11 Virtualization

Setting up and managing VM Guest s with SUSE Manager does not require special configuration options. However, you need to provide activation keys for the VM Host Server and the VM Guest s, an autoinstallable distribution and an autoinstallation profile. To automatically register VM Guest s with SUSE Manager , a bootstrap script is needed.

11.1.1.2 Setting up an Autoinstallable Distribution #

To autoinstall clients from SUSE Manager , you need to provide an “autoinstallable distribution” , also referred to as autoinstallable tree or installation source. This installation source needs to be made available through the file system of the SUSE Manager host. It can for example be a mounted local or remote directory or a “loop-mounted” ISO image. It must match the following requirements:

• Kernel and initrd location:

RedHat / Generic RPM #

• images/pxeboot/vmlinuz

• images/pxeboot/initrd.img

SUSE #

• boot/arch/loader/initrd

• boot/arch/loader/linux

  • The Base Channel needs to match the autoinstallable distribution.

Important: Autoinstallation package sources

There is a fundamental difference between RedHat and SUSE systems regarding the package sources for autoinstallation. The packages for a RedHat installation are being fetched from the Base Channel . Packages for installing SUSE systems are being fetched from the autoinstallable distribution.

As a consequence, the autoinstallable distribution for a SUSE system has to be a complete installation source (same as for a regular installation).

Procedure: Creating Autoinstallable Distribution #

1. Make sure an installation source is available from a local directory. The data source can be any kind of network resource, a local directory or an ISO image (which has to be “loop-mounted” ). Files and directories must be world readable.

2. Log in to the SUSE Manager Web interface and navigate to Systems › Autoinstallation › Distributions › Create Distribution .

3. Fill out the form Create Autoinstallable Distribution as follows:

   Distribution Label

   Choose a unique name for the distribution. Only letters, numbers, hyphens, periods, and underscores are allowed; the minimum length is 4 characters. This field is mandatory.

   Tree Path

   Absolute local disk path to installation source. This field is mandatory.

   Base Channel

   Channel matching the installation source. This channel is the package source for non-SUSE installations. This field is mandatory.

   Installer Generation

   Operating system version matching the installation source. This field is mandatory.

   Kernel Options

   Options passed to the kernel when booting for the installation. There is no need to specify the install= parameter since it will automatically be added. Moreover, the parameters self_update=0 pt.options=self_update are added automatically to prevent AutoYaST from updating itself during the system installation. This field is optional.

   Post Kernel Options

   Options passed to the kernel when booting the installed system for the first time. This field is optional.

4. Save your settings by clicking Create Autoinstallable Distribution .

To edit an existing Autoinstallable Distribution , go to Systems › Autoinstallation › Distributions and click on a Label . Make the desired changes and save your settings by clicking Update Autoinstallable Distribution .

11.1.1.3 Providing an Autoinstallation Profile #

Autoinstallation profiles (AutoYaST or Kickstart files) contain all the installation and configuration data needed to install a system without user intervention. They may also contain scripts that will be executed after the installation has completed.

All profiles can be uploaded to SUSE Manager and be edited afterwards. Kickstart profiles can also be created from scratch with SUSE Manager .

A minimalist AutoYaST profile including a script for registering the client with SUSE Manager is listed in Appendix B, Minimalist AutoYaST Profile for Automated Installations and Useful Enhancements. For more information, examples and HOWTOs on AutoYaST profiles, refer to SUSE Linux Enterprise AutoYaST (https://www.suse.com/documentation/sles-12/book_autoyast/data/book_autoyast.html). For more information on Kickstart profiles, refer to your RedHat documentation.

11.1.1.3.1 Uploading an Autoinstallation Profile #

1. Log in to the SUSE Manager Web interface and open Systems › Autoinstallation › Profiles › Upload New Kickstart/AutoYaST File .

2. Choose a unique name for the profile. Only letters, numbers, hyphens, periods, and underscores are allowed; the minimum length is 6 characters. This field is mandatory.

3. Choose an Autoinstallable Tree from the drop-down menu. If no Autoinstallable Tree is available, you need to add an Autoinstallable Distribution. Refer to Section 11.1.1.2, “Setting up an Autoinstallable Distribution” for instructions.

4. Choose a Virtualization Type from the drop-down menu. KVM and Xen (para-virtualized and fully-virtualized) are available. Do not choose Xen Virtualized Host here.

