[ovirt-users] python floppy in RunOnce mode

[Juan Hernandez]

On 10/24/2014 04:08 PM, Giulio Casella wrote:
> Il 23/10/2014 20:59, Juan Hernandez ha scritto:
>> On 10/23/2014 09:40 AM, Giulio Casella wrote:
>>> Hi,
>>> I'm trying to boot a vm with non persistent floppy using python ovirt
>>> sdk (the "RunOnce" way in administrator portal), but guest OS can't see
>>> floppy drive. The ultimate goal is to deploy floppy with sysprep
>>> unattend.xml file for windows 7 pools of vm.
>>>
>>> Here is a snippet of code I use:
>>>
>>> -------------------------------------------------
>>> myvm = api.vms.get(name="vmname")
>>> content="This is file content!"
>>> f=params.File(name="foobar.txt",content=content)
>>> fs=params.Files()
>>> fs.add_file(f)
>>> payload=params.Payload()
>>> payload.set_type("floppy")
>>> payload.set_files(fs)
>>> payloads=params.Payloads()
>>> payloads.add_payload(payload)
>>> thevm=params.VM()
>>> thevm.set_payloads(payloads)
>>> action=params.Action(vm=thevm)
>>>
>>> myvm.start(action=action)
>>>
>>> xml = ParseHelper.toXml(action)
>>> print xml
>>> -------------------------------------------------
>>>
>>> As you can see, for debugging purpose, I print my xml action, and I get:
>>>
>>> -------------------------------------------------
>>> <action>
>>>       <vm>
>>>           <payloads>
>>>               <payload type="floppy">
>>>                   <files>
>>>                       <file>
>>>                           <name>foobar.txt</name>
>>>                           <content>This is file content</content>
>>>                       </file>
>>>                   </files>
>>>               </payload>
>>>           </payloads>
>>>       </vm>
>>> </action>
>>> -------------------------------------------------
>>>
>>> in the admin portal I can see my vm in "RunOnce" state, but no floppy is
>>> present...
>>> In fact in the vm process command line
>>> (ps -ef | grep qemu-kvm | grep vmname) I can't see -drive option
>>> referring to floppy (I only see 2 "-drive" options, referring to vm
>>> system disk and to a correctly mounted cdrom ISO)
>>>
>>> What I'm doing wrong?
>>>
>>> (The engine is RHEV-M version 3.4.1-0.31.el6ev)
>>>
>>
>> The problem is that using non persistent payloads isn't currently
>> supported, so basically your "payloads" element is silently ignored. You
>> have currently two alternatives:
>>
>> 1. Use persistent payloads:
>>
>>    vm = vms.get(name="myvm")
>>    vm.set_payloads(paylaods)
>>    vm.update()
>>    vm.start(params.Action())
>>
>> You may also want to remove the payloads once the machine is configured,
>> but this isn't strictly required, as Windows will not try to locate the
>> sysprep floppy in subsequent boots. The only minor inconvenient is that
>> the users of the VMs will see the floopy and its content attached.
>>
> 
> Yes, this is exactly the workaround I'm currently using, and I have to 
> hide floppy via AD group policy (sysprep.inf contains administrator 
> password).
> 
>> 2. Use the builtin sysprep files (they are in
>> /usr/share/ovirt-engine/conf/sysprep):
>>
>>    vm = vms.get(name="myvm")
>>    initialization = params.Initialization()
>>    vm.set_initialization(initialization)
>>    vm.update()
>>    vm.start(params.Action())
>>
>> This has the advantage that the sysprep floppy will be attached to the
>> VM only the first time it is booted. In subsequent boots it won't be
>> attached.
>>
> 
> Great hint, I'll take a look into those syspreps to see if they fit for 
> my setup.
> 
>> In 3.5 you will also be able to use sysprep support with your custom file:
>>
>>   vm = vms.get(name="myvm")
>>   initialization = params.Initialization(
>>     custom_script="The text of your sysprep file"
>>   )
>>   vm.set_initialization(initialization)
>>   vm.update()
>>   vm.start(params.Action())
>>
> 
> Good new, eventually I'll wait for RHEV 3.5
> 
>> Note that currently (in 3.4 and in 3.5) there is an issue with the name
>> of the file generated by the built-in sysprep support: it will always be
>> named "sysprep.inf", regardless of the operating system assigned to the
>> VM. If you want to use recent versions of Windows it has to be named
>> "Unattend.xml", so you will need to change the Windows template before
>> sealing it, adding the following registry entry:
>>
>>    HKEY-LOCAL-MACHINE -> SYSTEM -> Setup -> UnattendFile = sysprep.inf
>>
>> There is a bug open to avoid this:
>>
>>    https://bugzilla.redhat.com/1145999
>>
>> Note also that the builtin sysprep support will only trigger if the VM
>> has been assigned a Windows operating system.
>>
> 
> Yes, I knew. Do you know if is there a plan to change this behaviour 
> (e.g. generate filename according to guest O.S. standard)?
> 

Bug 1145999 has target release 3.6. That means that the team responsible
for fixing has studied it and decided to fix it for version 3.6. Note
that this is just a plan, things may change depending on the workload
and urgency of other bugs. I'd suggest that you comment on the bug that
you are interested on this fix, so that it gets a bit more priority.

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