Deploying Guest OS (Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2012, Windows Server 2012 R2) Master Images (VM Templates)

Introduction

This section provides information that will help you create Windows based guest OS templates that will be used by Cloud OSS during VM provisioning.

Instructions provided herein will assist you in creating templates for Windows operating systems as well as optimized images ready for provisioning.

To follow these instructions successfully you will need:

• Administrative access to SCVMM Server (via SCVMM Console and permissions to the Library Objects/Share Folders) 
• Adequate ISO images or CD/DVD discs containing the operating systems for the guest OS.

Creating the Virtual Machine

The first thing we need to do in order to deploy the template is to create a Virtual Machine and install the Windows 2008 R2, 2012 or 2012 R2 operating system. In our example we have used Windows 2008 R2.

1) Log in to SCVMM server and open the SCVMM console.  Next, click on Library tab. 

Fig 1. SCVMM console Library

2) Right click on Library Servers and create a Library Server. Create a Library Share and name it ISO or choose an alternative name that you prefer.
    (You may skip this step if you already have a Library Server and Library Share configured in SCVMM)

Fig 2. Creating a Library Server and Library Share

3) Select the ISO Library Share and click on Import physical resource.

Fig 3. Viewing the contents of selected Library Share

4) Click on "Add resource..." in the appearing window.

Fig 4. Adding a resource to the Library

5) Navigate to the Windows  .ISO image that you have previously uploaded to SCVMM Server and click on Open.

Fig 5. Adding .ISO image to the Library

6) Click on Browse to select the destination for the imported .ISO image.

Fig 6. Browsing for imported resource destination

7) Select the Destination Folder (Library Share) and click on OK.

Fig 7. Selecting imported resource destination

8) Click on Import.

Fig 8. Importing resource

9) Wait until the import process is finished and close the Jobs window that appears.

Fig 9. Running the import process

10) The ISO image should now appear in the folder selected in step 7.

Fig 10. Viewing the ISO image Library Share

11) You will now need to create a Virtual Machine (VM) using the uploaded image. On SCVMM console click on VMs and Services.

Fig 11. VMs and Services

12) Click on Create Virtual Machine.

Fig 12. Creating a new VM

13) In the appearing window choose "Create the new virtual machine with a blank virtual hard disk" and click on Next.

Fig 13. Creating a new virtual hard disk (VHD) for VM

14) Type in the Virtual machine name, choose Generation 1 and click on Next.

Fig 14. VM name and generation 

15) Select "Cloud Capability Profiles"

Fig 15. Cloud Capability Profiles

16) Select Hyper-V.

Fig 16. Cloud Capability profiles (Hyper-V selection)

17) Set the minimum recommended resources for running a Guest OS Template VM (1 processor / 1024 MB Memory / 10 GB hard disk).

Fig 17. Setting CPU resources

Fig 18. Setting Memory resources

Fig 19. Setting Hard Disk resources

18) In Virtual DVD Drive choose "Existing ISO image" and browse for the uploaded .ISO image on the Library Share.

Fig 20. Mounting the .ISO image                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

19) Select the .ISO Image to be inserted in the Virtual DVD Drive and click OK.

                                     Fig 21. Selecting .ISO image                                                                                     Fig 22. The .ISO image is selected

20) Select Network Adapter 1 and click Remove. In the appearing window, click Yes. 

Fig 23. Remove Network Adapter 1                                                                          Fig 24. Removing Network Adapter

21) Click New -> Legacy Network Adapter to add a Legacy Network Adapter to the VM template.

Fig 25. Adding a Legacy Network Adapter
 

22) Select Connect to a VM Network and the click Browse.

Fig 26. Connect Legacy Network Adapter to a VM Network

23) Select a VM Network and click OK.

Fig 27. Selecting VM Network

24) In the "Advanced" tab, in the availability option choose "Make this virtual machine High Available", given that you are using a Host Cluster.

Fig 28. Setting High Availability

25) Once you finish with Hardware Configuration, click on Next.

Fig 28. Finishing Hardware Configuration

26) In the Select Destination tab, click on Next.

Fig 29. Select Destination Tab

27) Select the Hyper-V Host on which the VM will be created in and click on Next.

Fig 30. Choosing Hyper-V node for VM

Fig 46. Windows Server Installation Process

41) When the installation is complete, the following screen will pop-up. Click on OK, and enter the new user's password twice. Once you have changed the new password, log in as Administrator with the new password.

Fig 47. Change user's password                                                                                       Fig 48. Entering new password

42) Once you login, you need to install "Virtual Guest Services". In order to do this, connect to the VM via Hyper-V Console (on Hyper-V server) and navigate to Action->Insert Integration Services Setup Disk.

