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Description

Note: This article is specific to deploying from a Guest OS Customization (GOC) Image. For instructions on deploying a Cloud Server from a Non-Guest OS Customization (NGOC) Image, see: How to Deploy a Cloud Server from a Non-Guest OS Customization Image. For more information on the difference between the two types of images and corresponding deployments, see Introduction to Cloud Server Provisioning, OS Customization, and Best Practices.

This article describes how to create a Cloud Server from a Guest OS Customization Image on either a Cloud Network in an MCP 1.0 Data Center location or a Network Domain in an MCP 2.0 Data Center location. The overall process is the same, but there are differences in the options available for deployment between MCP 1.0 and 2.0, so this article includes separate sections for each type. For more information on the two types of MCPs, see Understanding MCP 1.0 vs. MCP 2.0 Data Center Locations.

Note: Long-Term Retention Snapshot Images are created from Long-Term Retention Snapshots. They are always created as Without Guest OS Customization Images. For more information, see Introduction to Cloud Server Snapshot Long-Term Retention Images

Prerequisites:

  1. Only the Primary Administrator or a Sub-Administrator with the Server role can create a Cloud Server.
  2. For MCP 1.0 Data Center locations, you must have already deployed a Cloud Network. See How to Deploy a MCP 1.0 Cloud Network or a MCP 2.0 Network Domain
  3. For MCP 2.0 Data Center locations, you must have already deployed a Network Domain and a VLAN. See How to Deploy a MCP 1.0 Cloud Network or a MCP 2.0 Network Domain and How to Deploy a VLAN on a Network Domain
  4. The Source Image you are deploying from needs to be a Guest OS Customization Image. Guest OS Customization Images can be identified by the absence of a "plug" icon as shown in the diagram below:
  5. In order to deploy a Server with disks that utilize the Provisioned IOPS Disk Speed, the Data Center must be enabled with that speed. See How do I Identify Hardware Specifications and Capabilities Available in a Data Center Location
  6. Beginning October 2018, there will be a change to the IPv4 Gateway Address input for both Attached and Detached VLANs:
    1. IPv4 Gateway Address can be ANY valid IPv4 address (i.e. it does NOT have to be on the VLAN range) except
      1. The Network Address (x.x.x.0) at the start of the range of the VLAN range associated with the Primary NIC
      2. The Broadcast Address (x.x.x.255) at the end of the VLAN range associated with the Primary NIC
    2. IPv6 Gateway Address can only be defined if the server is being deployed to an MCP 2.0 location (i.e. Primary NIC is on MCP 2.0 VLAN)
      1. It cannot be the first IPv6 address at the start of the IPv6 VLAN range associated with the Primary NIC
  7. If a Private IPv4 is specified in the request, the Private IPv4 cannot be within the "system reserved" range for the type of VLAN associated with the NIC
    1. For All VLAN types (Detached and Attached):
      1. The Network Address (x.x.x.0) at the start of a VLAN range is reserved on all types of VLANs (example: if you create a VLAN of 10.1.0.0/24, you cannot use 10.1.0.0)
      2. The Broadcast Address (x.x.x.255) at the end of the VLAN range is reserved on all types of VLANs  (example: if you create a VLAN of 10.1.0.0/24, you cannot use 10.1.0.255)
    2. For Attached VLANs, there are additional rules (these should already be in place):
      1. For "Small Size VLANs":
        1. The first three IP addresses after the Network Address at the start of the VLAN range (i.e. the in the first octet) is reserved
      2. For "Low Address VLANs" 
        1. The first five IP addresses after the Network Address at the start of the VLAN range (i.e. the in the first octet) is reserved
      3. For "High Address VLANs" 
        1. The last three IP addresses before the Broadcast Address at the end of the VLAN range (i.e in the last octet) is reserved
  8. CPU count must be supported by the Servers Virtual Hardware version. We recommend keeping Virtual Hardware version up-to-date. See How to Update Virtual Hardware on a Cloud Server
    1. If changing the number of CPUs to anything other than 1, 2, or 4 CPUs, the Virtual Hardware must be Version 4 or greater
    2. Support for using 3/5/6/7/8 virtual CPU's requires Virtual Hardware version 7
    3. Support for using more than 8 vCPU  requires Virtual Hardware version 8
    4. Support for using more than 32 vCPU requires Virtual Hardware version 9
    5. Support for using more than 64 vCPU's requires Virtual Hardware version 11
    6. Support for using more than 128 vCPU's requires Virtual Hardware version 15
  9. RAM count must be supported by Server's Virtual Hardware version. We recommend keeping Virtual Hardware version up-to-date. See How to Update Virtual Hardware on a Cloud Server
    1. Support for using more than 64 GB RAM requires Virtual Hardware version 7
    2. Support for using more than 255 GB RAM requires Virtual Hardware version 8
    3. Support for using more than 1011 GB RAM requires Virtual Hardware version 11
    4. Support for using more than 4080 GB RAM requires Virtual Hardware version 13
  10. Advanced Virtualization Settings validations:
    1. For more information on Advanced Virtualization Settings, See Introduction to Advanced Virtualization Settings
    2. If the Source Image has Nested Hardware Virtualization set to true, then the Target Cluster must be enabled to support Advanced Virtualization Settings. See How do I Identify Hardware Specifications and Capabilities Available in a Data Center Location
    3. If the Source Image has CPU Latency Sensitivity set to HIGH, then the Target Cluster must be enabled to support Advanced Virtualization Settings. See How do I Identify Hardware Specifications and Capabilities Available in a Data Center Location
    4. If Source Image has Numa Autosize numaAutosize set to true, then the Target Cluster must be enabled to support Advanced Virtualization Settings. See How do I Identify Hardware Specifications and Capabilities Available in a Data Center Location
    5. If Source Image has Enable Host Info to VM Tools set to true, then the Target Cluster must be enabled to support Advanced Virtualization Settings. See How do I Identify Hardware Specifications and Capabilities Available in a Data Center Location

Content / Solution:

  1. From the Home page, click the Deploy Server button:


  2. The Select Image tab of the Deploy Server dialog will be displayed:


  3. Search for the OS Image that you want for your Cloud Server. You can choose from a variety of filters or search by name using the respective search bars:

  4. Select a Server Image from which to deploy your new Cloud Server. Once you have clicked on the desired Image, the system will indicate that it has been selected:


  5. Verify that you have selected the correct Server image. Click the Next button and the Server Details tab of the Deploy Server dialog will be displayed:

  • If you wish to create multiple Cloud Servers from the same Server Image, you can click the Add Server button. You can create up to 10 Servers at a time.
  • You can remove additional Servers by clicking the Manage gear next to the additional Server slot and selecting the Remove option from the drop-down.

    Note: The Server Image you selected in the previous step is displayed at the top of the dialog.

MCP 2.0 Deployment Options

  1. Enter the appropriate Server details, then click Customize:

    • Data Center - Select the Data Center where the new Cloud Server(s) will be deployed. 

    • Network Domain - Select the Network Domain with which the Cloud Server(s) will be associated. 

    • Server Name - The Server Name is a descriptive name that will appear with the Cloud Server when viewing Servers in the administrative interface. It has no impact on the Server's functionality, machine name, or host name. Therefore, Server Names are not required to be unique.

    • Choose your Network target for the Server deployment:

      • VLAN (MCP 2.0) - Select the VLAN on which the Server should be deployed.

      • Note: You can add multiple Secondary NICs to the Cloud Server (if additional VLANs are available). Click on the Manage gear next to the Server slot and select Add Secondary NIC from the drop-down menu:

      • A new line will be displayed. Select the Secondary NIC from the drop-down menu:

      • You can then enter the IPv4 Address or the system will assign one automatically. Click on the Manage gear next to the Secondary NIC to remove it or to make it the Primary NIC for the Server:
         

    • NIC Type - CloudControl supports five different "Network Adapters" (also referred to as "NIC Types") as defined by VMware in their KB article Choosing a network adapter for your virtual machine. These adapters represent the "hardware" that the NIC will appear to be to the Guest Operating System. The system will default to using the recommended Network Adapter for the Operating System associated with the Source Image. However, you can click on the drop-down menu and select a different NIC Type. 

    • IPv4 Address - Enter the desired IPv4 address or leave it blank to have an IP address assigned automatically by the system. When specifying an IP address, the proposed IP address cannot be in use on another cloud resource, Exclusively Reserved or fall into the "reserved" ranges on the VLAN. For more details, see Introduction to IP Addressing in MCP 2.0

    • Description - You also have the option to enter a more detailed description (up to 255 characters) to be associated with the Server. Again, this is only for descriptive purposes.

    • Primary Login (root) - This is the root (Unix) or "administrator" (Windows) password you want to set for the Server in both the 'Password' and 'Confirm Password' fields. The password must match in both fields. For Linux machines, the username associated with this login is "root". For Windows machines, the username is "Administrator". The password must be at least 8 characters in length and cannot include "<" or ">".

      • MAKE SURE YOU RECORD AND/OR REMEMBER THE ROOT PASSWORD FOR THE DEPLOYED SERVER. SUPPORT PERSONNEL CANNOT RESET THE ROOT PASSWORD ON THE SERVER, SO YOU WILL BE LOCKED OUT IF YOU CANNOT REMEMBER IT IN THE FUTURE.

      • NOTE ON LINUX DEPLOYMENTS FROM CLIENT IMAGES: When deploying Linux-based servers from Client Images, you will NOT be prompted for a root password. Instead, the server retains the root password of the server from which the Client Image was created. 

    • Password Strength - Vulnerable, or easily guessable passwords are a security risk. The Password Strength indicator will indicate the strength of your password. We strongly suggest using a complex password.

      • Note that some common, easily guessable passwords are blocked from use.

      • You can click the Suggest Password button to have the system suggest a complex password for you to use:

      • Click on the Copy button to copy the suggested password to your Clipboard

        • MAKE SURE YOU RECORD AND/OR REMEMBER THE ROOT PASSWORD FOR THE DEPLOYED SERVER. SUPPORT PERSONNEL CANNOT RESET THE ROOT PASSWORD ON THE SERVER, SO YOU WILL BE LOCKED OUT IF YOU CANNOT REMEMBER IT IN THE FUTURE.

        • NOTE ON LINUX DEPLOYMENTS FROM CLIENT IMAGES: When deploying Linux-based servers from Client Images, you will NOT be prompted for a root password. Instead, the server retains the root password of the server from which the Client Image was created. 

  2. The Server Spec tab of the Deploy Server dialog will be displayed. Set the specific Server parameters:

    • Cluster - If the Data Center is enabled with User-Manageable Clusters, you can select the desired Cluster from the drop-down menu. Otherwise, the default Cluster will be utilized.

    • Cores per Socket - Set the desired number of Cores per socket. Note that the display to the right of the drop-down menu will change to indicate the selected number of Cores per socket. The system will only present you with acceptable options.
      Note: One core per socket will provide the highest performance in all scenarios. When dealing with larger numbers of vCPUs on a Cloud Server (generally greater than 8 vCPUs), be aware that presenting multiple cores per socket may adversely impact performance due to NUMA calculations. For a more detailed discussion on this issue, see http://www.virtadmin.com/sockets-vs-cores-vmware/ or VMware’s blog post at http://blogs.vmware.com/vsphere/2013/10/does-corespersocket-affect-performance.html.
    • CPU Speed - Set the desired CPU Speed.  For more information on CPU Speeds, see Introduction to CPU Speeds (vCPU Classes)
      • OS Units Group ID - Displays the OS Units Group ID. Cannot be changed. For more information on OS Units, see Introduction to OS Units
      • OS Units Usage Element - Displays OS Units Usage Element. Cannot be changed. For more information on OS Units, see Introduction to OS Units
      • OS Rate Type - Displays OS Rate Type. Cannot be changed. For more information on OS Units, see Introduction to OS Units
      • OS Rate - Displays OS Rate. Cannot be changed. For more information on OS Units, see Introduction to OS Units

    • CPU - Set the desired amount of CPU for the Server.

    • RAM - Set the desired amount of RAM for the Server.

