Service Manual

Provisioning and Extensibility Overview of Dell VIS Self-Service Creator
Page 11
Figure 5: RHEL Kickstart Extensibility Overview
Requestor
`
VM
KickStart / Install Media Repo
(NFS or other)
VMM
Linux Boot ISO
1) User Places Request
15) User Notified on Success
3) Request to VMM
Create VM
Attach Boot ISO
4
)
VMM
:
Create VM
6
)
Power
-
On VM
14
)
Detach Boot ISO
Reboot
5) VMM : Attach
Boot ISO
7) Installer : Read Kickstart File
Attach Install Media
11) VIS-SSC Agent : Retrieve Script from NFS
share
8) Installer %POST execution :
Install VIS-SSC Agent
10) VIS-SSC Agent : Customizes OS
12) VIS-SSC Agent : Execute
Post-Provisioning Script
Customer Specific
Post-Provisioning Script
15) Post-Provisioning Script
9) VIS-SSC Agent : Requests Instructions
13) VIS-SSC Agent : Notifies Creator of Success
VIS Self-Service Creator
Customer Specific
Pre-Provisioning Script
2) Pre-Provisioning Script
`
VIS Self-Service Creator utilizes a customer-provided Linux boot ISO to start the kickstart process.
Embedded within the boot ISO is the location and name of the kickstart.cfg file to be utilized. VIS Self-
Service Creator leverages the customer’s existing kickstart provisioning environment and method with
the minor addition of a runtime agent executed at the end of the kickstart %post section. The runtime
agent will configure hostname, DNS, and IP, if necessary.
Additionally, the agent can execute a customer-provided script post-install. Administrators can specify
the path of the script on local disk or NFS mount. Since this script executes within the VIS Self-Service
Creator framework, it has access to all custom properties and the ability to create new properties.
Common uses include the installation of software packages or the synchronization of content to newly
provisioned systems.
SuSE AutoYaST
VIS Self-Service Creator integrates with the AutoYaST process in a similar method as RHEL Kickstart.
With AutoYaST, Administrators modify the AutoYast.xml to install and execute the VIS Self-Service
Creator runtime agent. Other than this change, the integration and functionality is similar to the RHEL
Kickstart, as described above.
Other Out of the Box Methods
In addition to the methods listed above, VIS Self-Service Creator offers support for a variety of OS
Provisioning, Connection Brokers, and post-provisioning installation systems. Refer to the VIS Self-
Service Creator Support Matrix for specific supported versions and the VIS Self-Service Creator User
Guide for information regarding depth of integration and features supported.
Custom Provisioning Methods
The modular-workflow-based approach of VIS Self-Service Creator allows the addition of new
provisioning workflows. With assistance from Dell Services, IT organizations that have different or
unique provisioning methods can create custom workflows to automate their existing provisioning
processes. For example, custom workflows can integrate with various internal corporate databases
such as Oracle or SQL to gather internal data to make decisions within a workflow. Additionally, VIS
Self-Service Creator can integrate with SharePoint to fetch IP addresses, machine names or other key
information.