Installing the Server Operating System or Hypervisor

Operating System or Hypervisor Installation Methods

The UCS E-Series M6 Servers support several operating systems and hypervisors. Regardless of the platform being installed, you can install it on your server using one of the following methods:

  • KVM Console

  • PXE installation server

  • Host image mapping


Caution

You must use only one method to map virtual drives. Using a combination of methods will cause the server to be in an undefined state.

vKVM Console

The vKVM console is an interface accessible from that emulates a direct keyboard, video, and mouse (KVM) connection to the server. The vKVM console allows you to connect to the server from a remote location and to map physical locations to virtual drives that can be accessed by the server during a vKVM session.

Instead of using CDs/DVDs physically connected to the server, the vKVM console uses virtual media, which are actual disk drives or disk image files that are mapped to virtual drives. You can map any of the following to a virtual drive:

  • Disk image files (ISO files) on your computer

  • USB flash drive on your computer

  • Disk image files (ISO files) on the network

  • USB flash drive on the network

You can use the KVM console to install an operating system on the server and to do the following:

  • Access the BIOS setup menu by pressing F2 during bootup.

  • Access the CIMC Configuration Utility by pressing F8 during bootup.

Installing an Operating System or Hypervisor Using the KVM Console

Before you begin

Locate the operating system or hypervisor installation disk or disk image file.


Note

The VMware vSphere Hypervisor requires a customized image. To download the customized image, see Downloading the Customized VMware vSphere Hypervisor Image.

Procedure

Step 1

Load the operating system or hypervisor installation disk into vKVM-mapped vDVD, or copy the disk image files to your computer.

Step 2

Log into the CIMC GUI.

Step 3

To launch the console from the CIMC Home page, click Launch vKVM from the Toolbar.

Step 4

Alternatively, in the Navigation pane, click the Compute menu, and then click the Remote Management tab.

Step 5

In the Remote Management pane, click the Virtual KVM tab.

Step 6

In the Virtual KVM tab, click the Launch vKVM link.

Step 7

From the vKVM console, click the Virtual Media tab.

Step 8

In the Virtual Media tab, map the virtual media using either of the following methods:

  • Check the Mapped check box for the vKVM-mapped vDVD, containing the operating system or hypervisor installation disk.

  • Click Add Image, navigate to and select the operating system or hypervisor installation disk image, click Open to mount the disk image, and then check the Mapped check box for the mounted disk image.

Note

 

You must keep the Virtual Media tab open during the installation process. Closing the tab unmaps all virtual media.

Step 9

Set the boot order to make the vKVM-mapped vDVD as the boot device.

Step 10

Reboot the server. When the server reboots, it begins the installation process from the vKVM-mapped vDVD. Refer to the installation guide for the platform being installed to guide you through the rest of the installation process.

Step 11

If disk drives are not displayed after you install the operating system or hypervisor, you must install drivers. See the appropriate operating system or hypervisor documentation for instructions on how to install drivers.

PXE Installation Servers

A Preboot Execution Environment (PXE) installation server allows a client to boot and install an operating system or hypervisor from a remote location. To use this method, a PXE environment must be configured and available on your VLAN, typically a dedicated provisioning VLAN. In addition, the server must be set to boot from the network. When the server boots, it sends a PXE request across the network. The PXE installationserver acknowledges the request, and starts a sequence of events that installs the operating system or hypervisor on the server.

PXE servers can use installation disks, disk images, or scripts to install the operating system or hypervisor. Proprietary disk images can also be used to install the platform, additional components, or applications.


Note

PXE installation is an efficient method for installing a platform on a large number of servers. However, considering that this method requires setting up a PXE environment, it might be easier to use another installation method.

Installing an Operating System or Hypervisor Using a PXE Installation Server

Before you begin

Verify that the server can be reached over a VLAN.

Procedure

Step 1

Set the boot order to PXE.

See section Configuring the Boot Order for details.

Step 2

Reboot the server.

Caution

 

If you are using the shared LOM interfaces to access CIMC, make sure that you do not use the CIMC GUI during the server reboot process. If you use the CIMC GUI, the GUI will disconnect duringPXE installation as the boot agent overrides the IP address that was previously configured on the Ethernet ports.

If a PXE install server is available on the VLAN, the installation process begins when the server reboots. PXE installations are typically automated and require no additional user input. Refer to the installation guide for the operating system or hypervisor being installed to guide you through the rest of the installation process.

What to do next

After the installation is complete, reset the LAN boot order to its original setting.

Downloading the Customized VMware vSphere Hypervisor Image

Procedure

Step 1

Navigate to https://my.vmware.com/web/vmware/login.

The VMware login page appears.

Step 2

Enter your VMware credentials, and then click Log In.

If you do not have an account with VMware, click Register to create a free account.

Step 3

Click Downloads, and then select All Products from the drop-down list.

Step 4

To download the VMware vSphere Hypervisor 7.0U3G image, enter VMware-ESXi-7.0.3-Custom-Cisco-20328353-4.11.1-a.iso in the Search field, and then click the Search icon. From the Search Results, click VMware vSphere > Drivers & Tools > Cisco Custom Image for ESXi 7.0U3G GA Install CD, and then click Download.

What to do next

Install the VMware vSpere Hypervisor image.

Host Image Mapping

The Host Image Mapping feature allows you to download, map, unmap, or delete a host image. Download a host image, such as Linux or VMware, from a remote FTP or HTTP server onto the CIMC internal repository, and then map the image onto the virtual drive of a USB controller in the E-Series M6 Servers. After you map the image, set the boot order to make the virtual drive, in which the image is mounted, as the first boot device, and then reboot the server. The host image must have .iso as the file extension.

Mapping the Host Image

Before you begin

  • Log in to CIMC as a user with admin privileges.

  • Obtain the host image file from the appropriate third party.


Note

If you start an image update while an update is already in process, both updates will fail.

Procedure

Step 1

In the Navigation pane, click the Compute menu.

Step 2

In the Work pane, click the Host Image Mapping tab.

Step 3

From the Host Image Mapping page, click Add Image.

The Add New Mapping dialog box opens. Complete the following fields:

Name

Description

Server Type drop-downlist

The type of remote server on which the image is located. This can be one of the following:

  • FTP

  • FTPS

  • HTTP

  • HTTPS

  • SCP

Note

 

The displayed fields change depending on the remote server that you choose.

Server IP Address field

The IP address of the remote FTP or HTTP server.

File Path field

The path and filename of the remote FTP or HTTP server.

The path and filename can contain up to 235 characters.

Note

 

If you are installing a host image, that image must have .iso as the file extension.

Username field

The username of the remote server.

Note

 

If the username is not configured, enter anonymous for the username and any character(s) for the password.

Password field

The password for the username.

Note

 

If the username is not configured, enter anonymous for the username and any character(s) for the password.

Step 4

Click Download.

The Host Image Mapping page opens. You can view the status of the image download in the Host Image Mapping Status area. After the image is downloaded and processed successfully, refresh the page. After the page refreshes, the new image status is reflected in the Host Image Mapping Information area.

Step 5

From the Current Mappings area, select the image to map, and then click Map Selected Image.

The image is mapped and mounted on the virtual drive. The virtual drive can be one of the following:

  • HDD—Hard disk drive

Step 6

Set the boot order to make the virtual drive in which the image is mounted as the first boot device.

Tip

 

To determine in which virtual drive the image is mounted, see the Host Image Update Status area in the Host Image Mapping page.

Step 7

Reboot the server.

Step 8

If the image contains an answer file, the operating system or hypervisor installation is automated and the image is installed. Otherwise, the installation wizard is displayed. Follow the wizard steps to install the image.

Step 9

If disk drives are not displayed after you install the operating system or hypervisor, you must install drivers. See the appropriate operating system or hypervisor documentation for instructions on how to install drivers.

What to do next

  • After the installation is complete, reset the virtual media boot order to its original setting.

Unmapping the Host Image

Before you begin

Log in to CIMC as a user with admin privileges.

Procedure

Step 1

In the Navigation pane, click the Compute menu.

Step 2

In the Work pane, click the Host Image Mapping tab.

Step 3

In the Current Mappings area, choose the image to unmap.

Step 4

Click Unmap Image.

The mapped image is unmounted.

Deleting the Host Image

Before you begin

Log in to CIMC as a user with admin privileges.

Procedure

Step 1

In theNavigation pane, click the Compute menu.

Step 2

In the work pane, click the Host Image Mapping tab.

Step 3

From the Current Mappings area, choose the image to delete.

Step 4

(Optional) If the image that you want to delete is mapped, click Unmap Image.

Step 5

Click Delete Selected Image.

The image is removed.