shell and the BLCLI. Run post-install batch job Check this option to run a post-install Batch Job that can install software and configure the server. Then for Path to post-install job, enter the path to the job or Browse to select it. In order to check Run post-install batch job, you must also check Install RSCD agent, because running a post-install job requires that there is an agent installed on the server. If you specify a Post-install Batch Job, make sure that the provisioning operator who runs the provisioning wizard logs is using a role that has Read and Execute authorizations on the Batch Job and has Read and Execute authorizations on all the Jobs contained in the Batch Job. Force Post-install Batch Job Select this option to ensure that the post-install Batch Job runs, even if RSCD agent enrollment fails. If you do not select this option, the post-provisioning Batch Job does not execute if RSCD agent enrollment fails. For example, if you use DNS, the RSCD agent enrollment cannot succeed until a DNS entry for the target server is provided. If you want to provide the DNS entry using a script in the Batch Job, you need the Batch Job to run even when the RSCD agent enrollment fails. Application Server for BMI callback For load balancing, you can use different Application Servers for reporting Provision Job completion status. Use these fields to identify the Application Server to which target servers in this job should report their Provision Job completion status. IP address — Enter the IP address of the Application Server or click Select Property to specify a property that contains the value. Port — Accept the default (9831) or enter a different port number. Post-install script Enter any commands to include in the runonce.bat file, or click Select Property to insert a parameter. The runonce.bat file runs one time when Windows starts for the first time after an unattended installation of the operating system. Any commands you enter into this script are appended to commands that TrueSight Server Automation provisioning also inserts in this script, including a command to install the RSCD agent. The commands that you enter run before any post-install jobs you specify. Command to grant user permission You can specify the following command to modify the Exports file content. For example, to allow access only from appserver1 and appserver2 hosts, use this value: “echo appserver1 appserver2 rw >>c:\windows\rsc\exports" Post-install script for Windows 2003 R2 installations An additional post-install script is necessary for Windows 2003 R2. Use the following lines to complete the R2 portion of a Windows 2003 R2 installation. The last line, disabling the Windows firewall, is optional. reg add HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\ServerOOBE\SecurityOOBE/v DontLaunchSecurityOOBE /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f r:\<data_store_folder_name>\CMPNENTS\r2\setup2 /q /a netsh.exe firewall set opmode DISABLE where <data_store_folder_name> in the second line is the same folder that you specified in the Name field when you created the system package. It is the CMPNENTS folder's parent folder in the data store. These instructions assume that the data store contains the Windows R2 installation media in a CMPNENTS folder. For information about setting up the data store for Windows R2 systems, see Stocking-the-data-store. The second line in the preceding script executes the setup2.exe utility from the Windows R2 installation media. The r: drive was created when you created the Windows 2003 R2 system package type. The system maps to r: by default. Post-install script for Windows 2008 Server Core installations A system package for Windows 2008 Server Core requires the following entries on this panel. Otherwise, the Provision Jobs that use the system package do not complete successfully. In the Agent Installation Options field (earlier on the panel), enter the following line: REBOOT=Suppress In the Post-Install Script field, enter the following line: SHUTDOWN -r -t 10 The first line, which prevents the server from rebooting, allows the runonce.bat file to complete. The second line forces the reboot later, which is required to start up the RSCD agent. Proceed to the Local-properties-Windows tab.
   Local properties - Windows	Click here to see the descriptions of the fields.

   Success

   Tip

   When defining a system package, note the presence of the Select Property icon next to various input fields. This icon indicates that you can insert a parameter that refers to a local property to supply the value for the field. For information on inserting a parameter, see Inserting a parameter in a system package field and Inserting a script in a system package. For an example of how using parameters can streamline provisioning, see Assigning-configuration-values-during-device-import.

5. When you finish defining the system package, select File > Save.

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To create a system package for Red Hat Linux

1. In the Depot, right-click the folder where you want to add a new system package. From the pop-up menu, choose New > System package.

2. Provide information for the new system package, as described in the following sections: 

   Panel	Description
   System Package Creation - General	Click here to see the descriptions of the fields.
   System Package Creation - Properties	Click here to see the descriptions of the fields.
   System Package Creation - Permissions	Click here to see the descriptions of the fields.

3. Click Finish. The system package opens in the content editor.

4. Define settings in the system package using the tabs at the bottom of the content editor. Each OS type has a different set of tabs.

