Sample plan: Faster Virtual Server Build (with baseline)

This sample Automation Plan completes a simple end-to-end virtual server build. This sample plan performs exactly the same actions as that of Sample plan: Virtual Server Build. However, in this sample automation plan, a baseline is used as a (regular) step instead of multi-step fixlets. This helps you to execute the plan in a relatively shorter time compared to the plan with multi-step fixlets. Under the take-action and Default dialog box, the baseline step and its component fixlets are represented in parent-child structure to provide parameter support for each component. This feature only works when baseline is added as a regular step and not as a failure-step.

About this task

This Automation Plan uses some sample Fixlets that will not suit the requirements for your particular server build. Replace these Fixlets with relevant Fixlets that you want to run on your endpoints to complete a virtual server build. To replace some Fixlets, edit the Automation Plan and remove any Fixlet that does not suit your requirements and replace it with a suitable Fixlet.

Complete the following steps to run the sample Automation Plan.

Procedure

  1. Open the Server Automation domain.
  2. From the navigation tree in the Domain Panel, click Automation Plans.
  3. In the Automation Plans dashboard, enter 107 and press Enter. This is the ID of the sample Automation Plan.
  4. Select the Automation Plan from the list of Automation Plans.
  5. Click Copy to copy the Automation Plan, enter a name and then save the copy that you have just created.
  6. To run the copied Automation Plan, click Take Action. The following table shows the parameters and targets that you need to input for each step in the sample Automation Plan.
    Table 1. Plan steps and parameters and targets
    Step Description Parameters and targets
    Step 1 VMware Create Windows Virtual Machine from Template (84) This step creates Windows virtual machines from an existing template.
    1. Parameter: For information about the parameters required for this step, see Table 1 in Creating a Windows virtual machine from a template
    2. Targets: Enter the names of the new virtual machines to be created.
    Step 2 Placeholder for OS or Application Patches - (REPLACE ME) This Fixlet is a placeholder. Replace this Fixlet with a Fixlet that suits your requirements.
    1. Parameter: Any parameters required by the Fixlet that you include.
    2. Targets: The name of the virtual machines that you entered in step 1. You must enter these names manually because the computers do not yet exist.
    Step 3 Install Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Enterprise Server Edition on Windows (72) This step installs Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Enterprise Server Edition on the Windows virtual machine that you created in step 1.
    1. Parameter: The parameters are described in the Install Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Enterprise Server Edition on Windows (72) Fixlet.
    2. Targets: The names of the virtual machines that you created in step 1.
    Step 4 UPDATE: SQL Server 2008 Service Pack 1 Available (x64) (68103) This step patches Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Enterprise Server Edition that you installed in the previous step.
    1. Parameter: Any parameters required by the UPDATE: SQL Server 2008 Service Pack 1 Available (x64) (68103) Fixlet
    2. Targets: The names of the virtual machines that you created in step 1.
  7. Click OK to run the Automation Plan.