How to Install a vMA using GhettoVCB

How to Build and Configure vMA Server and  ghettoVCB 

Information about Building  and Configuring vMA Server 

This document will explain how to Build/Install the vMA Server  for ESX and ESXi Host. vMA is a 'VMware Managment Assistant' Virtual Server used  to manage Virtual Machines on ESX/i Hosts. 

The VMware vSphere Management Assistant (vMA) is a prepackaged  Linux virtual machine in which administrators can deploy scripts and select  third-party agents to manage ESX and ESXi systems. Software included in vMA  includes vSphere CLI, an authentication component that supports non-interactive  login, and a log collection component. 

This document will also explain how to install and run  ghettoVCBg2 to perform weekly backups and utilize the  excuteCommandUsingFastPass.pl script to create and delete snapshots by calling  the snapshotmanager.pl script. 

Document  Creator 

Todd Walters 

Requirements 

• ESX Host  and VMs to 'manage' 
• Download  vMA 4.0: vMA  4.0   
• Currently  saved to SDIEVC001://D:\Software\VMWare\vMA-ovf-4.0.0-161993 
• Review  the vSphere  Management Assistant Guide 
• Download  the ghettoVCBg2 script from the vGhetto Script  Repository 
• Currently  ghettoVCBg2.pl run's via Cron Job weekly on Sunday  Mornings. 
• Download  the excuteCommandUsingFastPass.pl  script. 
• Custom  scripts are stored and run in /home/vi-admin/bin  directory. 
• snapshotmanger.pl script is in  /usr/lib/vmware-vcli/apps/vm/snapshotmanager.pl  
• Create and  Remove snapshot scripts run via cron. 

Section I: Installing vMA Server 

You  can deploy vMA using a file or from a URL. To deploy from a file, download and  unzip the vMA ZIP file before you start the deployment  process. 

To  deploy vMA   

1. Log in to a 4.0 vSphere Client connected to an  ESX/ESXi 4.0, ESX/ESXi 3.5 Update 2 or later, or vCenter Server 4.0  system. 
2. If connected to a vCenter Server system, select the host to which you  want to deploy vMA in the inventory pane. 
   1. Select File > Deploy OVF Template.   The Deploy OVF Template wizard  appears. 
   2. Select one of these options: 
      1. Deploy from  file   
         • Select this  option if you have already downloaded and unzipped the vMA virtual appliance  package. Click Browse, select the OVF, and click Next. 
      2. Deploy from  URL   
         • Select this  option and click Next. Type http://www.vmware.com/go/importvma/vma4.ovf into the field and click  Next. 
   3. Click Next when the download details are displayed. 
   4. Accept the license agreement. 
   5. Specify a name (optional) and select a location for the virtual machine  when prompted. If you are connected to a vCenter Server system, you can select a  folder. 
   6. If connected to a vCenter Server system, select the resource pool for the  virtual machine. You can leave the default, which is the top‐level root resource  pool. 
   7. If prompted, select the datastore to store the virtual machine on and  click Next. 
   8. Select the network mapping and click Next. 
   9. Review the information and click Finish. 
   
   

The wizard deploys the vMA virtual machine to  the host that you selected. The deploy process can take several minutes. Next  you configure your vMA virtual machine. You perform this task when you log in to  vMA the first time. 

For the IE Environment we named the vMA  Server sdie0vma01 with IP address  192.168.0.111

Enable vi-admin Account 

• Setup password via Console on 1st  Boot. 
• Login via putty with username vi-admin   
• Type 'sudo passwd vi-user'  to setup password for  vi-user and enable account 
• Enter password and retype to  confirm. 

Section II:  Configure and Run ghettoVCBg2.pl  Script 

1. SCP to new vMA server the ghettoVCBg2.pl script to  the vi-admin home directory in /home 
2. Add ESX hosts to vMA management using vifp  or bulkAddServer.pl 
3. Add ESX hosts to /etc/hosts file because not in  DNS. 
4. sudo vi /opt/esx_hosts and add ESX hostnames to  file 
   • [vi-admin@my0vma01 ~]$ cat  /opt/esx_hosts 
   my0esx001 
   my0esx002 
5. Change directory to  /opt/vmware/vima/samples/perl 
6. Run [vi-admin@sdie0vma01 perl]$  sudo  ./bulkAddServers.pl --filename /opt/esx_hosts 
   • Do you want to use the  same password for all of the hosts (yes/no): yes 
   Enter  common root password: 
   
   
   • You can also add servers with 'sudo vifp  addserver' command 

7. Verify Servers are in list: 
   • [vi-admin@my0vma01  perl]$ sudo vifp listservers 
   [2009-09-14 17:04:15.496 'App'  47251497088944 info] Current working directory:  /opt/vmware/vima/samples/perl 
   my0esx002     ESX 
   my0esx001      ESX 

Enable vi-fastpass for all ESX Servers 

• vifpinit my0esx001 
• vifpinit  my0esx002 

Verify you can run a vSphere CLI command without  authentication: 

vicfg-nics -l --vihost  sdie0esx001 

Configure the following items for the  ghettoVCBg2.pl script: 

Edit the 'Backup Datastore' location 

my $VM_BACKUP_DATASTORE =  "ssdie-cx500-4lun30"; 

Edit the 'Backup Directory' location. (you must  create this directory) 

my $VM_BACKUP_DIRECTORY =  "backups"; 

Edit the 'Number of Backups' to Keep 

my $VM_BACKUP_ROTATION_COUNT =  "3"; 