   Panel	Description
   Pre-install scripts - Red Hat Linux	Click here to see the descriptions of the fields.
   Disk partition - Red Hat Linux	Click here to see the descriptions of the fields. The Disk Partition tab lets you define partitions for the servers being provisioned. There are two ways to define a partition for Gentoo-based system packages — by supplying a script or using fields in the GUI: To supply a script, click Use script for disk partitioning. Then do one of the following: Type the script directly in the input box. Type the name of a local property that contains the script, enclosing the property name with double question marks. Click Select Property   to display a drop-down menu of available properties. Select the property that contains the script.  If you want to reboot after script execution, click Reboot after the script is executed. To use the GUI to define a partition, do one of the following: To create a new partition, click Add. Provide information in the Disk Partition window and click OK. To modify an existing partition, select the partition in the Disk Partition list and click Open. Provide information in the Disk Partition window and click OK. Warning Note If you have EFI-based hardware on the server that you are provisioning and you want to enable booting using Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) during provisioning (rather than using BIOS), you must define a UEFI partition, in addition to the primary or root partition. Field definitions Field Description Mount point The location within a file directory where a volume should exist. Enter a location or select one from the drop-down list. For example, for a UEFI partition, select /boot/efi as the mount point. Type Select one of the following file system types: ext2 — Supports standard UNIX file types and allows file names up to 255 characters. ext3 — Supports all features of ext2 plus journaling. swap — Supports virtual memory, that is, swapping data in and out of this partition when there is insufficient RAM to perform an operation. ext4 — (Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 only) Supports all features of ext3 plus adds support for larger file systems, more efficient allocation of disk space, no limit on the number of subdirectories within a directory and more robust journaling. vfat — File Allocation Table (FAT) filesystem format, for a UEFI partition. Size (MB) The size of the partition in megabytes. If you want the partition to fill all remaining space on the disk, check Fill all unused space on disk. If you are specifying the size of a swap partition, make sure the size you specify is supported by the specific version of this system package's operating system.For a UEFI partition, specify a size between 50 to 250 megabytes. The default for a UEFI partition is 200 megabytes. Disk If you are creating a Gentoo-based system package, enter the physical volume (hda, hdb, hdc, etc.) on which to place the partition. Proceed to the Basic-configuration-Red-Hat-Linux tab.
   Basic configuration - Red Hat Linux	Click here to see the descriptions of the fields. The Basic Config tab lets you provide local information about a server, such as its name and the password needed to access the machine. Field definitions Field Description Computer name The unique name that should be assigned to the server. OM Server Name (Optional) Specifies a different name for this server to display when it appears in the TrueSight Server Automation Console. If you want this server to display its Computer name when it appears in the TrueSight Server Automation Console, leave the OM Server Name field blank. If you do choose to use a different OM Server Name for this machine, make sure that this new name can be resolved to the IP address of the server. Root password The password used to access the root account. Enter a password. Then confirm your typing by entering the password again in the Confirm password field. Kickstart network device or AutoYast device The name of a Kickstart network device or AutoYast device. For example, for Ubuntu or SUSE, you might enter eth0 or eth1. Note that the name of the field under Provisioning Settings — Kickstart network device or AutoYaST network device — varies depending on the type of system package you are defining. When defining settings for provisioning of Linux servers, if you specify the AutoYaST network device, it can result in timeout. To avoid this issue, do not specify the AutoYaST network device for Linux servers in a multi-NIC environment. You do not need to specify the AutoYaST parameter; the installer is capable of finding the active NIC and retrieving the AutoYaST file. For RHEL 7, provide the device MAC address. Boot Kernel Parameters Additional boot time kernel parameters you would like to use for the server. Some commonly used parameters include: nofb — This command disables frame buffer support and allows the installation program to run in text mode. This command may be necessary for accessibility with some screen reading hardware. skipddc — This x86 boot command skips the ddc monitor probe which causes issues on some systems. For a full list of available boot kernel parameters, see your Linux platform installation documentation. Proceed to the Computer-settings-Red-Hat-Linux tab.
   Computer settings - Red Hat Linux	Click here to see the descriptions of the fields. The Computer Settings tab lets you provide information about peripheral devices and localization settings. Field definitions Field Description Keyboard Select the keyboard layout type that you want to be the system default. For example, in the United States you would probably select us. Mouse Select a type of mouse that you want to use with the machine. Time zone Do either of the following: Select a time zone from the drop-down list. Check Use Custom TimeZone and type a time zone in the text box. Important: TrueSight Server Automation does not support the TZ environment variable to set time zone. Functioning of TrueSight Server Automation might be impacted by this variable. Locale Select a language option from the drop-down list. For example, in the United States, select English (USA). Key Setup Red Hat Enterprise Linux Note: This field is only relevant for Red Hat Enterprise Linux (versions 7, 8 and 9) For Installation Number, do one of the following: Enter the 16-character alpha-numeric key that can be used during the installation process. Click Select Property to display a drop-down menu of available properties. Select the property that contains the installation number. Leave the Installation Number field blank. If you do not enter an installation number (subscription number), the provisioning process installs the core operating system without the packages that require the subscription number. You can install these packages separately when you get the number. Proceed to the OS-components-Red-Hat-Linux tab.
   OS components - Red Hat Linux	Click here to see the descriptions of the fields.
   Network - Red Hat Linux	Click here to see the descriptions of the fields.
   Kickstart entries - Red Hat Linux	Click here to see the descriptions of the fields.
   Post-install configuration - Red Hat Linux	Click here to see the descriptions of the fields. The Post-install Configuration tab lets you specify the installation of a TrueSight Server Automation RSCD agent on the target server, specify a Batch Job that runs after the operating system is installed on the server, and enter commands that are included in the Kickstart file. Field definitions Proceed to the Local properties - Red Hat Linux tab.
   Local properties - Red Hat Linux	Click here to see the descriptions of the fields.

