How to Install Oracle VM Server 3.2 from USB key

Jephe Wu - http://oracleovms.blogspot.com

Objective: to install Oracle VM server 3.2 from USB thumb drive

Environment: Sun x4170 M2 server, at least 1GB USB key, Mint 17 64bit

Steps: 

Part I - preparing USB key under Linux Mint 17 

1. Insert USB key into Linux Mint laptop, create partition for /dev/sdb1 by fdisk and make it as @95 FAT32 (b) partition type:

fdisk /dev/sdb

L , b , wq

format it by running mkfs -t vfat /dev/sdb1

2. use unetbootin 

install unetbootin software from Mint 17 software manager. 

Insert USB key and make sure Mint 17 recognize it as shows above, choose Oracle VM server ISO files then write to USB key.

3. Copy oracle VM server ISO file also into /dev/sdb1

insert USB and mount /dev/sdb1 under Linux mint , copy OVS3.2.8 iso file to it directly, without creating any folder.

4. boot from USB to install OVMS 3.2.8

a. choose installation method 'Hard drive', select  partiton /dev/sdb1 which contain installation image 

b. at partition type screen, deselect sdb

c. at 'boot loader configuration' screen, choose 'change drive order' to use sda to install MBR

Part II - Preparing USB key under Windows 

Steps:

a. Install unetbootin on Windows 7

b. format USB key as FAT format

c. use unetbootin to write iso file to it as above

d. copy iso file into USB key directly

How to setup Oracle 3.2 OVM Manager

Jephe Wu - http://oracleovms.blogspot.com

Objective: steps to setup Oracle 3.2.9 OVM manager
Environment: Oracle Linux 6.6 64bit, Oracle VM manager 3.2.8 with latest 3.2.9 patch

Steps:



1.  Download and Install Oracle Linux 6.6 64bit

Preparing a decent Linux VM on Vmware ESXi cluster or physical Linux server with the following configuration:

• minimum 16G HDD (best to have a bigger OS disk e.g. 50G) as /u01 will be using about 6G including mysql backup data
• 8G RAM with at least 3G Swap
• 2 cpu sockets and 2 cores for each socket, so total 4 vcpu
• optional extra 100G disk mounted at /data for storing OVM templates and assembly, you can also use NFS mount remote file server

Use default partition by OS during installation, select a basic web server to install OS


2. OS Configuration

• run 'ntsysv --level 2345' to disable iptables, ip6tables, SELinux etc
• enable httpd: chkconfig httpd on; serivce httpd start
• make partition for /dev/sdb:

fdisk /dev/sdb
mkfs -t ext4 /dev/sdb1

vi /etc/fstab to add additional entry for /data

• disable SELinux

Security Enhanced Linux is not supported with Oracle VM Manager, and if enabled, Security Enhanced Linux will break Oracle VM Manager.

 run 'sestatus' to verify it's disabled.

• /etc/hosts requirements, to configure /etc/hosts syntax as follows
  [root@ovmm01 ~]# more /etc/hosts

127.0.0.1 localhost.localdomain localhost
192.168.0.100  ovmm01.domain.com ovmm01

• configure ntpd for OVM server to use
  
  [root@ovmm01 ~]# ntpdate clock.redhat.com  to correct system time (or use NTP server on your internal network)
  vi /etc/ntpd.conf to use internal NTP servers instead of default ones and for line below:
  #restrict 192.168.1.0 mask 255.255.255.0 nomodify notrap
  Uncomment the above line in /etc/ntp.conf by removing "#", replace 192.168.1.0 with your Oracle VM Server Management network address, and replace 255.255.255.0 with the mask of your Oracle VM Server Management network.
  
  [root@ovmm01 ~]# service ntpd restart
  Shutting down ntpd: [FAILED]
  Starting ntpd: [ OK ]

Verify it by running ntpq -pn

For correct synchronization, the delay and offset values should be non-zero and the jitter value should be under 100

• disable ipv6 - important, otherwise, you will get binding critical error after discovering OVM server

[root@ovmm01 network-scripts]# chkconfig ip6tables off

[root@ovmm01 network-scripts]# chkconfig --list |grep -i ip6
ip6tables 0:off 1:off 2:off 3:off 4:off 5:off 6:off

[root@ovmm01 modprobe.d]# more ipv6.conf 
options ipv6 disable=1
alias net-pf-10 off
alias ipv6 off
install ipv6 /bin/true

[root@ovmm01 modprobe.d]# more /etc/sysconfig/network 
NETWORKING=yes
HOSTNAME=ovmm01.domain.com
# added by Jephe to disable ipv6
NETWORKING_IPV6=no
IPV6INIT=no
# end

then reboot server, run lsmod | grep -i ipv6 to check output, should be nothing.

• Install tightvnc-java for remote console to work

install tightvnc-java on this computer to access a virtual machine's console. no need to install tigervnc on OVMM

wget http://public-yum.oracle.com/repo/OracleLinux/OL6/addons/x86_64/getPackage/tightvnc-java-1.3.9-5.noarch.rpm

3. Install OVMM 3.2.8 ISO and patch to 3.2.9

Installing OVMM3.2.8 

ssh as root, mount OVMM3.2.8 iso

cd /data

mkdir ovmm32

mount OVMM3.2.8.iso ovmm328/ -o loop

./createOracle.sh

./runInstaller.sh

do the same thing for 3.2.9 patch ISO to patch to OVMM 3.2.9