5. Scroll down to the File to Upload dialog, click Browse to select it, then click Upload File .

6. The uploaded file will be displayed in the File Contents section, where you can edit it.

7. Click Create to store the profile.

To edit an existing profile, go to Systems › Autoinstallation › Profiles and click on a Label . Make the desired changes and save your settings by clicking Create .

Note: Editing existing Kickstartprofiles

If you are changing the Virtualization Type of an existing Kickstart profile, it may also modify the bootloader and partition options, potentially overwriting any user customizations. Be sure to review the Partitioning tab to verify these settings when changing the Virtualization Type .

11.1.1.3.2 Creating a Kickstart Profile #

Note

Currently it is only possible to create autoinstallation profiles for RHEL systems. If installing a SUSE Linux Enterprise Server system, you need to upload an existing AutoYaST profile as described in Section 11.1.1.3.1, “Uploading an Autoinstallation Profile”.

1. Log in to the SUSE Manager Web interface and go to Systems › Autoinstallation › Profiles › Create New Kickstart File .

2. Choose a unique name for the profile. The minimum length is 6 characters. This field is mandatory.

3. Choose a Base Channel . This channel is the package source for non-SUSE installations and must match the Autoinstallable Tree . This field is mandatory.

4. Choose an Autoinstallable Tree from the drop-down menu. If no Autoinstallable Tree is available, you need to add an Autoinstallable Distribution. Refer to Section 11.1.1.2, “Setting up an Autoinstallable Distribution” for instructions.

5. Choose a Virtualization Type from the drop-down menu. KVM and Xen (para-virtualized and fully-virtualized) are available. Do not choose Xen Virtualized Host here.

6. Click the Next button.

7. Select the location of the distribution files for the installation of your VM Guest s. There should already be a Default Download Location filled out and selected for you on this screen. Click the Next button.

8. Choose a root password for the VM Guest s. Click the Finish button to generate the profile.

   This completes Kickstart profile creation. After generating a profile, you are taken to the newly-created Kickstart profile. You may browse through the various tabs of the profile and modify the settings as you see fit, but this is not necessary as the default settings should work well for the majority of cases.

11.1.1.3.3 Adding a Registration Script to the Autoinstallation Profile #

A VM Guest that is autoinstalled does not get automatically registered. Adding a section to the autoinstallation profile that invokes a bootstrap script for registration will fix this. The following procedure describes adding a corresponding section to an AutoYaST profile. Refer to your RedHat Enterprise Linux documentation for instructions on adding scripts to a Kickstart file.

1. First, provide a bootstrap script on the SUSE Manager :

   • Create a bootstrap script for VM Guest s on the SUSE Manager as described in Section 5.4.1, “Generating a Bootstrap Script”.

   • Log in as root to the konsole of SUSE Manager and go to /srv/www/htdocs/pub/bootstrap . Copy bootstrap.sh (the bootstrap script created in the previous step) to e.g. bootstrap_vm_guests.sh in the same directory.

   • Edit the newly created file according to your needs. The minimal requirement is to include the activation key for the VM Guest s (see Section 11.1.1.1, “Activation Keys” for details). We strongly recommend to also include one or more GPG keys (for example, your organization key and package signing keys).

2. Log in to the SUSE Manager Web interface and go to Systems › Autoinstallation › Profiles . Click on the profile that is to be used for autoinstalling the VM Guest s to open it for editing.

   Scroll down to the File Contents section where you can edit the AutoYaST XML file. Add the following snippet at the end of the XML file right before the closing </profile> tag and replace the given IP address with the address of the SUSE Manager server. See Appendix B, Minimalist AutoYaST Profile for Automated Installations and Useful Enhancementsfor an example script.

   <scripts>
     <init-scripts config:type="list">
       <script>
         <interpreter>shell </interpreter>
         <location>
           http://`192.168.1.1`/pub/bootstrap/bootstrap_vm_guests.sh
         </location>
       </script>
     </init-scripts>
   </scripts>

   

   Important: Only one <scripts> section allowed

   If your AutoYaST profile already contains a <scripts> section, do not add a second one, but rather place the <script> part above within the existing <scripts> section!