    • Storage - The Cloud Server will be deployed with the same storage as the Server Image (i.e. same disk sizes in thesameId positions). However, you can modify the disk speed on deployment:

    • Override Standard DNS Servers - You can choose to override the standard DNS Servers or use the default settings.
      • Primary DNS - Optionally set the Primary DNS.
      • Secondary DNS - Optionally set the Secondary DNS.
    • Primary NIC Properties
      • Server Gateway IPv4 for Primary NIC - Optionally set the Server Gateway IPv4 for the Primary NIC. This is the IPv4 address on the Primary NIC that will be the default route setting in the Guest Operating System. It is not currently possible to set the default route to a Secondary NIC as part of the deployment. You need to set this manually after deployment.
      • Server Gateway IPv6 for Primary NIC - Optionally set the Server Gateway IPv6 for the Primary NIC. This is the IPv6 address on the Primary NIC that will be the default route setting in the Guest Operating System. It is not currently possible to set the default route to a Secondary NIC as part of the deployment. You need to set this manually after deployment.
    • Add/Update Tag to List - Optionally add Tags to the Server. For more information on tagging, see Introduction to Tagging, Tag Keys and Tag Values

    • Server Time Zone - For Guest OS Customization Windows Images only, you can set the time zone for the Server by selecting the desired time zone from the drop-down menu beneath the Optional DNS override section:



  3. Click the Next button. The system will show you an overview of the Server deployment: 

    Note: You can choose to start the Server(s) upon deployment by checking the highlighted box.

    • Location - Describes the location of the Server
    • Data Center - Name of the Data Center 
    • Cluster Name - Name of the Cluster (If enabled for the Data Center)
    • Network Name - Name of the Network Domain
    • Primary DNS - Primary DNS, if configured
    • Secondary DNS - Secondary DNS, if configured
    • Server Gateway IPv4 for Primary NIC - Server Gateway IPv4 for Primary NIC, if configured
    • Server Gateway IPv6 for Primary NIC - Server Gateway IPv6 for Primary NIC, if configured
    • Supports Backup - whether the Server supports Backup. True or False
    • Operating System Family - Describes the Operating System Family
    • OS Units Group ID - Describes the OS Units Group ID
      • Note: hovering your mouse over the  info icon will display the OS Units Type and OS Units Usage element methodology as described in Introduction to OS Units

    • OS Rate - Indicates how many OS Units are generated per hour, based on the selected configuration

    MCP 1.0 Deployment Options

  4. Enter the appropriate Server details, then click Customize:

    • Data Center - Select the Data Center where the new Cloud Server(s) will be deployed. 

    • Server Name - The Server Name is a descriptive name that will appear with the Cloud Server when viewing Servers in the administrative interface. It has no impact on the Server's functionality, machine name, or hostname. Therefore, Server Names are not required to be unique.

    • Network - Select the Network on which the Server should be deployed from the drop-down menu.  

    • IPv4 Address - Specify a Private IP Address. If no Private IP Address is specified, a Private IP Address will be assigned on deployment. After Server deployment completes, you will need to configure public access to this server through the selected Network. 
      Note: When specifying an IP address, the proposed IP address cannot be Exclusively Reserved or fall into the "reserved" ranges. For more details, see Introduction to IP Addressing and Routing in MCP 1.0

    • Description - You also have the option to enter a more detailed description (up to 255 characters) to be associated with the Server. Again, this is only for descriptive purposes.

    • Primary Login (root) - This is the root (Unix) or "administrator" (Windows) password you want to set for the Server in both the 'Password' and 'Confirm Password' fields. The password must match in both fields. For Linux machines, the username associated with this login is "root". For Windows machines, the username is "Administrator". The password must be at least 8 characters in length and cannot include "<" or ">".

      • MAKE SURE YOU RECORD AND/OR REMEMBER THE ROOT PASSWORD FOR THE DEPLOYED SERVER. SUPPORT PERSONNEL CANNOT RESET THE ROOT PASSWORD ON THE SERVER, SO YOU WILL BE LOCKED OUT IF YOU CANNOT REMEMBER IT IN THE FUTURE.

      • NOTE ON LINUX DEPLOYMENTS FROM CLIENT IMAGES: When deploying Linux-based servers from Client Images, you will NOT be prompted for a root password. Instead, the server retains the root password of the server from which the Client Image was created. 

      • NOTE ON WINDOWS SERVER 2003 DEPLOYMENTS (MCP 1.0 ONLY): You will NOT be prompted for an Administrator password for Windows Server 2003 deployments. Instead, the password on the server will be the Windows Administrator default (blank). 