Fig 49. Open Hyper-V Manager on Hyper-V server                                                            Fig 50. Installing Virtual Guest Services

43) An AutoPlay pop-up window will appear. Select Install or run program from your media->Install Hyper-V Integration Services. A window will appear with a message concerning the upgrade procedure. Click on OK to upgrade.

Fig 51. Selecting to Install from Media                                                        Fig 52. Choosing to upgrade Hyper-V Integration Services

44) Once the Hyper-V Integration Services have been successfully installed, click on Yes to the pop-up window in order to restart the VM.

Fig 53. Integration Services installation in progress                                                                         Fig 54. Restarting VM

45) Log in and continue with the initial configuration of the virtual machine, based on your requirements. Install windows updates, enable remote desktop, configure windows firewall etc.

Fig 55. Configuring VM

46) Install "Cloudworks WebsitePanel Plugin". You can download this from the following link: https://downloads.interworkscloud.net/downloads/cloudoss/CloudWorks-Windows-WebSitePanelConfig.rar . Unzip the contents of the file in C:\Program Files.

Fig 56. Downloading Cloudworks WebsitePanel Plugin                                             FIg 57. Unzipping the contents of the file in C:\program files

47) Download and install .Net Framework 4.

Fig 58. Downloading and Installing .Net Framework 4

48) Open command prompt with the "Run as administrator" option.

Fig 59. Open command prompt as administrator

49) Navigate to the folder that you have unzipped the "Cloudworks WebsitePanel Plugin" and run the "install.bat" file.

Fig 60. Navigate to C:\Program Files

Fig 61. Run install.bat 

Fig 62. Installation is complete

50) Once the installation is complete, go to "Windows Services" .In order to do this, right click on Task bar, select Start Task Manager and click on Services. 

Fig 63. Starting Task Manager                                                                              Fig 64. Opening Windows Services

51) Search for Website Panel Virtual Machine Configuration Service and start the Service after setting Startup type to Automatic.

Fig 65. Setting Startup type to Automatic                                                                            Fig 66. Starting the Service

    Fig 67. Service is starting                                                                                           Fig 68. Service has started

Creating the Template

52) In SCVMM Console, navigate to your base Virtual Machine. Right click and select "Create" -> "Clone".

   Fig 69. Create a clone VM

53) Specify a name for this clone VM and click on Next.

Fig 70. Specify a name for the clone VM

54) In the "Configure Hardware" tab, navigate to the "Advanced" field and click on "Availability". Check the "Make this Virtual Machine highly available" option. Click on Next.

Fig 71. Making this VM highly available

55) In the "Select destination" tab, select "Place the virtual machine on a Host" and choose a host cluster or standalone server to place the VM. Click on Next.

Fig 72. Selecting Destination                                                                                        Fig 73. Selecting Host

56) Leave all other options to default and click on "Create" on the Summary tab.

Fig 73. Selecting Path                                                                                           Fig 74. Selecting Networks

Fig 75. Adding Properties                                                                                           Fig 76. Creating the VM clone

After the cloning process is completed you will have a clone of the Base VM you have configured. You will use this for creating the VM Template. The original VM (i.e. the VM clone) is destroyed after a VM Template is created. 
Later on, you might need to modify your VM template. In that case you will use the base VM available that has thankfully remained intact.

57) Select Library in SCVMM console on the bottom left. On the upper left of the SCVMM console, right click on Templates and choose "Create VM Template".

Fig 77. Creating a VM Template

58) In the Select Source tab, select "From an existing virtual machine that is deployed on a host" and click on Browse to locate the clone you've created in step 56. Once you select the clone VM, click on Next. In the appearing window, click on Yes.

Fig 78. Selecting the VM from which to create the template                                         Fig 79. Approving that the original VM will be destroyed

59) In the Identity tab, specify VM Template name and click on Next. In the Configure Hardware tab, click on Next.

Fig 80. Specifying VM Template name                                                                     Fig 81. Template hardware configuration

60) In the Configure Operating System Settings tab, leave Guest OS profile and Operating System options to default. Enter the product key of the Operating System, Time zone etc. and click on Next.

    Fig 82. Specify Operating system

61) In the Select Library Server tab, select the appropriate library server and click on Next. In the Select Path tab, click on Browse to select the path on the Library Server to save the template and click on Next.

    Fig 83. Selecting a library to place the VM template                                                     Fig 84. Selecting the path to place the VM template

62) View your "Summary" configuration settings and click on "Create".

Fig 85. Finalizing VM Template wizard

63) Congratulations! Your Guest OS (Windows) template has been created.