   Success

   Tip

   When defining a system package, note the presence of the Select Property icon next to various input fields. This icon indicates that you can insert a parameter that refers to a local property to supply the value for the field. For information on inserting a parameter, see Inserting a parameter in a system package field and Inserting a script in a system package. For an example of how using parameters can streamline provisioning, see Assigning-configuration-values-during-device-import.

5. When you finish defining the system package, select File > Save.

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To create a system package for SUSE Linux

1. In the Depot, right-click the folder where you want to add a new system package. From the pop-up menu, choose New > System package.

2. Provide information for the new system package, as described in the following sections: 

   Panel	Description
   System Package Creation - General	Click here to see the descriptions of the fields.
   System Package Creation - Properties	Click here to see the descriptions of the fields.
   System Package Creation - Permissions	Click here to see the descriptions of the fields.

3. Click Finish. The system package opens in the content editor.

4. Define settings in the system package using the tabs at the bottom of the content editor. Each OS type has a different set of tabs.

   Panel	Description
   Pre-install scripts - SUSE Linux	Click here to see the descriptions of the fields.
   Disk partition - SUSE Linux	Click here to see the descriptions of the fields. The Disk Partition tab lets you define partitions for the servers being provisioned. There are two ways to define a partition for Gentoo-based system packages-by supplying a script or using fields in the GUI: To supply a script, click Use script for disk partitioning. Then do one of the following: Type the script directly in the input box. Type the name of a local property that contains the script, enclosing the property name with double question marks. Click Select Property to display a drop-down menu of available properties. Select the property that contains the script.  If you want to reboot after script execution, click Reboot after the script is executed. To use the GUI to define a partition, do one of the following: To create a new partition, click Add. Provide information in the Disk Partition window and click OK. To modify an existing partition, select the partition in the Disk Partition list and click Open. Provide information in the Disk Partition window and click OK. Warning Note If you have EFI-based hardware on the server that you are provisioning and you want to enable booting using Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) during provisioning (rather than using BIOS), you must define a UEFI partition, in addition to the primary or root partition. Support for UEFI booting is provided in TrueSight Server Automation as of version 8.7.   Field definitions Field Description Mount point The location within a file directory where a volume should exist. Enter a location or select one from the drop-down list.For example, for a UEFI partition, select /boot/efi as the mount point. Type Select one of the following file system types: ext2 — Supports standard UNIX file types and allows file names up to 255 characters. ext3 — Supports all features of ext2 plus journaling. reiser — Supports all features of ext2 plus journaling. swap — Supports virtual memory, that is, swapping data in and out of this partition when there is insufficient RAM to perform an operation. ext4 — (Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 only) Supports all features of ext3 plus adds support for larger file systems, more efficient allocation of disk space, no limit on the number of subdirectories within a directory and more robust journaling. jfs — Supports journaling. xfs — Supports journaling. vfat — File Allocation Table (FAT) filesystem format, for a UEFI partition. Size (MB) The size of the partition in megabytes. If you want the partition to fill all remaining space on the disk, check Fill all unused space on disk. If you are specifying the size of a swap partition, make sure the size you specify is supported by the specific version of this system package's operating system.For a UEFI partition, specify a size between 50 to 250 megabytes. The default for a UEFI partition is 200 megabytes. Disk If you are creating a Gentoo-based system package, enter the physical volume (hda, hdb, hdc, etc.) on which to place the partition. Proceed to the Basic-configuration-SUSE-Linux tab.