3. Click Update to save the changes.

A VM Host Server system serving as a target for autoinstalling VM Guest s from SUSE Manager must be capable of running guest operating systems. This requires either KVM or Xen being properly set up. For installation instructions for SUSE Linux Enterprise Server systems refer to the SLES Virtualization Guide available from https://www.suse.com/documentation/sles-12/book_virt/data/book_virt.html. For instructions on setting up a RedHat VM Host Server refer to your RedHat Enterprise Linux documentation.

Since SUSE Manager uses libvirt for VM Guest installation and management, the libvirtd needs to run on the VM Host Server . The default libvirt configuration is sufficient to install and manage VM Guest s from SUSE Manager . However, in case you want to access the VNC console of a VM Guest as a non-root user, you need to configure libvirt appropriately. Configuration instructions for libvirt on SUSE Linux Enterprise Server are available in the SLES Virtualization Guide available from https://www.suse.com/documentation/sles-12/book_virt/data/book_virt.html available from http://www.suse.com/documentation/sles11/. For instructions for a RedHat VM Host Server refer to your RedHat Enterprise Linux documentation.

Apart from being able to serve as a host for KVM or Xen guests, which are managed by libvirt , a VM Host Server must be registered with SUSE Manager .

However, when managing VM Guest s, you usually want actions like rebooting a VM Guest to be carried out immediately. Adding osad ensures that. The osad daemon receives commands over the jabber protocol from SUSE Manager and commands are instantly executed. Alternatively you may schedule actions to be carried out at a fixed time in the future (whereas with rhnsd you can only schedule for a time in the future plus up to four hours).

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Once all requirements on the SUSE Manager and the VM Host Server are met, you can start to autoinstall VM Guest s on the host. Note that VM Guest s will not be automatically registered with SUSE Manager , therefore we strongly recommend to modify the autoinstallation profile as described in Section 11.1.1.3.3, “Adding a Registration Script to the Autoinstallation Profile”. VM Guest s need to be registered to manage them with SUSE Manager . Proceed as follows to autoinstall a VM Guest ;.

Important: No parallel Autoinstallations on VM Host Server

It is not possible to install more than one VM Guest at a time on a single VM Host Server . When scheduling more than one autoinstallation with SUSE Manager make sure to choose a timing, that starts the next installation after the previous one has finished. If a guest installation starts while another one is still running, the running installation will be cancelled.

Note: Checking the Installation Log

To view the installation log, click Events › History on the Session Status page. On the System History Event page you can click a Summary entry to view a detailed log.

In case an installation has failed, you can Reschedule it from this page once you have corrected the problem. You do not have to configure the installation again.

If the event log does not contain enough information to locate a problem, log in to the VM Host Server console and read the log file /var/log/up2date . If you are using the rhnsd , you may alternatively immediately trigger any scheduled actions by calling rhn_ckeck on the VM Host Server . Increase the command’s verbosity by using the options -v, -vv, or -vvv, respectively.

Click the name of a VM Guest on the VM Host Server 's Virtualization page to open its profile page with detailed information about this guest. For details, refer to Section 7.1, “Overview Conventions”.

A profile page for a virtual system does not differ from a regular system’s profile page. You can perform the same actions (e.g. installing software or changing its configuration).

To start, stop, restart, suspend, or resume a VM Guest , navigate to the VM Host Server 's Virtualization page. Check one or more Guests listed in the table and scroll down to the bottom of the page. Choose an action from the drop-down list and click Apply Action . Confirm the action on the next page.

Note: Automatically restarting a VM Guest

Automatically restarting a VM Guest when the VM Host Server reboots is not enabled by default on VM Guest s and cannot be configured from SUSE Manager . Refer to your KVM or Xen documentation. Alternatively, you may use libvirt to enable automatic reboots.

To change the CPU or RAM allocation of a VM Guest navigate to the VM Host Server 's Virtualization page. Check one or more Guests from the table and scroll down to the bottom of the page. Choose an action from the Set drop-down list and provide a new value. Confirm with Apply Changes followed by Confirm .

The memory allocation can be changed on the fly, provided the memory ballooning driver is installed on the VM Guest . If this is not the case, or if you want to change the CPU allocation, you need to shutdown the guest first. Refer to Section 11.2.2, “Starting, Stopping, Suspending and Resuming a VM Guest” for details.

To delete a VM Guest you must first shut it down as described in Section 11.2.2, “Starting, Stopping, Suspending and Resuming a VM Guest”. Wait at least two minutes to allow the shutdown to finish and then choose Delete Systems followed by Apply Action and Confirm .