Autodeploy server

Mikdilly

Wondered if anyone has setup an autodeploy server in a lab using a DD-WRT router, believe there are dhcp-options that need to be entered within 'Additional DNSMasq Options' in the router but unsure of the correct entries.

Essendon

Read on their forums that you've got to add to the Additional DNS Options, not DHCP Options. Check out the below links for some more info if you havent already.

DNSMasq as DHCP server - DD-WRT Wiki

DD-WRT Forum :: View topic - DD-WRT DHCP options

Mikdilly

Thanks, have checked out those pages, looks like i need to enter something similar to this:

To be able to PXE boot, you need to set some options in your DHCP scope. Open the scope on your DHCP server and add the following options:

066 – Boot server host name: <ip of your TFTP / PXE boot server>
067 – Boot file name: undionly.kpxe.vmw-hardwired

Within Additional DNSMasq Options in DD-WRT i entered:

dhcp-option=66,"192.168.0.34"

Have no idea what to use for the 2nd line for option 67

Essendon

Check out midway in the 2nd link for info on the boot file name, and the post by luky37 (4th from the bottom).

Mikdilly

Essendon wrote: »

Check out midway in the 2nd link for info on the boot file name, and the post by luky37 (4th from the bottom).

Thanks for your post, the command in the link has gotten the VM to obtain an address during pxe boot but getting these errors now:

PXE-E11 ARP timeout
PXE-E11 ARP timeout
PXE-E38 TFTP cannot open connection

The TFTP boot image is in the TFTPRoot folder and has Read/Write access.

Essendon

bootix ::: Problems & Solutions ::: "DHCP...." followed by "PXE-E11: ARP timeout"

Might help.

Mikdilly

Turns out it was caused by a incorrect ip address on option 66, tftp server picked up a new address, guess I'll need to reserve an address for it. PXE boot VM is now connecting and downloading file from tftp root folder, can now start deploying some images if i can ever get esxi.5.1.799733-depot.zip off of my.vmware. How in depth does the VCP exam get on autodeploy?

Thanks again for your links

dave330i

Mikdilly wrote: »

How in depth does the VCP exam get on autodeploy?

It doesn't. Don't remember if there was a question about it.

Essendon

Yep, I dont think I had more than one question on it. Then again your test could be different and you could have say 2 questions about it. I reckon you've done enough to be able to answer VCP-level questions.

jibbajabba

As long as you know it exists you will be fine ...

Mikdilly

Can't get a host to boot from Autodeploy, during boot it gets an ip address reserved for it in static leases. Following are lines from boot:




The tftp://192.168.0.19 is correct but the https://192.168.0.34:6501 isn't an address that exists on the network, where does it come up with that address?

Essendon

Maybe your modem/router/DHCP server is dishing out that address? Is this in ESXi or Workstation? Maybe Workstation's giving out this address. Is there a firewall?

Look towards the end of this page > vSphere Documentation Center

Mikdilly

Essendon wrote: »

Maybe your modem/router/DHCP server is dishing out that address? Is this in ESXi or Workstation? Maybe Workstation's giving out this address. Is there a firewall?

Look towards the end of this page > vSphere Documentation Center

.34 is not in the list of dhcp clients on the router, this is ESXi, Autodeploy is installed on a VM running Server 2008, the port is open on the firewall, the Autodeploy wait service is running.

I can't load the page https://x.x.x.19/vmw/rdb, even if firewall is disabled.

Think I'm going to try re-installing autodeploy, it shouldn't matter that tftp server is on same VM as autodeploy, right?

Essendon

Yep, it doesnt matter. I had it the same way and my setup worked. Bizarre that your setup doesnt, though. Reinstall!