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Update OS Images using CLI

Use the command line if you are updating multiple OS images using a batch script.

Note: If you have deployed the same OS image on multiple boot servers, update the image and create a corresponding update SD package on the Image Prepare System first. You can then deploy the updated SD package to all the other boot servers in the domain using a software delivery job.

Follow these steps:

1. (Optional) Verify that you have merged the custom changes, if any, to the new template files.
2. Execute the following command:

   CreatOSImage -i <imagename> -e
   

   The command updates the existing image with the new templates.

3. Execute the following command to update the OS image on the domain manager:

   registerOSImage -i <image name> -s <manager> -e  
   

   The command updates the image on the domain manager specified with the -s parameter.

4. Execute the following command if you need an SD package for updating the OS image on a remote boot server:

   registerOSImage -i <image name> -s <manager> -e -l 
   

   The command creates an SD package with the updated OS image. The updated package has "-update" appended to the original package name. The updated package can be used to update the OS image on remote boot servers using an SD job with the Update Image on Boot Server procedure.

   Execute the following command to update the parameter definitions of the image:

   Important! You may lose the customized parameter definitions if they have been updated or deleted in the new template.

   registerOSImage -i <image name> -s <manager> -e -b
   

   The command updates the parameter definitions of the OS image in the MDB. The updates include changes to the default values, new, updated, or deleted parameter definitions.

The OS image is now updated in the domain manager and in the boot servers.

More information:

Make Boot and OS Images Available on Boot Servers

Updating Customized Files

Create and Register an OS Image

You can create an OS image by using the corresponding wizards in DSM Explorer or the corresponding commands from the CLI.

Create and Register an OS Image using DSM Explorer

Follow these steps:

1. Verify that the required OS DVD is inserted and readable in a local optical device (CD or DVD).
2. Select New OS Image from the Image Prepare System Wizards folder. Click Next.
3. Select the required OS from the list of operating systems. Click Next.
4. Enter a name for the OS image. Click Next.
5. Click Finish to initiate the copy of the installation files into the Image Prepare System and boot server store.

   The image is created and is available to the Image Prepare System.

You can now register the OS image.

For RHEL6 OS Image Creation:

When you use the Local or Network folder option in the OS image creation, ensure that the accessed folder has the following steps:

• RHEL6 ISO image is copied in to the folder and renamed to cd1.iso
• Copy the images folder from the RHEL6 ISO  in to  this folder
• Create a directory named  Packages and copy the file Red_Hat_Enterprise_Linux-Release_Notes-6-en-US-3-7.el6.noarch.rpm from the Packages folder in the ISO.

  The version of the RPM package changes with RHEL6 updates.

• Copy the .discinfo file from the ISO image in this folder

  The directory structure is in the following format:

  SharedFolder\cd1.iso

  SharedFolder \images

  SharedFolder \ Packages\ Red_Hat_Enterprise_Linux-Release_Notes-6-en-US-3-7.el6.noarch.rpm

  SharedFolder \.discinfo

When you use Central NFS Server in the OS installation ensure that:

• RHEL6 ISO image is copied in to the NFS share folder and renamed to cd1.iso
• Create a folder named images and copy the files install.img and product.img from RHEL6 ISO in this folder. The directory structure is in the following format:

  NFSShare\cd1.iso

  NFSShare\images\ install.img

  NFSShare\images\ product.img

Follow these steps:

1. Open the DSM Explorer and navigate to Software, Boot and OS Image Library, Image Prepare System, Wizards, Register OS Image.
2. Follow the instructions in the wizard and register the OS image with the domain.

   Note: When registering, select the option to stage the SD deployment image for distribution to one or more boot servers using Software Delivery.

Create and Register an OS Image using CLI

Create an OS Image:

Use the following command to create a new OS Image:

createosimage -i <image Name> -o <OS Type> -s <OSpath>

The following example creates a new RedHat x64 OS image RH55x64 and reads the installation files from a folder.

createosimage -i RH55x64 -o RH5XPE -s f:\redhat_55_x65_files

Register this image with the DSM domain to be made available for deployment. Use the OS image registration wizard or the command line to register the image. When registering, you can opt to create an SD deployment image for distribution to one or more boot-servers using Software Delivery.

Register the OS Image:

Use the following command to register the boot image:

RegisterOSImage -s <manager> -i <imagename> | -w <directory> [-b] [-l] [-t] [-e] [-n <name>]
[-v <version>] [-c <comment>] [-u <user> -p <password> -d <domain>]

Deploy an OS Using the Linux-Based Boot Image

To perform an unattended installation of the OS, activate the OS deployment on the target computer.

Follow these steps:

1. Navigate to DSM Explorer, Computers and Users, All Computers and find the target computer on which you want to deploy the OS.
2. Right-click the computer and select OS Installation.

   The OS Installation wizard opens.

3. Follow the instructions in the wizard and click Finish on the last page.

   An OS deployment job is created and the deployment status is displayed in the Computers and Users, All Computers, Group Details, and OS Installations node.

OS is deployed using the Linux-based boot image.

Note: The disk (either local or remote) being used for OS deployment must be the first disk in the boot sequence among all the available bootable disks (disks holding any bootable OS or bootable media).

CA ITCM supports the installation of RHEL 5.x and 6.x OS on the first local disk only and this disk must be the first disk in the BIOS boot sequence.

Deploy an OS to a SAN Target

In a SAN environment, this task involves assigning a Disk Identifier (SANID) to the OS image so that it can identify the SAN disk on which deployment is planned.

Understand the SANID Boot Parameter

The SANID boot parameter is added to the RHEL6, ESXi 4.1 and ESXi 5.1OS images to identify a specific target related to a particular SAN logical unit number (LUN) or Disk. This provision ensures that the specified LUN or Disk is explicitly selected. SANID boot parameter holds the identifier value that is associated with the specified Disk or LUN like World Wide Name (WWN) or World Wide Identifier (WWID) based on Network Address Authority (NAA) format.

The supported formats (with example values) for SANID are:

value

naa.60a9800064762f34694a6e3651697759
60a9800064762f34694a6e3651697759

For backward compatibility, support for the SANID value in the attribute=value format is available as shown below:

TargetLUN=naa.60a9800064762f34694a6e3651697759

The support for providing the SANID parameter using EUI format is dropped from this release.

When the SANID value is empty, the ESXi installation scripts use the first available local disk for the installation per the existing behavior. Also, this disk must be the first disk in the BIOS boot sequence.

Verify the OS Deployment

After the OS deployment is started, system administrator can verify the status of the job from the job status.

Parameters that influence the Job Status:

The job status depends on the following two parameters:

• InstallAgent
• SignalCompletion

SignalCompletion signals the completion of the OS installation in addition to the InstallAgent parameter.

CA ITCM agent installation is not supported on VMware ESXi 4.1, VMware ESXi 5.1, and Citrix XenServer hypervisors. Hence, InstallAgent parameter is set to No by default for these operating systems.

The SignalCompletion and InstallAgent parameters have the following use cases: