Create a Windows Base Image

This page describes how to create a Windows base image. These instructions should work regardless of the provisioning engine being used. If you are using these instructions to create an xCAT bare metal image, ignore the sections with titles beginning with VMware Only:. This document assumes familiarity with xCAT and VMware.

Terminology

• Management node: Linux server with the following components installed:
  • VCL management node components
  • xCAT (only if bare metal provisioning will be utilized)
• Compute node: Refers to the target blade or virtual machine on which Windows is installed.
• Provisioning engine: Software which is able to interact with the compute node making it possible to install an OS on it
  • VCL can utilize several different provisioning engines including xCAT, VMware Server, VMware ESX, and VMware ESXi.  xCAT is a cluster management tool used to install images on bare metal blades.\
  • The provisioning engine may be a hypervisor if the compute nodes are virtual machines (VMware)
  • The provisioning engine may interact with the BladeCenter's management module if the compute nodes are IBM blades (xCAT)
  • The provisioning engine may utilize IMPI if the compute nodes support it (xCAT)

Requirements

You will need the following:

• Compute node has already been added to the VCL database
• Windows installation ISO file
  Note: these instructions assume the Windows ISO file is loacated at the following location on the management node:
  /install/WinXP+SP3.iso
• Windows product key owned by your organization

These instructions assume you have root access and are using a bash shell:

Add a New Image to the VCL Database

Add the image to the VCL database. A row needs to be added to the following tables:

• image
• imagerevision
• resource

These rows need to be added to the database manually either by using SQL commands or phpMyAdmin.  The following SQL statements assume the following properties of the image:

• Image ID: 7
• Image name: vmwarewinxp-base7-v1
• Image prettyname: No Apps (WinXP vmware)

INSERT INTO `vcl`.`image` (
`id` ,
`name` ,
`prettyname` ,
`ownerid` ,
`platformid` ,
`OSid` ,
`imagemetaid` ,
`minram` ,
`minprocnumber` ,
`minprocspeed` ,
`minnetwork` ,
`maxconcurrent` ,
`reloadtime` ,
`deleted` ,
`test` ,
`lastupdate` ,
`forcheckout` ,
`maxinitialtime` ,
`project` ,
`size` ,
`architecture` ,
`description` ,
`usage` ,
`basedoffrevisionid`
)
VALUES (
'7' , 'vmwarewinxp-base7-v1', 'No Apps (WinXP vmware)', '1', '1', '16', NULL,
'512', '1', '1024', '100', NULL , '5', '0', '0', NOW(), '1', '0', 'vcl', '1500',
'x86', NULL , NULL , '0'
);

 INSERT INTO `vcl`.`imagerevision` (
`id` ,
`imageid` ,
`revision` ,
`userid` ,
`datecreated` ,
`deleted` ,
`datedeleted` ,
`production` ,
`comments` ,
`imagename`
)
VALUES (
NULL , '7', '0', '1', NOW(), '0', NULL , '1', NULL , 'vmwarewinxp-base7-v1'
)

 INSERT INTO `vcl`.`resource` (
`id` ,
`resourcetypeid` ,
`subid`
)
VALUES (
NULL , '13', '7'
)

VMware Only: Create a Virtual Machine

The instructions assume that VMware has been configured with the following bridged networks:

• VMnet0: bridged to private interface: eth0
• VMnet2: bridged to public interface: eth1

1. Launch the VMWare Server console:

   vmware &
   

2. Connect to Local Host
3. Create a new VM
   1. Virtual Machine Configuration: Typical
   2. Guest Operating System: Microsoft Windows
      Version: Windows XP Professional (select the appropriate version if you are not installing XP)
   3. Name: vmwarewinxp-base7-v1
   4. Network connection: Custom
      /dev/vmnet0
   5. Disk size: 8.0 GB
      1. Allocate all disk space now: no
      2. Split disk into 2GB files: yes
4. Edit virtual machine settings 
   1. Configure the VM CD-ROM drive to use the Windows XP ISO image
      1. Connection: Use ISO image: browse to path of Windows XP ISO image
         /install/WinXP+SP3.iso
   2. Add: Ethernet Adapter
      1. Network Connection: Custom
         /dev/vmnet2

Install Windows

Follow the steps: Install Windows for a Base Image

VMware Only: Install VMware Tools

1. Power on the VM if it is not already powered on
2. Install VMWare Tools  (Note: you must have a CD-ROM drive configured for the VM in order to install VMware Tools)
   1. Click on the VM menu and select "Install VMWare Tools"
   2. Select Typical and proceed through the setup pages accepting the defaults
   3. Reboot the VM when installation is complete

Install Cygwin SSHD

Follow the steps: Install & Configure Cygwin SSHD

Configure the Windows Default Profile (optional)

Follow the steps on Configure the Default Profile for Windows Images if you want to customize the default profile which will be used when users login to the image.

Insert an Imaging Reservation into the VCL Database

An imaging request needs to be manually inserted into the VCL database to begin the automated imaging process.  The imaging process performs several steps to prepare the VCL image to be captured and then initiates the capture.

You will need to know the management node ID and computer ID of the VM guest you are using.  The following SQL statements assume the following: 

• Computer ID: 2 
• Management node ID: 1
• Image ID: 7
• Image Revision ID: 7

INSERT INTO `vcl`.`request` (
`id` ,
`stateid` ,
`userid` ,
`laststateid` ,
`logid` ,
`forimaging` ,
`test` ,
`preload` ,
`start` ,
`end` ,
`daterequested` ,
`datemodified`
)
VALUES (
'1' , '16', '1', '16', '', '1', '0', '0', NOW( ) , TIMESTAMPADD(MINUTE, 120, NOW()), NOW( ) , NULL
);

 INSERT INTO `vcl`.`reservation` (
`id` ,
`requestid` ,
`computerid` ,
`imageid` ,
`imagerevisionid` ,
`managementnodeid` ,
`remoteIP` ,
`lastcheck` ,
`pw`
)
VALUES (
NULL , '1', '2', '7', '7', '1', NULL , NULL , NULL
);

 Start vcld: