DCImanager utilizes OS templates to install operating systems (OS). OS templates in DCImanager is a set of disk images and installation scripts. After installation, you will have an operating system without additional software and settings ("freshly installed" OS).

In order for the operating system to be available for installation on the server, the appropriate template from the ISPsystem repository must be uploaded to the location.

You can install the following operating systems:

  • AlmaLinux 8, 9;
  • Astra Linux 2.12;
  • CentOS 6, 7, 8;
  • CentOS Stream 8, 9;
  • Debian 8, 9, 10, 11;
  • Fedora 32;
  • FreeBSD 11, 12, 13;
  • Ubuntu 16.04, 18.04, 20.04, 22.04;
  • VMware ESXi 6 (hypervisor);
  • Windows 10;

  • Windows Server 2012 R2, 2016, 2019, 2022.

The maximum time allotted for installing Windows OS is 200 minutes, for other OS — 140 minutes. If during this time the OS is not installed, DCImanager will forcibly complete the installation operation.

Note

In some cases, you may need to use the WinNtSetup utility to successfully install Windows OS. To use the utility when installing the OS, add the $WINNTSETUP macro with the "yes" value to the OS template settings. For more information on template settings, see Templates management.

Note

Before installing the OS, make sure that on the server:

  • for Windows OS — boot from iPXE is enabled;
  • for other OS — boot from PXE or iPXE is enabled.

Read more:

Install OS from template

To install an operating system to the server:

  1. Go to Servers → menu → Install OS from template.
  2. Select the Operating system.

  3. Select one of the available Applications and scripts. You can create your own script in advance or select scripts available from ISPsystem repository. Read more in Scripts.

  4. Select the Server boot mode:
    • Set by template — recommended if the server supports both PXE and iPXE. The option is not available for all templates;
    • PXE;
    • iPXE.
  5. Click on Next.

  6. Select the Drive layout method:

    Select Software RAID. DCImanager automatically detects the RAIDs available for installation. Read more in Software RAID.

    When automatical drive layout is selected, the available disk space will be divided into partitions taking into account the selected RAID.

    Note

    If a hardware RAID is installed on the server, software RAID setup may result in errors and reduced drive speed.

    1. Select one or more drives of the same type and size to install the OS.

    2. If you select multiple drives, DCImanager will combine them into a RAID. Depending on the number of drives selected, different software RAID levels will be available. Select the required option.

      Note

      If you have hardware RAID, software RAID selection is not available during manual drive layout.

    3. Manually drive layout the available disk space, which will vary depending on the selected RAID level. By default, DCImanager creates three partitions: swap, /boot and /. You can change the size of these partitions and the file system. Minimum recommended values are set for swap and /boot, we do not recommend reducing them.

    4. To create another partition, press Add section. Enter the partition name, set the size and select the file system. If you want to return to the values set by DCImanager, press Set the default values.

    Note

    Drive layout is also not available for Windows and when installing from an ISO image.

  7. Click on Next.

  8. In the Hostname field specify the domain name to access the server. If you do not specify the parameter, then:

    • for Unix OS — localhost domain name will be used;

    • for Windows OS — the domain name will be generated automatically.

  9. Enter the Server administrator password.

  10. Specify the SSH key to access the server. You can select the key From the client area or Add a new one. To add a new SSH key:

    1. Enter its Name in DCImanager.

    2. Paste the content of the public key into the SSH-key content field.

    3. Press Add.

  11. Click on Install. DCImanager will start the process in the background. The Server status will be changed in to "OS installation".

Group OS installation from a template

To install the OS on multiple servers at the same time:

  1. Go to Servers → in the right column of the table select the required servers → on the bottom line of the table select Install OS from a template.

  2. Specify the installation parameters:

    1. Select the operation system.

    2. Select one of the available Applications and scripts.
    3. Select the Server boot mode:
      • Set on servers — recommended if the servers have different boot modes;
      • Set by template — recommended if the server supports both PXE and iPXE. The option is not available for all templates;
      • PXE;
      • iPXE.

    4. Click on Next.

    5. Select the way you specify Domain names:
      • Use domain names specified on the servers;
      • Set manually — enter a domain name for each server.
        If you do not specify the parameter, then: for Unix OS — localhost domain name will be used; for Windows OS — the domain name will be generated automatically.
    6. Select the way to specify Passwords:
      • Specify a common password — use the same passwords on all servers;
      • Set manually — use unique passwords.
    7. Enter or generate passwords.

    8. Specify the SSH key to access the server. You can select the key From the client area or Add a new one. To add a new SSH key:

      1. Enter its Name in DCImanager.

      2. Paste the content of the public key into the SSH-key content field.

      3. Press Add.

  3. Click on Install.

Mounting ISO images

Note

The feature is supported only for DCImanager Infrastructure licenses and servers with BMC Redfish.

If the location settings do not support PXE operations, you can install the OS on the server by mounting an ISO image:

  1. Load the ISO image to the location. Read more in ISO images.
  2. Mount the ISO image to the server: Servers → select the server → menu → Mount the ISO-image → select the image → Mount. The server status will change to Mounted ISO-image.
      You can mount an ISO image to multiple servers at the same time. Read more in Group operations.
  3. Connect to the server BMC and install the OS from the mounted image.
  4. After installing the OS, press Unmount in the Server status column.


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