Using Ignite-UX with Integrity VM
Advanced Network Installation
When deploying several virtual machines, it can be cumbersome to repeatedly configure the operating system and software
for each new virtual machine. Ignite-UX provides a means to dramatically simplify that process.
Creating a VM configuration for repeated use with Ignite-UX
If you are in a position where you are or will be installing the same operating system and software configuration on multiple
VM systems, it may be prudent to create a golden image. A golden image is a snapshot of a known, reliable system
installation and configuration (including operating system and additional software) that is archived for use in installing other
clients. Ignite-UX creates such a golden image in the form of a compressed tar or cpio archive of the operating system
configuration that Ignite-UX can recognize and use to install on other machines.
Operating system installation on virtual machines using golden images of VM Host
systems is not supported
The Integrity VM software itself may not be installed on a virtual machine (VM).
Using golden images of VM Host systems (physical servers with the Integrity VM
software installed) to install operating systems on virtual machines results in an
unsupported software configuration. Such virtual machines may be rendered
inoperable by such an installation.
A golden image for a ‘standard’ software configuration facilitates fast virtual machine deployment. It has distinct
advantages over manually selecting the OS attributes and software for installation repeatedly.
The process for creating a golden image is detailed in the aptly-named Golden Images chapter of the Ignite-UX
Administration Guide. An outline of the process is presented here to highlight some important Integrity VM software that you
may choose to include as part of a ‘standard’ Integrity VM golden image. The basic steps for creating such a configuration
for a virtual machine that can be used with Ignite-UX are:
1. Prepare a system to be used in creating a golden image.
2. Install Integrity VM software to be included in the golden image.
3. Make the operating system archive (i.e., the golden image).
4. Configure the Ignite-UX server to recognize the golden image.
Each of these steps is described in the following sections.
Preparing a system to be a golden image
The first step in creating a golden system (i.e., the system configuration used in creating the golden image), is OS
installation. Using an HP-UX Operating Environment (OE) is a good starting point as they contain combinations of HP
software well-suited for many data centers.
In the process of identifying the software to be installed on the VM, it’s recommended that you create a single SD-UX
software depot containing the software to be installed. By copying all the software bundles (with swcopy) to a single
depot, you will be able to select all the software from that depot for installation at one time and eliminate the need for
multiple reboots.