Build your self configuration OVF or OVA

Now, there are more and more company, move their physical server product to virtualization platform.

It is very helpful for deployment, for example

When I worked in PLCM, I supported an enterprise web application, the stand deploy process:

1 Install CentOS

2 config system  IP ,and upload installation file

3 Install web application

What’s problem I met:

1 write a lot of document to educate partner engineer, how to install Linux ,config IP ,turn off  selinux

2 How to run install script, CentOS install on dell server, the nic name is em0 lead to the installation failed

But now we can use OVA  to help that

1         We can config Linux  system and install application in ova

2         During deploy OVA , customer can config IP very easy .

How to make a self-configuration OVA ?

I read VMWare public document and use vapp option to make a OVA

https://pubs.vmware.com/vsphere-51/index.jsp?topic=%2Fcom.vmware.vsphere.vm_admin.doc%2FGUID-A6F34BAC-BF8B-4513-AB8C-14891B439D2D.html

During the deployment, I can input IP , but after the system start up .  what ? there is no IP on system , why ?

After I read this blog , http://blogs.vmware.com/vapp/2009/07/selfconfiguration-and-the-ovf-environment.html

I need VMware tools, and configuration script to resolve this issue.

The stand process is

1. 1.       Deploy ovf or ova , writing the ip info to ovf environment
2. 2.       Run the command vmtoolsd --cmd 'info-get guestinfo.ovfEnv'
3. Import the value from ovf setting to Guest OS
4. 3.       Run bash or python script to config Linux