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Prerequisites
To complete the process detailed in the document your virtual machine must meet the following system requirements and must have created the required configuration files. For information on how to do this, refer to the “Creating the system configuration (.cfg) files” section below.
Detailed system requirements
The IBM Support document, #7109598, “
Detailed System Requirements - Sametime Standard 8.5.2,” contains a list of “supported components that have undergone compatibility testing by IBM. IBM recommends that customers always use operating systems, Web browsers, devices or applications listed in the application's system requirements; any variance has some level of risk because the combination has not been tested, and is not supported by IBM.”
Virtual-environment system requirements
Here's a brief overview of the virtual environment requirements:
Hard disk memory 140G
RAM 8G
CPU 8 core CPU
Operating system: SUSE Linux®
Creating the system configuration (.cfg) files
Using the NCPE tool and your system configuration plan, create “node.cfg” and save the file generated as “node.cfg.primary” and “node.cfg.secondary”. This process is detailed in the IBM InfoCenter topic, “
Using the NCPE wizard to generate the node.cfg file.”
When installed on actual hardware, these file would be saved onto FAT32-formatted USB sticks. However, when installing on to a virtual machine, you must convert these file into a format that can be mounted into the virtual environment; in this case, .flp files using the WinImage application.
Generating the mountable virtual USB images
The following process uses the WinImage application to convert the .cfg files, generated by use of the NCPE tool, into the required .flp format:
- Open the WinImage program and select the file you wish to convert from an open Microsoft® Windows® Explorer window.
- Drag the file into the WinImage right-hand panel; the Format selection window displays (see figure 1).
Figure 1. Format selection window
3. Select 1.44MB (as shown in figure 1 above) and click OK. The message shown in figure 2 displays; click Yes.
Figure 2. Inject message window
4. In the next window, you can see that you imported the file as shown in figure 3.
Figure 3. WinImage window
5. To save this file as a mountable file, select File --- Save As; the window in figure 4 displays.
6. Add the .flp extension to the required file name and click Save. This needs to be done for both files (primary and secondary).
Figure 4. Save As window
Uploading the ISO to the virtual machine
To do this:
- Locate and download the correct ISO image.
- Connect to your Vcell manager and select the virtual machine you wish to use. Open the Properties window (see figure 5).
Figure 5. Virtual Machine Properties window
3. Select the “Datastore ISO File” radio button, browse to your ISO location, and upload your ISO Data; once the upload is completed the Virtual Machine Properties window will change as shown in figure 6.
Figure 6. Virtual Machine Properties window showing uploaded file
NOTE: Although the ISO image can be installed into the virtual machine (VM) by streaming the contents from your local machine, this is
not the recommended method. Instead, you should upload the ISO image into the VM administration console.
Installing the telephony control server (TCS)
Once you've complete both steps from Section 1 above, you're ready to start the installation process:
- Restart both the VMs and open a console window to the VM, so you can see the boot sequence.
- Upon reboot of the system you will see the window shown in figure 7; select the “Install Softswitch – V5” option.
Figure 7. Install Softswitch – V5 option
3. Next, select your your language and click OK (see figure 8).
Figure 8. Select your language
4. You are then asked to accept the license agreement, with the option to review the license, as shown in figure 9.
Figure 9. Review license agreement
5. Select “Exit” when finished reviewing the license; the window in figure 10 displays.
Figure 10. Accept License agreement
6. To continue the installation, select “Yes”. The window in figure 11 displays; click “Done”.
Figure 11. Click Done
7. The window in figure 12 displays; click Yes to continue.
Figure 12. Click Yes
Note that the above steps must be done on both VMs to start the installation of both the primary and secondary TCS.
USB configuration files
1.In the next phase of the installation, we virtually plug in the “USB configuration files”, at which point the installation stops, and the window in figure 13 displays.
Figure 13. Mount your virtual USB
2. At this point you need to mount the Virtual USB you created in Section 1.3, Step 6 (see figure 14).
NOTE: Be sure to mount the primary and secondary virtual USBs into the correct VMs. Also, you need to save the config files with the .flp extension or, as you can see in the figure, you won't be able to see the file in the VM console.
Figure 14. Connect to floppy image on local disk
3. Select the correct floppy image [.primary / .secondary] and click Open; for example, for the VM to host TSC1, select primary; click Open (see figure 15).
Figure 15. Open window
4. Repeat this step for the second VM, selecting the appropriate .flp file. Once the virtual USB is seen in the VM, the install will continue automatically.
Review data for node.cfg file
The next stopping point of the install will display a review screen detailing the information contained in your node.cfg file (see figure 16).
1. Scroll through the information displayed to confirm that you have connected the correct file to each VM.
Figure 16. Network Information window
2. Review the contents of the window and then click Done. After a few seconds the window in figure 17 displays; type “yes.”
Figure 17. User input required to continue the installation
NOTE: The install will appear to stop at the window shown in figure 18 while synching the image with the disk. No user interaction is required at this point.
Figure 18. Disk Map window
Install continues
Following this, the installation continues, and at the next pause you see the following:
Do
NOT do any thing at this point; just let the install run through the next few stages. After this, the state of the Nodes displays; a state of “online” is what we want, as shown in figure 19.
Figure 19. Nodes' online state
NOTE: This stage is followed by a reboot of the VM, but this time you boot from the hard disk (see figure 20).
Figure 20. Boot from Hard Disk window
The window shown in figure 21 displays. No user interaction is required, and the process continues.
Figure 21. Boot options
You will then see the usual blue SUSE window, as shown in figure 22.
Figure 22. Blue SUSE window
After this you see the message shown in figure 23 during start up (and enlarged in figure 24). Don't type anything; just wait for the process to continue.
Figure 23. Startup message window
Figure 24. Relevant text enlarged
If you do not enter anything at the above message, in a few moments you will see the window shown in figure 25 and the process continues (see figure 26), at which point the install is almost complete.
Figure 25. Cluster interconnect message
Figure 26. Installation near complete
Upon completion of the process, the window in figure 27 displays on the TCS 1 VM, and the window in figure 28 displays on the TCS 2 VM.
Figure 27. TCS 1 VM window
Figure 28. TCS 2 VM window
At this point the install has completed.
Post-install steps
(1) Initial log-in. Log in using the console window with the sysad user and the default password. Note that, upon first log-in you will need to change your password (see figure 29).
Figure 29. Change password prompt
(2) Remote access. At this point you may also need to modify the access configuration to enable Secure Shell (SSH) log-in from an external connection. To do this:
- Connect as root on the console.
- Edit the file, /etc/security/access.conf, changing the “-“ to a “+” so as to allow access.
NOTE: This should be done on both TCS nodes.
(3) Verifying a successful install. To verify a successful install, when logged in as root to the TCS, run the command as shown in figure 30. A successful software installation is indicated if the nodes (or node) are at run level 4 (RTP and application running with all processes started).
Figure 30. Command to verify install
In the printout you should also see the process state as “PROCESS_READY” (see figure 31).
Figure 31. PROCESS_READY state
At this point the install has completed.
Conclusion
Your TCS is now installed on a virtual environment.
Resources
About the author
Desmond McCann is a Chartered Engineer working on the Sametime Verification Test team at IBM's Mulhuddart, Ireland, facility. He has been with IBM since 2010, focusing on integration and interoperability across Lotus Sametime products.