   Basic configuration - SUSE Linux	Click here to see the descriptions of the fields. The Basic Config tab lets you provide local information about a server, such as its name and the password needed to access the machine. Field definitions Field Description Computer name The unique name that should be assigned to the server. OM Server Name (Optional) Specifies a different name for this server to display when it appears in the TrueSight Server Automation Console. If you want this server to display its Computer name when it appears in the TrueSight Server Automation Console, leave the OM Server Name field blank. If you do choose to use a different OM Server Name for this machine, make sure that this new name can be resolved to the IP address of the server. Root password The password used to access the root account. Enter a password. Then confirm your typing by entering the password again in the Confirm password field. Kickstart network device or AutoYast device The name of a Kickstart network device or AutoYast device. For example, for Ubuntu or SUSE, you might enter eth0 or eth1. Note that the name of the field under Provisioning Settings — Kickstart network device or AutoYaST network device — varies depending on the type of system package you are defining. When defining settings for provisioning of Linux servers, if you specify the AutoYaST network device, it can result in timeout. To avoid this issue, do not specify the AutoYaST network device for Linux servers in a multi-NIC environment. You do not need to specify the AutoYaST parameter; the installer is capable of finding the active NIC and retrieving the AutoYaST file. For RHEL 7, provide the device MAC address. Boot Kernel Parameters Additional boot time kernel parameters you would like to use for the server. Some commonly used parameters include: nofb — This command disables frame buffer support and allows the installation program to run in text mode. This command may be necessary for accessibility with some screen reading hardware. skipddc — This x86 boot command skips the ddc monitor probe which causes issues on some systems. For a full list of available boot kernel parameters, see your Linux platform installation documentation. Proceed to the Computer-settings-SUSE-Linux tab.
   Computer settings - SUSE Linux	Click here to see the descriptions of the fields. The Computer Settings tab lets you provide information about peripheral devices and localization settings. Field definitions Field Description Keyboard Select the keyboard layout type that you want to be the system default. For example, in the United States you would probably select us. Mouse Select a type of mouse that you want to use with the machine. Time zone Do either of the following: Select a time zone from the drop-down list. Check Use Custom TimeZone and type a time zone in the text box. Important: TrueSight Server Automation does not support the TZ environment variable to set time zone. Functioning of TrueSight Server Automation might be impacted by this variable. Locale Select a language option from the drop-down list. For example, in the United States, select English (USA). Key Setup Red Hat Enterprise Linux Note: This field is only relevant for Red Hat Enterprise Linux (versions 7, 8 and 9) For Installation Number, do one of the following: Enter the 16-character alpha-numeric key that can be used during the installation process. Click Select Property to display a drop-down menu of available properties. Select the property that contains the installation number. Leave the Installation Number field blank. If you do not enter an installation number (subscription number), the provisioning process installs the core operating system without the packages that require the subscription number. You can install these packages separately when you get the number. Proceed to the OS components - SUSE Linux tab.
   OS components - SUSE Linux	Click here to see the descriptions of the fields.
   Network - SUSE Linux	Click here to see the descriptions of the fields.
   AutoYaST entries - SUSE Linux	Click here to see the descriptions of the fields. The AutoYaST Entries tab lets you modify the contents of the AutoYaST file, which is an XML file used in unattended installations of SUSE Linux. When you define settings of a SUSE system package, an AutoYaST file is automatically generated at deploy time that incorporates all of the options you defined for the system package. You do not have to edit the AutoYaST file. However, the AutoYaST Entries panel gives advanced users the option of manually editing the AutoYaST file. Warning Note If you choose to edit the AutoYaST file, the XML for an AutoYaST file is automatically generated based on the options you have already chosen for this SUSE system package. After you make any changes, the AutoYaST file is saved. Afterwards, if you make additional changes to the system package using the system package wizard, the AutoYaST file does not reflect those choices. If you create a custom