OmniStack 4.0.1 full deploy disc image download needed

[fahlis]

Hello!
I have an upcoming customer deployment the comings days.
I have downloaded the OmniStack deployment zip files that I can see in the customer's support portal.
But I can only find the "USB-tiny.img" file. in the deploy zip file.
I know this is new in 4.0.1 for faster deployments remotely.
These servers comes pre-installed with 4.0.0
So naturally I want to upgrade them to 4.0.1 from USB Stick Pre deployment.
So I need the full deploy disc image file as explained in the tekTalk for OmniStack 4.0.1 last week. I believe it is approx 9GB
"deploy-installer-10.110.psi20-sva. 4.0. 1.176-usb.img"
Can you please provide me a link to download the full zip file which includes this file?

Br /Tony

[Shivam1]

Hi,

deploy-installer-10.110.4-psinn-sva-n.n.n.n-usb-tiny.img is specfically developed to perform factory reset from ILO ,its a ~800MB file.Since, you can use ILO for factory reset you dont need a USB stick.

[fahlis]

Hi

Thanks, I found that out, although I had a really bad experience trying it the latest days.

iLO Mount from Chrome,IE, Edge Chromium, while booting it frequently unmounts.

When I got it to go furhter with F11 I never could see it mounted although iLO showed "force eject media". I have other coleagues with the same experience. I also tried to use rufus to create a bootable USB stick with the "deploy-installer-10.110.4-psinn-sva-n.n.n.n-usb-tiny.img". That also did not work. I reached the point to give it all up and decided to deploy with 4.0.0 and upgrade after that. Just to be sure all nodes are fully factory reset pre deploy, I created a new USB stick with "deploy-installer-10.80.4-psi19+sva-4.0.0.1249-usb.img" and no problem at all to to a factory reset using that.. I will deploy in the coming days. 

I wonder...should it-can it work to create a 4.0.1 USB stick for doing factory reset witrh the " "deploy-installer-10.110.4-psinn-sva-n.n.n.n-usb-tiny.img" ?

I need to read thge deployment guide really thoroughly and see if I have missed some info.

I sure hope upgrade post deploy of 4.0.0 runs smoother than this!

Br / Tony

[DaveOb]

The full usb image exists I have queired why its not available in the zip.

If you need it i suggest opening a support ticket, requesting  the full image  and support can put it on a dropbox for you..

Its allways good to have options.

With upgrade manager and the ability to run mixed vesions in different clusters.  I would probaly just deploy at 4.0 and upgrade there is very little to be gained by factory resetting to 4.0.1 .in the older version where all nodes in the federation had to be at the same version for the deployment it forced you to do the factroy reset to be able ot deploy.

[fahlis]

Hi Dave

Great to know it exists.

I will open a case and ask for it, as you say good with otpions.

/Br Tony

[MelissaV]

Hello Fahlis,

If I’m understanding your question correctly, your basically looking to deploy a new node that has the SimpliVity OmniStack 4.0.0 DI, and want to deploy the new node with 4.0.1.

To perform the deployment you would only need the appropriate Deployment Package: 

• Q8A57-11090_HPE_SimpliVity _Deployment Package _4.0.1_VMware vSphere.zip
  • Software packages can be found here: HPE SimpliVity OmniStack 4.0.1 Software
• Please refer to the “HPE OmniStack host boots out-dated HPE SimpliVity Installer” section in the HPE SimpliVity OmniStack 4.0.1 for VMware vSphere Deployment Guide

In addition to the SimpliVity software package you will want to have the latest SimpliVity firmware & applicable custom ESXi bundle installed.

Packages & instructions can be found here:

• HPE SimpliVity OmniStack Firmware Bundle
  • HPE SimpliVity Custom ESXi 6.5 Offline Bundle
• HPE SimpliVity Custom ESXi 6.7 Offline Bundle

• Remember to refer to HPE SimpliVity OmniStack 4.0.1 Interoperability Guide for the latest firmware and software policies and guidelines.

Thanks

Melissa Visconti

HPE SimpliVity Engineering Program Manager 

[MelissaV]

Please see latest comment

[jlangmead]

Hi

Did you manage to get this to work?

I want to do exactly the same thing. I want to re-image a new 4.0.0 node with 4.0.1 prior to deploying as I don't want to deploy 4.0.0 and then have to upgrade to 4.0.1 afterwards.

I too can only see the deploy-installer-10.110.7-psi20+sva-4.0.1.184-usb-tiny.img file contained within the Q8A57-11090_SimpliVity_Deployment_Package_4.0.1_VMware_vSphere.zip download which I don't think allows me to re-image this via the iLO. If I should be able to use this file to re-image a 4.0.0 node to 4.0.1 then I must be missing something as I can't get it to mount via the iLO virtual media.

Can someone confirm if I should be able to do this with the deploy-installer-10.110.7-psi20+sva-4.0.1.184-usb-tiny.img file  - in which case what do I need to do to mount it in iLO. Or perhaps tell me where I can find the full image that I need to use?

kind regards

[fahlis]

Hi!

I did not create a case, instead I have been in contact with our HPE Partner tech. He mentioned there is a full DI. However he could not find it anywhere internally even if he had trwo links that worked quite recently. I quote: It seems vanished for some reason..go figure. I ended up factiory reset and deplolying with 4.0.0 and left it running for the moment, this with "SVTSP-2020_0225.06". I believe you can create a bootable USB Stick with the usb-tiny.img, boot from it and deploy straight from it. That was my intention however the F11 keyboard stroke did not work for some odd reason, also I noticed the mount of .img was lost in iLO frequently, no clue why but I have seen it previously. I tried Chrome, Edge Chromium and IE. It worked best in IE. I could not get it to boot until the 3rd USB Stick I tried. When booting on it you don't get the option for fabric reset from what I saw, for that we need the full DI I believe. Anyone here from HPE that can inform us regarding if it is still avaiable at all internally ?

Br / Tony

[DaveOb]

If you/someone else are struffling to get a node deployed please open a support ticket you can even reference this thread,

the full image exists.

if not I will clarify a few things and revert in a day or so.

[jlangmead]

Hi Dave

Many thanks for the reply. I'm currently not struggling to the point where I need to open a support ticket. I guess I trying to get some guidance on if I going about this the correct way. I'm planning on using iLO to re-image a node that was shipped with 4.0.0 to 4.0.1. I need to use iLO as due to our current UK lockdown I'm unable to travel to site but have remote access to the iLO. This is a non-production node in a test lab.

The only deploy installer I can find is deploy-installer-10.110.7-psi20+sva-4.0.1.184-usb-tiny.img which comes in the download called Q8A57-11090_SimpliVity_Deployment_Package_4.0.1_VMware_vSphere.zip. There are no other deploy installers included in this download. This is about 800MB in size

I guess my questions are - Is this the correct deploy installer to use and should I just be able to mount this using the iLO virtual media as this looks for a .iso rather than a .img file. Do I perhaps need to do something with this .img file before I try to mount it using iLO???

If the answers to the above is that 'yes, this is the correct file' and 'yes you should be able to mount the .img file using the iLO virtual media and the node will boot into this and re-image to 4.0.1' then perhaps I do need to log a support call as this isn't working. I wanted to avoid troubling the support team if it's simply a case of me following the incorrect process or using the wrong file.

many thanks in advance

[bbelew]

I haven't re-imaged a node with the new tiny installer but have done it many times through the ilo with the previous .img files.

Depending on your browser and how you are accessing the ilo you will need to mount it as a Floppy Drive or Removable media.  That gives you the option to choose an .img file and not an .iso like the CD/DVD does.

[AnkiN]

Hi @jlangmead ,

The tiny images are the correct set of images and for mounting it you need to use the option of attaching the image as removable media as the file is of .img extension.

The new tiny image will provide the option to go for the direct deploy instead of performing a complete factory reset.

[DaveOb]

The mechanisim to deploy redeploy the nodes has changed in 4.0.1.

Previously the large image ~ 9GB  was the way to reset and redeploy a node and contained superfolus VMware images you did not need. ie you may have been running 6.5 and you are running 6.7 and hyperV 

The old large image gave 2 options deploy/factory reset

Deploy was primarily when you burned a physical usb drive and intended to leave the usb in the server for the duration of the deployment.

Factory reset was writing the contents of the large image to the boot drives (you could then remove the flash drive and continue the deployment)

The new mechanisim is the tiny image ~800MB  Deploy Installer (DI)

This 800MB image is booted from virtual media .

The factory reset option has been removed.

The Deployment manager  wil then handle the uploading of the Virtual controller and hypervisor image required from a local folder on the machine running deployment manager.This will be done over https not over ILO.

Pros to this new method are you not need to use ilo to trandfer ~9gb of data ibly part of which you need + you can have different versions of esxi deployed rather then whatever version comes with the older deployinstller.

The OLD method still exists but you will have to contact support for the  large image.

https://support.hpe.com/hpesc/public/docDisplay?docLocale=en_US&docId=a00095515en_us in the troubleshooting section details the process of resetting the deploy installer.

[jlangmead]

OK - I'm still struggling to understand if what I'm looking to do is possible or not.... Apologies and thank you for your patience.

