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Create common images for use with XenServer VMs and physical devices, or blade servers

December 28, 2018
Contributed by: 
C

XenServer Platinum Edition enables the provisioning of physical and virtual servers from the same workload image.

Prerequisites:

  • Appropriate XenServer Platinum Licensing.
  • Support for PXE on the local network.
  • DHCP must be installed and configured on the local network.

Select from the following target device platforms:

  • Create a common image that boots from a physical or virtual server.
  • Create a common image that boots from a blade server.

Create a common image that boots from a physical or virtual server

To create a common image that boots from a physical or virtual machine, complete the procedures as follows.

Prepare the master target device

Install a supported Windows Operating System with the latest patches and device drivers on a physical machine. This physical machine serves as the master target device.

Install the Provisioning Services target device software

  1. Log on to the master target device as a domain administrator, or a domain user (with local install privileges).
  2. Install the Provisioning Server Target Device software on the physical machine.
  3. Follow the onscreen prompts by selecting installation default settings.
  4. When prompted, reboot the master target device from the hard disk drive.

Install XenConvert software

XenConvert software and installation instructions can be downloaded from either the Provisioning Services product download site or the XenServer product download site.

After successfully installing XenConvert on the target device:

  1. Run XenConvert on the target device to convert the physical machine into a XenServer VM.
  2. Set the VM’s vCPU setting to be the same as the physical system’s vCPU setting. Note: This very step is important for NT5 OS.
  3. Change the XenServer VM MAC (it is using the Physical system’s MAC address of the NIC), or remove the NIC and add a new NIC.
  4. Boot the XenServer VM.

Install XenServer tools

  1. Log on to the master target device as a domain administrator, or a domain user (with local install privileges).
  2. Run windows-pvdrivers-xensetup.exe, which can be downloaded from on the XenServer Product installation CD or product download site. The Citrix XenServer Windows Tools Setup warning dialog appears.
  3. Click Yes to continue the install.
  4. Follow the onscreen prompts and select the default settings. At the Choose Install Location dialog box, click Install.
  5. When prompted by Windows Plug and Play dialogs, select the option to find drivers automatically.
  6. When prompted select Yes for any unsigned driver dialog.
  7. When prompted, Reboot master target device.
  8. Verify that Provisioning Services successfully bound to the XenServer NIC and the physical systems NIC.

Image the Provisioning Server master target device

Use either the Provisioning Services Imaging Wizard or XenConvert to create the XenServer vDisk image. When creating the vDisk image, you must select to optimize target device settings. Otherwise the VM may fail to boot.

After successfully creating the XenServer vDisk image, boot both the physical and virtual machines in Standard Image mode.

For details on using the Provisioning Services Imaging Wizard, refer to Using the Imaging Wizard. For details on using XenConvert to create the XenServer vDisk image, refer to XenConvert product documentation on the Provisioning Services or XenServer product download site.

Create a common image that boots from a blade server

To create a common image using the common hard drive method that boots from heterogeneous Blade servers, complete the steps that follow.

  1. Use the Console to create a vDisk file.
  2. Log on to the blade server to create a system:
    1. Install the OS on the new machine.
    2. Install HP System Pack (installs all drivers).
    3. Install all necessary Windows updates.
    4. Install Provisioning Services target device software.
  3. PXE boot from the new system’s hard disk drive, then verify that the system can recognize the vDisk. The vDisk is shown from “My Computer” as a partition.
  4. Physically move the HDD or HDDs in a RAID system to the other system (usually the older system).
  5. Boot from the new systems hard disk drive.
  6. After Windows installs the driver’s, reboot when prompted.
  7. Verify that NIC drivers installed correctly.
  8. PXE boot from the hard disk drive on the second system.
  9. Use either the Provisioning Services Imaging Wizard or XenConvert to create the vDisk image.
  10. After imaging completes, shut down the system.
  11. Set both systems to boot from the vDisk.
  12. On the Console, change the vDisk mode to standard cache on local hard disk drive.
Create common images for use with XenServer VMs and physical devices, or blade servers
December 28, 2018
Contributed by: 
C
December 28, 2018
Contributed by: 
C

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