AutoYaST file, then when you create a Provision Job using the system package, the wizard displays the Customized Unattend Entries panel. You can use the panel to edit the custom AutoYaST file for the Provision Job. Tokens in the AutoYaST file The AutoYaST file includes tokens that represent information needed to provision a server. This information is presented in the form of tokens because it is either not available until the provisioning process of a server actually begins or it is derived from provisioning configuration settings. For example, a token might represent a server's MAC address. Or, a token might represent the DNS server specified in the Network panel of the provisioning wizard. The following table describes all the possible tokens that can be used in an AutoYaST file. Token Description ??APP_SERVER_IP?? The IP address of the Application Server, which is set using the bl-server option when you configure a Linux-based DHCP server. For more information, see Configuring-a-DHCP-server-on-Linux. ??MAC_ADDRESS?? The MAC address of the server being provisioned. ??IP_ADDRESS?? The IP address that was specified in the Network panel of the system package wizard. This value is overridden during provisioning using the value you enter in the Network panel of the provisioning wizard. ??SUBNET_MASK?? The subnet mask that was specified in the Network panel of the system package wizard. This value is overridden during provisioning using the value you enter in the Network panel of the provisioning wizard. ??DEF_GATEWAY?? The default gateway that was specified in the Network panel of the system package wizard. This value is overridden during provisioning using the value you enter in the Network panel of the provisioning wizard. ??DNS_SERVER?? The DNS server that was specified in the Network panel of the system package wizard. This value is overridden during provisioning using the value you enter in the Network panel of the provisioning wizard. ??HOST_NAME?? The computer name that was specified in the Basic Config panel of the system package wizard. This value is overridden during provisioning using the value you enter in the Basic Config panel of the provisioning wizard. ??ROOT_PASSWORD?? The root password that was specified in the Basic Config panel of the system package wizard. This value is overridden during provisioning using the value you enter in the Basic Config panel of the provisioning wizard. ??NET_DEVICE?? The network device that was specified in the Basic Config panel of the system package wizard. This value is overridden during provisioning using the value you enter in the Basic Config panel of the provisioning wizard. ??RSCD_DIR?? The path of the RSCD installer for a system package type. This path is specified using the System Package tab of the Provisioning Configurations window (see Changing-the-location-of-installation-files). ??DATA_STORE_BASE_DIR?? The virtual directory for the data store. You specify this location when you configure the VIRTUAL_DIR property in the Data Store system object (see Configuring-the-data-store-for-PXE-provisioning). ??DATA_STORE_IP?? The IP address that the Application Server resolves from the server name specified in the LOCATION property in the Data Store system object (see Configuring-the-data-store-for-PXE-provisioning). To edit the AutoYaST file Check Customize the AutoYaST file.  A message warns that the AutoYaST file is be generated using your current settings in the system package wizard. Edit the XML of the AutoYaST file.  The TrueSight Server Automation system provides basic editing tools, including cut, copy, paste, select all, undo, and redo. To access a menu of these tools, click in the body of the file and right-click.  The text editor utility also provides a search and replace feature. To access it, right-click in the file and select Find. Optionally, after editing the AutoYaST file, you can clear Customize the AutoYaST file to generate a new version of the file based on your settings in the system package.  A message warns you that all customizations you made to the AutoYaST file will be lost. A new version of the AutoYaST file will be generated based on your current settings in the system package wizard. Proceed to the Post-install-configuration-SUSE-Linux tab.
   Post-install configuration - SUSE Linux	Click here to see the descriptions of the fields. The Post-install Configuration tab lets you: specify the installation of a TrueSight Server Automation RSCD agent on the target server, define a Batch Job that runs after the operating system is installed on the server, and enter commands that are included in the AutoYast file. Field definitions Proceed to the Local-properties-SUSE-Linux tab.
   Local properties - SUSE Linux	Click here to see the descriptions of the fields.

   Success

   Tip

   When defining a system package, note the presence of the Select Property icon next to various input fields. This icon indicates that you can insert a parameter that refers to a local property to supply the value for the field. For information on inserting a parameter, see Inserting a parameter in a system package field and Inserting a script in a system package. For an example of how using parameters can streamline provisioning, see Assigning-configuration-values-during-device-import.

5. When you finish defining the system package, select File > Save.

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To create a system package for Citrix XenServer

1. In the Depot, right-click the folder where you want to add a new system package. From the pop-up menu, choose New > System package.

2. Provide information for the new system package, as described in the following sections: 

   Panel	Description
   System Package Creation - General	Click here to see the descriptions of the fields.
   System Package Creation - Properties	Click here to see the descriptions of the fields.
   System Package Creation - Permissions	Click here to see the descriptions of the fields.

3. Click Finish. The system package opens in the content editor.

4. Define settings in the system package using the tabs at the bottom of the content editor. 

   Panel	Description
   Pre-install scripts - Citrix XenServer	Click here to see the descriptions of the fields.
   Disk partition - Citrix XenServer	Click here to see the descriptions of the fields. The Disk Partition tab lets you specify the disk on the target server on which the Citrix XenServer is installed. The Citrix XenServer has a fixed layout of the file system. You do not need to specify disk partitions; you specify the disk on which the Citrix XenServer host is installed. You specify a Primary disk and a Guest disk. The Citrix XenServer is installed on the Primary disk. The Guest disk is used for installation of operating systems installed on top of the Citrix XenServer. You can specify disks in either of two ways — by supplying a script or using fields in the GUI: To supply a script for configuring the disk To supply a script, click Use script for disk partitioningand do one of the following: Type the script directly in the input box. Type the name of a local property that contains the script, enclosing the property name with double question marks. Click Select Property . If you want to reboot after script execution, click Reboot after the script is executed. To use the GUI to configure the disk To create a new partition, click . To modify an existing partition, select the partition in the Disk Partition list and click . In the Disk Specifications dialog, provide information for the following options and click OK. Option Description Type Select the type of disk you want to configure. Primary: The disk where the control domain (Citrix XenServer is installed). Guest: The disk to be used for storage for a guest operating system. Disk The name of the storage device where the domain should be installed. For Primary Disk: The name of the storage device where the control domain should be installed. For Guest Disk: The name of the storage device for guest storage. To include storage media options supported by Citrix XenServer, supply all disk partition options in a custom disk partition script. Then specify the script in the Use script for disk partitioning area. For information about the commands, see the Citrix XenServer Administrator's Guide. Enable Guest (Primary Disk only) If you install an operating system on top of the Citrix XenServer, check this option to create a storage repository on the Primary disk for the guest operating system. Proceed to the Basic configuration - Citrix XenServer tab.
   Basic configuration - Citrix XenServer	Click here to see the descriptions of the fields. The Basic Config tab lets you provide local information about a server, such as its name and the password needed to access the machine. Field definitions Computer name The unique name that should be assigned to the server. OM Server Name (Optional) Specifies a different name for this server to display when it appears in the TrueSight Server Automation Console. If you want this server to display its Computer name when it appears in the TrueSight Server Automation Console, leave the OM Server Name field blank. If you do choose to use a different OM Server Name for this machine, make sure that this new name can be resolved to the IP address of the server. Root password The password used to access the root account. Enter a password. Then confirm your typing by entering the password again in the Confirm password field. Admin interface The name of the network interface that the server uses to communicate with the HTTP server. For example, you might enter eth0 or eth1. Boot Kernel Parameters Additional boot time kernel parameters you would like to use for the server. Proceed to the Computer settings - Citrix XenServer tab.
   Computer settings - Citrix XenServer	Click here to see the descriptions of the fields. The Computer Settings tab lets you provide information about peripheral devices and localization settings. Field definitions Key map Select a country from the drop-down list. Time zone Select a time zone from the drop-down list. Driver Path (Optional) Enter the path to the folder where device drivers are stored. The path should be relative to the data store. Or click Select Property to select the property that contains the path. License Key Path (Optional) Specify the path to the Citrix XenServer license key, relative to the data store. For example: CitrixXen/XenServer-Enterprise-license.xslic Proceed to the Network  - Citrix XenServer tab.
   Network - Citrix XenServer	Click here to see the descriptions of the fields.
   Unattend entries - Citrix XenServer	Click here to see the descriptions of the fields.
   Post-install configuration - Citrix XenServer	Click here to see the descriptions of the fields.
   Local properties - Citrix XenServer	Click here to see the descriptions of the fields.

   Success

   Tip

   When defining a system package, note the presence of the Select Property icon next to various input fields. This icon indicates that you can insert a parameter that refers to a local property to supply the value for the field. For information on inserting a parameter, see Inserting a parameter in a system package field and Inserting a script in a system package. For an example of how using parameters can streamline provisioning, see Assigning-configuration-values-during-device-import.

5. When you finish defining the system package, select File > Save.

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To create a system package for ESXi 4.1 and 5.0 servers

1. In the Depot, right-click the folder where you want to add a new system package. From the pop-up menu, choose New > System package.

2. Provide information for the new system package, as described in the following sections: 

   Panel	Description
   System Package Creation - General	Click here to see the descriptions of the fields.
   System Package Creation - Properties	Click here to see the descriptions of the fields.
   System Package Creation - Permissions	Click here to see the descriptions of the fields.