If I have a pair of SimpliVity nodes with a factory install of 4.0.0 which are in a 'waiting to be discovered' state, can I do anything at this stage to deploy these straight as version 4.0.1?  OR must I deploy as 4.0.0 and then use Upgrade manager to upgrade to 4.0.1?

These nodes are the first nodes in a new VMware datacenter\cluster - they are not joining any existing federation or VMware environment - this is a greenfield deployment of which these nodes will be the only two.

I don't want to request a full image from Support as this doesn't sound like the preferred way to achieve deploying nodes with 4.0.1.

If the answer is 'No, I need to get the full 4.0.1 image from Support and then to re-image to 4.0.1 before discovering' then that's fine.

I tried a test deployment with the 4.0.1 version of the deployment manager which deployed ok but the OVC's deployed as 4.0.0 - so that clearly didn't take me directly to 4.0.1.

thanks again

[fahlis]

Hi!

From what I understand you can boot from the usb-tiny.img file. Preferebly by creating a bootable USB-Stick. I used rufus for that. Then boot with F11-generic USB and you should come to the usual deployment state where you configure the mgmt vlan and so on. 

Br / Tony

[DaveOb]

You should not need to burn the tiny image with rufus to usb unless you are having difficutlys with ILO,  burning to a physical usb,does not really have any huge advantage over using ILO to mount the image as the ESXI and OVC image are not included in the tiny image. 

You are correct this will then get you to the normal deploy installer splash screen and you can configure all ip/vlans ect in the manner you are used to.

[DaveOb]

No Apologies required.

For what you want to achive download the 4.0.1 software. 

Q8A57-11090_HPE_SimpliVity _Deployment Package _4.0.1_VMware vSphere.zip

Obtain the tiny image and mount this via ILO this will then boot to the 4.0.1 deploy installer which is the same as the Deploy installer you know and love in previous versions.

From there the deployment will be the same as pervious versions with an additional dropdown for ESXi and OVC versions.

[Haithem]

I've already answered this question on a similar post:

here is it:

A factory reset is no longer needed with 4.0.1 , if you want to clean up old data (not mandatory), you can just boot to the SVT SPP, select the interactive mode, and using SSA to remove all data volume. Boot volume should be kept.

4.0.1 allows bare metal deployment like previous versions, the only difference is that it no longer contains ESXi images and OVC OVF file. These files are now uploaded during the deployment using the deployment manager.

Unzip the deployment package to your c:\Users\<username>\Download directory for deployment managers to pick up the required files and upload them. 

Hope it helps!

[AnkiN · Accepted solution]

@fahlis 
No need to create the bootable media, you can follow your steps with the provided .img file

[fahlis]

@AnkiN

That was the only way for me to get it to boot on the usb-tiny.img. When mounting the .img over iLO i had frequent and very annoying unmounts. However I do believe that might have been due to the network guys had the switch wrong configured whioch caused broasdcast storm.

Br / Tony 

[jlangmead]

I must admit, I'm having a similar experience to Tony with regards to issues mounting the .img file.

In iLO I only have the option to mount via Floppy or CD\DVD - I'm selecting the 'Floppy' option as this is a .img file and not a .iso

However, when I then do an F11 to the boot menu, there is no option to select booting from floppy and it also hangs for about 10mins and when I finally get control back I find the media has unmounted - I suspect it's the unmounting of the media that gives me control back to the iLO interface.

[AnkiN]

@fahlis 
Thanks for your response. Do update when you get the splash screen with the Deploy option using the Tiny image.

[jlangmead]

Hi

I'm not sure if your lastest suggestion was aimed at me or Tony - I can't get the tiny img to boot so I'm not sure if you're thinking it does boot and then I should be looking out for the splash screen. A couple of weeks ago Tony stated that he had given up with trying to re-image the nodes and left it running at 4.0. - I'm at the same stage now and will give up trying to boot from from the .img file as it doesn't work. The upgrade manager does seem to work well and so I've just installed the node as 4.0 and ran the upgrade manager to get to 4.0.1 - this is fine for a few nodes but I've nearly 100 nodes to install and was hoping not to take this route - but I was pretty impressed with the speed and ease of using the upgrade manager - so I'll go with it.

Perhaps you could create a video for the library of doing that booting from the tiny image using iLO so I can see where I'm going wrong.

thanks 

[fahlis]

@jlangmead 

I believe you need to choose "generic USB" option form the boot menu. As you mentioned I ended up with factory reset from USB Stick with 4.0.0 and deployed from there. I upgraded that environment last week without any issues. 

Br / Tony