Installation guide

17
Installing, Configuring, and Upgrading
the OS Provisioning Server and
Components
Installing, Configuring, and Upgrading the
OS Provisioning Server and Components
The Operating System (OS) Provisioning Server is a repository of imported OS distributions. It manages
the installation of the distributions on target machines. The installation of the distributions is part of the OS
provisioning function in VCM, which identifies machines that can be provisioned and initiates the OS
provisioning on the target machines.
You install and configure the OS Provisioning Server on one or more Red Hat servers. After configuring
the servers, you import the operating system ISO files. The database manages the metadata about the OS
distributions and the ISO files are saved in the OS Provisioning Server repository. After you import the
distributions, the server performs the installation process, which is managed in VCM. For provisioning
machines instructions about Getting Started with Operating System Provisioning, see the VCM
Administration Guide.
Upgrade your OS Provisioning Server from version 5.4.1 to version 5.5. Your repository database is
preserved, but you must create a new Windows Boot Image. See "Upgrade the OS Provisioning Server to
5.5" on page187.
When the OS Provisioning Server is installed and configured, consult the VCM Backup and Disaster Recovery
Guide and create a backup plan for your server and files.
Restricted Network Environment
To maintain security during the OS provisioning process, install and run your OS Provisioning Server in a
private or restricted network. When you provision target machines, you connect the machines to this
private network. See VCM Security Guide.
Install and Configure the OS Provisioning Server
You install the OS Provisioning Server and configure the components used to manage your operating
system distributions. After you configure the components, you import the distributions and use VCM to
install them on target machines.
Prerequisites
Ensure that your target OS Provisioning Server meets all the hardware and software requirements. See
the VCM Installation Guide.
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