Hey Joe, * Joseph J VLcek (Joseph.Vlcek at Sun.COM) wrote: > Glenn Lagasse wrote: >> Hi Jan, >> >> * Jan Damborsky (Jan.Damborsky at Sun.COM) wrote: >>> Keith Mitchell wrote: >>>> All, >>>> >>>> In some discussions I had today, the issue came up of post-install >>>> customization of the VM Constructor image. Current design flow >>>> limits our customization options to installation of custom >>>> packages - the user can install packages A, B, and C, but they >>>> can't specify other parameters such as network settings, user >>>> groups, etc. >>>> >>>> How can we support post-install non-package customizations? Could >>>> this be done via SMF enhanced profile work? Using DC finalizer >>>> scripts (into the AI image, prior to VM install)? In some other >>>> manner? To make the VM constructor robust, I think we'll want more >>>> than just the basics of package selection and VM settings. >>> With respect to customization of created VM image, I am thinking if >>> there might be another level of customization based on the scope of >>> the project. >>> >>> Is it assumed that all customization will be done when image is >>> constructed or will it be allowed to do some customization steps >>> when VM image is used as a 'template' which might be instantiated/ >>> deployed later on more than one guest system ? >>> For instance, we might want to customize IP address/hostname/root >>> password for each virtual machine created VM image will be deployed on. >> >> For Phase 0, customization of the installed virtual machine is entirely >> dependant on the capabilities to customize an AI client installation >> (since we're going to use the AI client technology to perform the actual >> installation). This means, that if you want to customize the install >> you'll need to create an IPS package which contains your customizations >> and you'll have to propogate that to the IPS repository you use for the >> AI client installation. >> >> In later phases, it's possible that we'll provide for other ways of >> customizing the installed image. For instance, if the AI image were to >> carry a payload (TM via cpio instead of the current IPS) then you could >> create a finalizer script that customizes the image during construction >> and then gets propogated to the installation. >> > > Glenn, > > I think we also need to consider allowing the user to config the VM when > they boot it. Perhaps using Visual Panels.
Once Visual Panels is fully-integrated and available, then I don't see why we wouldn't support this. I doubt it'll be ready for Phase 1, but that's purely based on the lack of information I see flowing out of that project. If it is going to be available, then adding that in should be as trivial as adding the visual panels package to the AI client package manifest and if I understand things correctly, it'll pop up when the client is first-booted on all it's own. > I don't mean a reboot when VMC is constructing the installed VDI. I mean > after the user of the VM has imported the OFV into there VM and first > boot it up. We should probably allow for customization then. > > I could envision many user may get the same VMC output and not all want > the same configuration. Absolutely. For Phase 1, we'll allow whatever the AI client can provide for. Visual Panels isn't yet available (to my knowledge) and so we can't use it. Once it is, I expect we will. Ideally, I think we'll end up wanting to support at least two use cases. One where the deployer configures the things that a first-boot visual panels would configure during the VM construction and the other where visual panels pops up during first-boot and the user can set things the way he wants. Since we're just consuming AI client technology for this project, we're not constraining anything going forward. As the AI client evolves, so can VM Construction by just consuming the additional technology when it becomes available (heck, some enhancements might come along for free without any changes needed to VM construction depending on what they are). Cheers, -- Glenn