Edit the 'Disk backup type' 

my $DISK_BACKUP_FORMAT =  "thin"; 

Edit the 'Supported Adapter Types' 

my $ADAPTER_FORMAT =  "lsilogic"; 

Edit the 'VM Snapshot & Memory  Quiesce' 

my $VM_SNAPSHOT_MEMORY =  "1"; 

my $VM_SNAPSHOT_QUIESCE =  "1"; 

Create file that lists  Virtual Machines to backup 

vi ~/vm-list and add VM Servers to  backup 

Run the following command to backup Virtual  Machines manually: 

[vi-admin@sdie0vma01 ~]$ ./ghettoVCBg2.pl  -output /home/vi-admin/logs/backup.log -vmlist /home/vi-admin/vm-list  & 

Review backup.log to verify backup job ran  successfully. 

cat  /home/vi-admin/logs/backup.log 

Look for this line: 09-14-2009 17:35:07 --  Backup completed for "NS3"! 

Add script to run via 'Cronjob'  every week on Sunday mornings. 

type crontab -e to edit cron file  and add the following line: 

05 00 * * 0 /home/vi-admin/ghettoVCBg2.pl  -output /home/vi-admin/logs/backup.log -vmlist /home/vi-admin/vm-list  & 

Section III: How to Create  Snapshots 

To create Snapshots, we will modify the  excuteCommandUsingFastPass.pl script to use  snapshotmanager.pl. 

1. Login to VCenter Server and download excuteCommandUsingFastPass.pl  script to D:\Software\VMWare\scripts   
2. Launch WinScp and copy the perl script above to vi-admins home  directory.   
3. Login via putty to my0vma01 with vi-admin  account.   
4. Copy executeCommand.pl to createsnap.pl script.   
5. [vi-admin@sdie0vma01 ~]$ cp  executeCommandUsingFastPass.pl bin/createsnap.pl 
6. Change directory to /home/vi-admin/bin and edit createsnap.pl  script   
   • Change the my $cmd_result = line between  backticks `` and add the command you want to run to create  snapshots.  `/usr/lib/vmware-vcli/apps/vm/snapshotmanager.pl  --server "$server" --username "$username" --password "$password"  --operation create --snapshotname IEsnaps`;   
   • --operation create is the option you want to  run.   
   • --snapshotname IEsnaps is the name of the  snapshot you will create. 
7. Edit the vi-admin crontab and add the  following line to cron.   
   • [vi-admin@my0vma01 ~]$ crontab -e   
   00 00 * * 1-6 /home/vi-admin/bin/createsnap.pl --hostlist  /opt/esx_hosts --config /home/vi-admin/.visdkrc >  /home/vi-admin/logs/createsnap.log   
   • This will run at midnight Monday through Saturday and create a  log file in /home/vi-admins/logs. 

Section IV: How to List Snapshots 

To list all snapshots on all Virtual Machines on all ESX Host  run the following command:   

[vi-admin@sdie0vma01 bin]$ ./vm_snapshot.pl  --list 

sdie0vMA01 

  name:         IEsnaps 

  description:   Snapshot created for Virtual Machine my0vMA01 

  state:         poweredOff 

  vm type:      VirtualMachine 

  time created:  2009-09-23T15:43:47.555887-07:00   

test_redhat1 

  name:         IEsnaps 

  description:   Snapshot created for Virtual Machine test_redhat1 

  state:         poweredOff 

  vm type:      VirtualMachine 

  time created:  2009-09-23T15:43:40.195774-07:00   

sdie0test01 

  name:         IEsnaps 

  description:   Snapshot created for Virtual Machine srv0test01 

  state:         poweredOff 

  vm type:      VirtualMachine 

  time created:  2009-09-23T15:43:12.477038-07:00   

SDIEDSAM01 

  name:         IEsnaps 

  description:   Snapshot created for Virtual Machine srvSAM01 

  state:         poweredOff 

  vm type:      VirtualMachine 

  time created:  2009-09-23T15:43:43.889907-07:00   

NS3 

  name:         IEsnaps 

  description:  Snapshot  created for Virtual Machine srvNS3 

  state:        poweredOff 

  vm type:       VirtualMachine 

  time created:  2009-09-23T15:43:08.80481-07:00 

Section V: How to Remove Snapshots 

To remove snapshots I created a custom shell script called  removesnap.sh. The script is located in /home/vi-admin/bin  directory. We do not use this snapshotmanager.pl script inside the  excutecomand.pl script becuase we need to remove multiple snapshots at the end  of the week and need to use the --vmname option. The function  of the script is as follows: 

Define two variables   

# Set  Variables 

HOME=/home/vi-admin 

SCL=$HOME/vi-admin/bin 

Create file called vms that lists all the  Virtual Machines on ESX Hosts   

# Create List of Virtual  Machines 

$HOME/getAllVMGuestHostname.pl | grep -A10  - |  awk '{  print $1 }' > $HOME/vms 

Use for loop to read in list of VM names and  use snapshotmanager.pl with removall operation   

for vm in `cat $HOME/vms`; 

        do  /usr/lib/vmware-vcli/apps/vm/snapshotmanager.pl --operation removeall --vmname  $vm 

done 

exit 

Add /home/vi-admin/bin/removesnap.sh script to vi-admin crontab  file.   

[vi-admin@srv0vma01 bin]$ crontab  -e 

00 00 * * 0 /home/vi-admin/bin/removesnap.sh >  /home/vi-admin/logs/removesnap.log 

This runs at Midnight Every Sunday Morning and creates a  removesnap.log file.