3. Click Finish. The system package opens in the content editor.

4. Define settings in the system package using the tabs at the bottom of the content editor. 

   Panel	Description
   Pre-install script - ESXi 4.1 and 5.0	Click here to see the descriptions of the fields.
   Disk partition - ESXi 4.1 and 5.0	Click here to see the descriptions of the fields. The Disk Partition tab lets you define partitions on the servers being provisioned. Field definitions Auto Partition Disk Selection To specify where to install the hypervisor and which disks to clear, choose one of the following: Use First Disk for Installation — The generated kickstart command clears the first local disk and installs the OS on that disk. Specify Disk for Installation — Provide the name of a specific disk in the next field. The generated kickstart command clears the named disk and installs the OS on that disk. Installation Disk Name Provide a specific disk name. Additional Disk Part Script To add a script to the installation to configure additional partitions, select the Use Additional Disk Part Script check box. Provide the script in any of the following ways: Type the script directly in the input box. Type the name of a local property that contains the script, enclosing the property name with double question marks. Click Select Property  to display a drop-down menu of available properties. Select the property that contains the script from the list. Click Browse  to navigate to a file that contains the script. Proceed to the Basic-configuration-ESXi-4-1-and-5-0 tab.
   Basic configuration - ESXi 4.1 and 5.0	Click here to see the descriptions of the fields. The Basic Config tab lets you provide local information about a server, such as its name and the password needed to access the machine. Field definitions Computer name A unique name to assign to the server. The ESXi 4.1 and 5.0 OS applies the computer name only when you assign a static IP address to the server. The name of the server after provisioning is always Local Host if the IP address is obtained from a DHCP server. (The IP address field is on the Network panel.) OM Server Name (Optional) Specifies a different name for this server to display in the TrueSight Server Automation Console. If you want this server to display its Computer Name in the TrueSight Server Automation Console, leave the OM Server Name field blank. If you use a different OM Server Name for this machine, make sure that the new name can be resolved to the IP address of the server. Root password The password used to access the root account. Enter a password. Then confirm your typing by entering the password again in the Confirm password field. The password must consist of at least 6 characters and cannot exceed 64 characters. Kickstart network device Provide the MAC address of a Kickstart network device or the network interface name connected to the device. For MAC address, the colon-separated format is required. You can use any of the following: Type vmnic0. Type the MAC address, using a colon-separated format (for example: 00:22:19:50:5E:AB). Click Select Property to display a drop-down menu of available properties. Select the MAC_ADDRESS_CD property for the colon-separated MAC address. Boot Kernel Parameters If you do not supply a value for the mem parameter, the default value for mem is 512M (megabytes.) Type any additional boot time kernel parameters that you would like to use for the server. For a full list of available boot kernel parameters, see the ESXi 4.1 or 5.0 installation documentation. Proceed to the Computer-settings-ESXi-4-1-and-5-0 tab.
   Computer settings - ESXi 4.1 and 5.0	Click here to see the descriptions of the fields. The Computer Settings tab lets you set the keyboard type and the license key. Field definitions Keyboard Select the keyboard layout type for the target servers. ESXi 4.1 and 5.0 map the value "Default" to English. License key Enter the key to the software license you are using, including all hyphens in the key. Use the format: XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX. You can obtain a license key for ESXi on the VMware website. The web site requires you to register to receive a license key. Warning Note ESXi 4.1 and 5.0 are freeware. A license is not required. Proceed to the Network-ESXi-4-1-and-5-0 tab.
   Network - ESXi 4.1 and 5.0	Click here to see the descriptions of the fields.
   Kickstart entries - ESXi 4.1 and 5.0	Click here to see the descriptions of the fields.
   Post-install configuration - ESXi 4.1 and 5.0	Click here to see the descriptions of the fields.
   Local properties - ESXi 4.1 and 5.0	Click here to see the descriptions of the fields.

   Success

   Tip

   When defining a system package, note the presence of the Select Property icon next to various input fields. This icon indicates that you can insert a parameter that refers to a local property to supply the value for the field. For information on inserting a parameter, see Inserting a parameter in a system package field and Inserting a script in a system package. For an example of how using parameters can streamline provisioning, see Assigning-configuration-values-during-device-import.

5. When you finish defining the system package, select File > Save.

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To create a system package for ESX servers

1. In the Depot, right-click the folder where you want to add a new system package. From the pop-up menu, choose New > System package.

2. Provide information for the new system package, as described in the following sections: 

   Panel	Description
   System Package Creation - General	Click here to see the descriptions of the fields.
   System Package Creation - Properties	Click here to see the descriptions of the fields.
   System Package Creation - Permissions	Click here to see the descriptions of the fields.

