Windows 2016 packer template for Vmware-iso

[praveen bhat]

Issue: I am trying to build a windows 2016 server datacenter edition using packer template.
when the vm boots after initial build it gets stuck @"getting device ready" state. Need help.

• Packer version from packer version 1.2.2
• Host platform Ubuntu 16.04

PACKER_LOG is attached.

json file and answer files attached.

[praveen bhat]

Would appreciate of anyone has come across similar issue and could shed some light here.
Thanks in advance

[Daniel Siegenthaler]

Maybe a driver issue? Do you include vmxnet driver anywhere?

[Gabo Kete]

can you double-check that you have a network device attached to your VM? 

Seems packer is unable to talk to the VM because it hasn't an ip address, either because the device is not there or it hasn't an ip address defined

2018/08/06 12:36:56 packer: 2018/08/06 12:36:56 [DEBUG] starting remote command: esxcli --formatter csv network vm list
2018/08/06 12:36:56 packer: 2018/08/06 12:36:56 [DEBUG] Opening new ssh session
2018/08/06 12:36:56 packer: 2018/08/06 12:36:56 [DEBUG] starting remote command: esxcli --formatter csv network vm port list -w 2624501
2018/08/06 12:36:57 packer: 2018/08/06 12:36:57 [DEBUG] Error getting WinRM host: No interface on the VM has an IP address ready

[praveen bhat]

I have created a DHCP with a private subnet and defined a new port group with name Private VMnetwork.
also its nic type is e1000.

[praveen bhat]

yes in esxi i can see that the network card is getting attached to the vm, I suspect the autounattend file.

[praveen bhat]

with some recommendations from friends of mine I tried vsphere-iso build please check the json file attached. currently it stops at waiting for ip step, though i see that the NIC is getting attached.

On Monday, August 6, 2018 at 5:42:06 PM UTC+5:30, praveen bhat wrote:

[praveen bhat]

in the vmware console i get the below error:
windows could not apply the unattend answer file's <Disk Configuration> setting.

[Gabo Kete]

You may want to have a look at the DHCP server logs and make sure the IP address is assigned to the VM you are trying to create... 

Even though the NIC is successfully attached to the VM you need to have an IP address assigned to the VM...  

[Shyam J]

Hey Praveen,

When I tried to build RHEL in ESX I had to pass below mentioned vmx_data to get identified in network. I had passed static IP. Try adding more vmx_data.

 "vmx_data":

      {

      "memsize": 512,

      "ethernet0.networkName": "VLAN_NAME",

      "ethernet0.present": "TRUE",

      "ethernet0.startConnected": "TRUE",

      "ethernet0.virtualDev": "e1000",

      "ethernet0.addressType": "generated",

      "ethernet0.generatedAddressOffset": "0",

      "ethernet0.wakeOnPcktRcv": "FALSE",

      "numvcpus": 1

      },

Thanks

Shyam

[praveen bhat]

Hey Shyam, thanks for the response.
unfortunately i cannot include VMX_DATA as I am building in vsphere. and the plugin does not accept a config type "vmx_data".

[praveen bhat]

Yes i checked the dhcpd.log and realised that it is not getting any request from the windows vm i am trying to create.
so what could possibly be wrong here? Coz that DHCP server is receiving requests from other linux build's that I am building from same VC.
Appreciate it

[praveen bhat]

Issue still persists, any help is appreciated. Thanks!

On Monday, August 6, 2018 at 5:42:06 PM UTC+5:30, praveen bhat wrote:

[Gabo Kete]

if your DHCP server is not receiving anything from your Windows VM you are creating, then something between the Vsphere and your DHCP server is blocking the traffic , this could be something like a firewall, different VLAN connection between your VM and DHCP server.. not getting the right route to connect to the DHCP server..

What you probably want to do is to setup your ip address as part of your build process rather than asking the DHCP server for one if it gets to difficult for your to do the troubleshooting.. 

[praveen bhat]

It was the issue with wrong esxi host details. neverthless there were some other missing configurations like the guest_os_type declaration missing in the template.
Thanks everyone

[James Muldrow]

Any Chance that you can provide your updated scripts? I'm having similar issues using vmware-iso.