        • Also note that Windows 2003 Servers are no longer supported by Microsoft. As such, we no longer offer Windows 2003 Images and any previously-deployed Windows 2003 Servers will be maintained on a 'best effort' basis only. See: Microsoft Windows Support Policy

    • Password Strength - Vulnerable, or easily guessable passwords are a security risk. The Password Strength indicator will indicate the strength of your password. We strongly suggest using a complex password.

      • Note that some common, easily guessable passwords are blocked from use.

      • You can click the Suggest Password button to have the system suggest a complex password for you to use:

      • Click on the Copy button to copy the suggested password to your Clipboard

        • MAKE SURE YOU RECORD AND/OR REMEMBER THE ROOT PASSWORD FOR THE DEPLOYED SERVER. SUPPORT PERSONNEL CANNOT RESET THE ROOT PASSWORD ON THE SERVER, SO YOU WILL BE LOCKED OUT IF YOU CANNOT REMEMBER IT IN THE FUTURE.

        • NOTE ON LINUX DEPLOYMENTS FROM CLIENT IMAGES: When deploying Linux-based servers from Client Images, you will NOT be prompted for a root password. Instead, the server retains the root password of the server from which the Client Image was created. 

  5. The Server Spec tab of the Deploy Server dialog will be displayed. Set the specific Server parameters:

    • CPU - Set the desired amount of CPU for the Server.

    • RAM - Set the desired amount of RAM for the Server.

    • Storage - Each Server can be associated with up to 14 storage drives (1 OS storage drive and 13 additional drives). See How to Add Additional Local Storage to a Cloud Server for instructions on adding additional Storage. 

      • Select a Disk Speed from the drop-down menu:

        Note: Hover your mouse over the Information icon  to display additional information regarding each Disk Speeds.
        Note: All Disk Speeds may not be available in all Data Centers
    • Add/Update Tag to List - Optionally add Tags to the Server. For more information on tagging, see Introduction to Tagging, Tag Keys and Tag Values
       

  6. Click the Next button. The system will display an overview of the Server deployment:

    Note: You can choose to start the Server(s) upon deployment by checking the highlighted box.

    • Location - Describes the location of the Server
    • Data Center - Name of the Data Center 
    • Supports Backup - whether the Server supports Backup. True or False
    • Operating System Family - Describes the Operating System Family
    • OS Units Group ID - Describes the OS Units Group ID
      • Note: hovering your mouse over the  info icon will display OS Rate Type information:
    • OS Rate - Tells how many OS Units are generated per hour, based on the selected configuration

    Rest of Deployment Process (same for MCP 1.0 and 2.0)

  7. Once you have reviewed the Server, click the Deploy button. The system will display a message indicating that the deployment is in progress:


  8. The Server will be added to the Server pool and the system will indicate that the Server deployment is in progress:

    Note: Your Server will take time to deploy. The specific amount of time is variable depending on several factors. For more details, see Introduction to Cloud Server Provisioning, OS Customization, and Best Practices.
     

  9. Once complete, the system will display a success message:


  10. Assuming the Server is successfully deployed, it will appear in the Servers tab of the Network / Network Domain dashboard. Note the IP address is now listed and you are free to access and/or manage the Server to make additional changes:

    Note: If you chose to start the Server upon deployment, it will be in a running state as indicated by the color of the Server icon. 

    Note: This indicates successful Server deployment. However, Cloud Software Images (such as Microsoft SQL Server) often have additional scripts that install software after Server deployment. Do not take immediate actions (such as adding disks or rebooting) until you have confirmed the installation process is complete. Note this step is only required for the initial deployment from a Cloud Software Image - subsequent deployments from a Client Image will not have this issue. See How to Clone a Cloud Server to Create a Client Image

    Note:  If for some reason the Server deployment fails, the pending Server will be displayed in the Admin UI with a brown/maroon bar with brief information about the error. The full error description will be displayed in a popup and will also be logged in the Administrator Logs. To review the Administrator Logs, see How to View an Administrator Logs Report. Depending on the error, you may be able to simply remove the failed Server and try deployment again or it may indicate a problem with the parent Client Image used for deployment. If you are having recurring problems deploying from a specific Image, the support team may be able to identify the issue. To remove the failed deployment, follow the instructions at How to Clean / Remove a Failed Server.

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