- Extract the ESX media from the bootable ISO/DVD received from VMware
- Copy them to a network location and make them accessible
- Create the ks.cfg (kickstart configuration file) answer file with custom values to installation options. The main sections of the ks.cfg file are as below
- accepteula or vmaccepteula (required)
- autopart (required)
- clearpart (optional)
- dryrun (optional)
- install (required)
- keyboard (optional)
- serialnum or vmserialnum (optional)
- network (optional)
- paranoid (optional)
- part or partition (optional)
- rootpw (required)
- %include or include
- %pre (optional)
- %post (optional)
- %firstboot
- The previous version to 4.0 of ESX server used to support incomplete ks.cfg file by which it uses the defined values for settings in the ks.cfg and prompt user for configuring the rest. This is now changed from ESX[i] 4.0 where you should have all the responses specified in ks.cfg or don’t have the ks.cfg at all. So ESXi only allows a zero-touch builds via ks.cfg.
- To have readily setup solution, refer to Virtaul Applicances “ESX Deployment Appliance (EDA)“
- References:
- http://communities.vmware.com/blogs/vmwareinsmb/2010/07/13/esxi-41-scripted-installation-via-pxe-and-kickstart
- http://www.virtuallyghetto.com/2010/09/automating-esxi-41-kickstart-tips.html for ks.cfg setup tips
- http://www.kendrickcoleman.com/index.php?/Tech-Blog/esxi-41-kickstart-install-wip.html
- autodeploy_fling.pdf (application/pdf Object)
- h
- f
0 thoughts on “KickStart automated ESX install”
I am using PXE to install Esxi. After installation when it reboots it again boot via network it should boot via Hard Disk this time.
I want the boot order to change via kickstart or any option rather than doing it manually. As I am installing in 100 machines in parallel so it is not possible to do anything manually.