HP CloudSystem Matrix How-To Guide: ESXi Cluster Provisioning

Auto Deploy/VMware console network

 An Auto Deploy provisioning and vSphere management network that connects vSphere, Auto Deploy, and target

blade servers

The Matrix OE infrastructure orchestration software communicates with the vSphere server to define the cluster, add

the ESXi hosts to the vSphere configuration and new cluster, and set the properties of the servers in VMware to

match those specified in its template.

The Matrix OE infrastructure orchestration software communicates with the Auto Deploy server to configure

provisioning rules as needed to make sure that physical blades that are being provisioned will be provisioned with

the HP depot.

Prerequisites

Before you create the cluster, be sure to meet all the following prerequisites: Define the cluster to be provisioned by

scoping the following:

1. Number of hosts in the cluster

2. Number and sizes of the data stores

3. Cluster networks (management, vMotion, VM networks, and so on)

Make sure that HP CloudSystem Matrix is installed and operational. In examples in this white paper, CloudSystem

Matrix 7.0 is used.

Make sure that VMware vCenter Server, with VMware Auto Deploy service, is installed on a server other than the

Central Management Server and is operational. Auto Deploy is a component that is installed when the vCenter server

is installed.

Make sure that the vCenter Server credentials do not contain a $ sign.

For more information, see "vSphere Installation and Setup" at http://pubs.vmware.com/vsphere-

50/index.jsp?topic=/com.vmware.vsphere.install.doc_50/GUID-7C9A1E23-7FCD-4295-9CB1-

C932F2423C63.html.

To validate that Auto Deploy is properly installed, see Appendix 3: Validating the Auto Deploy installation.

NOTE: Due to the dynamic nature of MAC addresses in Matrix, VMware Auto Deploy IP addresses will be dynamic.

Static IP and automatic IP addresses are not an option in the current solution.

VMware Auto Deploy does not set the hostname on provisioned vmhost, so it needs DHCP and DNS hostname

reservation configured prior the server provision. Make sure the PDC (Primary Domain Controller) server have DHCP

addresses leases and reservations configured; as well DNS Forward Lookup and Reverse Lookup entries for each

vmhost.

Make sure that the vSphere Client is installed and operational so that it can access the vCenter server. In examples

in this white paper, vCenter Server 5.0 and vSphere Client 5.0 are used.

Make sure that storage for the cluster data stores is defined as Matrix OE logical server management (LSM) storage

pool entries (SPEs) with appropriate data size, sharers, World Wide Names (WWNs), and so on. Configurations

are made on the LSM storage pool entry (SPE) configuration page, accessible on the IO console

Storage tab

through the Manage Storage Pool link. For more information, see Appendix 4: Configuring storage in Matrix. It is a

good idea to become familiar with and test physical shared disk provisioning using IO before you proceed.

Configure IO networks with virtual local area network (VLAN) ID and VLAN trunk assignments as necessary.

Suggested configuration

Virtual Connect configurations

In this example, a Virtual Connect Flex-10 Ethernet module is installed in Bay 1. A single external network switch (a

ProCurve Switch 3500yl-24G) is used.

NOTE: Optionally, a second Virtual Connect Flex-10 Ethernet module can be installed in Bay 2 for redundancy

configurations that require customized HP Operations Orchestration (OO) worfklows. Also, two external network

switches can be used for high availability.