3. Click Finish. The system package opens in the content editor.

4. Define settings in the system package using the tabs at the bottom of the content editor. 

   Panel	Description
   Pre-install script - ESX	Click here to see the descriptions of the fields.
   Disk partition - ESX	Click here to see the descriptions of the fields. The Disk Partition tab lets you define partitions for the servers being provisioned. In addition, for ESX 4.0 system packages, you can create a storage partition and virtual disk partitions. Define a partition for ESX system packages by supplying a script or using the Disk Partition dialog: To supply a script that defines the partition, select Use script for disk partitioning. Then do one of the following: Type the script directly in the input box. Type the name of a local property that contains the script, enclosing the property name with double question marks. Click Select Property to display a drop-down menu of available properties. Select the property that contains the script from the list.  To reboot after script execution, click Reboot after the script is executed. To define a disk partition using the Disk Partition dialog: To create a new partition, in the Disk Partitions area, click Add . To modify an existing partition, select the partition in the Disk Partition list and click Edit . Provide information in the Disk Partition window and click OK. Field definitions Mount point The location within a file directory where a volume should exist. Enter a location or select one from the drop-down list. ESX 4.0 system packages: To create a data store (storage partition) for the vmfs3 file system type, select Storage 1 from the drop-down menu or type a storage partition name for Mount point/DataStore. Type Select one of the following file system types: ext2 — Supports standard UNIX file types and allows file names up to 255 characters. ext3 — Supports all features of ext2 plus journaling. swap — Supports virtual memory, that is, swapping data in and out of this partition when there is insufficient RAM to perform an operation. vmfs3 — Supports the Virtual Machine File System version 3. VMFS is a clustered file system that lets virtual machines access shared storage resources concurrently. Version 3 has a directory structure in the file system. vmkcore — Holds the core dump file for the VMkernel. vmfs2 — Supports the Virtual Machine File System version 2. VMFS is a clustered file system that lets virtual machines access shared storage resources concurrently. Version 2 has a flat file system. (The ESX 4.0 system package does not support the vmfs2 file system.). Size (MB) The size of the partition in megabytes. To let the partition fill all remaining space on the disk, check Fill all unused space on disk. ESX 4.0 system package: You can specify both the size of the partition in megabytes and Fill all unused space on disk. If you are specifying the size of a swap partition, make sure the size you specify is supported by the specific version of this system package's operating system. Disk Enter the device name and optionally, parameters related to the device name. For example: cciss/c0d0 --asprimary For ESX 4.0 system packages, note the following: The generated kickstart file clears the disks specified in this disk partition list. (In earlier releases, the generated kickstart file cleared all partitions connected to the target host.) To create physical partitions for /boot, vmkcore, or vmfs3, for Disk/Virtual Disk, type an option for a real hard disk drive, such as sda. To create virtual disk partitions for / and /swap, for Disk/Virtual Disk, select the virtual disk from the drop-down menu. See Creating Virtual Disk Partitions. Proceed to the Basic-configuration-ESX tab.
   Basic configuration - ESX	Click here to see the descriptions of the fields. The Basic Config tab lets you provide local information about a server, such as its name and the password needed to access the machine. Field definitions Computer name The unique name that should be assigned to the server. OM Server Name (Optional) Specifies a different name for this server to display when it appears in the TrueSight Server Automation Console. If you want this server to display its Computer name when it appears in the TrueSight Server Automation Console, leave the OM Server Name field blank. If you do choose to use a different OM Server Name for this machine, make sure that this new name can be resolved to the IP address of the server. Root password The password used to access the root account. Enter a password. Then confirm your typing by entering the password again in the Confirm password field. Kickstart network device For ESX 4.0 system packages, provide the MAC address of a Kickstart network device or the network interface name connected to the device. Use any of the following values: Type vmnic0. Type the MAC address, using a colon-separated format (for example: 00:22:19:50:5E:AB). Click Select Property to display a drop-down menu of available properties. Select the MAC_ADDRESS_CD property for the colon-separated MAC address. For ESX versions earlier than 4.0, type the name of the network interface connected to the kickstart device. For example: eth0 or eth1. Boot Kernel Parameters Type any additional boot time kernel parameters you would like to use for the server. Some commonly used parameters include: ESX 4.0 system package: If you do not supply a value for the mem parameter in Boot Kernel Parameters, the default value for mem is 512M (megabytes.) For a full list of available boot kernel parameters, see the ESX installation documentation. Proceed to the Computer-settings-ESX tab.
   Computer settings - ESX	Click here to see the descriptions of the fields. The Computer Settings tab lets you provide information about peripheral devices and localization settings. Field definitions Keyboard Select the keyboard layout type that you want to be the system default. For example, in the United States you would probably select us. Mouse Select a type of mouse that you want to use with the machine. The ESX 4.0 system package type does not include this option. Time zone Do either of the following: Select a time zone from the drop-down list. ESX 4.0 system packages: Select a time zone or check Use Custom TimeZone. Then for Custom TimeZone, click Select Property to display a drop-down menu of available properties. Select the property that contains the time zone. Locale Select a language option from the drop-down list. For example, in the United States, select English (USA). The ESX 4.0 system package type does not include this option. License key (ESX 4.0 only) Enter the key to the software license you are using, including all hyphens in the key. Use the format: XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX. Proceed to the Network-ESX tab.
   Network - ESX	Click here to see the descriptions of the fields.
   Kickstart entries - ESX	Click here to see the descriptions of the fields.
   Post-install configuration - ESX	Click here to see the descriptions of the fields.
   Local properties - ESX	Click here to see the descriptions of the fields.

   Success

   Tip

   When defining a system package, note the presence of the Select Property icon next to various input fields. This icon indicates that you can insert a parameter that refers to a local property to supply the value for the field. For information on inserting a parameter, see Inserting a parameter in a system package field and Inserting a script in a system package. For an example of how using parameters can streamline provisioning, see Assigning-configuration-values-during-device-import.

5. When you finish defining the system package, select File > Save.

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Where to go from here

Setting-up-provisioning-jobs-and-post-provisioning-jobs