ZEN 7.0 fails to deploy under vCenter 6.5

[millijuna]

When trying to deploy ZEN 7.0 using vCenter 6.5 (VCSA version), the deployment fails early with the error "The provided manifest file is invalid: Invalid OVF manifest entry:" and nothing further. This occurs after selecting the compute resource.

It deploys fine when using the old C# fat client, putting the VM directly on a host that is running 6.0U3.

[julsemaan]

Any chance you can inspect the logs a bit more to see what it doesn't like about the OVF.

We don't have access to a vCenter right now so no way to replicate your issue

Also, could you try to import the ZEN 6.5.1 and see if it works ?

Thanks !

[millijuna]

I'll attempt to re-deploy 7 when I get home this evening (it's at a site I admin on a volunteer basis). ZEN 6.5.1 deploys normally. I'll also look for appropriate log files that are more descriptive. From the error message, though, it almost seems like it's complaining about an extra line-break or white space or something in the config file (though being XML, that shouldn't matter).

[julsemaan]

I'll look into the two files and try to spot the difference, we're building it differently now so there may be a tiny litlle detail that is off and makes vCenter complain about it

[millijuna]

SO tried it again, and the only thing I can find is this message:

It's not very descriptive, sorry.

[julsemaan]

@millijuna

I tried to strip a useless vbox related section from the OVF

Can you download that one and let me know if it works ? https://support.inverse.ca/~jsemaan/box.ova.gz

Thanks !

[millijuna]

I'll give it a try. Unfortunately, my system is at the far end of a satellite link, so getting the OVA there is an all night affair. If the XML deployment file is the only change, I might just move that file up instead, and rebuild the ova (much quicker).

On Fri, May 12, 2017 at 8:28 AM, Julien Semaan notifications@github.com wrote:

@millijuna https://github.com/millijuna

I tried to strip a useless vbox related section from the OVF

Can you download that one and let me know if it works ? https://support.inverse.ca/~jsemaan/box.ova.gz

Thanks !

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... Si hoc legere scis numium eruditionis habes. -- Anonymous

[julsemaan]

@millijuna, it is indeed the only change

Here is a pastebin containing only the ovf file so you don't have to download the whole ova: https://pastebin.com/raw/dGQekfQf

[julsemaan]

@millijuna, any update on this ?

[millijuna]

Sorry, it was a crazy weekend and Monday. I'll test things this evening.

On Tue, May 16, 2017 at 1:41 PM, Julien Semaan notifications@github.com wrote:

@millijuna https://github.com/millijuna, any update on this ?

— You are receiving this because you were mentioned. Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub https://github.com/inverse-inc/packetfence/issues/2306#issuecomment-301909230, or mute the thread https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AbLG7vlojWq2BG2uqHJdBfJdf3RmzX7kks5r6goOgaJpZM4NTSqY .

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Hans Johnson (hans.johnson@gmail.com) B.ASc, Computer Engineering Simon Fraser University

... Si hoc legere scis numium eruditionis habes. -- Anonymous

[millijuna]

Just tried Your new file as a replacement for the ovf file, and it now generates a different error:

[julsemaan]

Alright, so I build a new OVF using the content of the 6.5.1 ZEN, and put it here https://pastebin.com/raw/yrfNWL3x

Try that and let me know how that goes

Thanks!

[millijuna]

I'll give it a whirl. Maybe a better option would be for me to build up a VM based around the disk file, matching the parameters as best as possible, then export it and get that to you? Then you can compare a known good one to what you have.

I'll be on site this weekend, so I can hand-carry out the file, rather than squeezing it through our satellite link.

On Wed, May 17, 2017 at 1:14 PM, Julien Semaan notifications@github.com wrote:

Alright, so I build a new OVF using the content of the 6.5.1 ZEN, and put it here https://pastebin.com/raw/yrfNWL3x

Try that and let me know how that goes

Thanks!

— You are receiving this because you were mentioned. Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub https://github.com/inverse-inc/packetfence/issues/2306#issuecomment-302218508, or mute the thread https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AbLG7mm9q1_DvYkoci2Lf8tvkPGF0Q36ks5r61USgaJpZM4NTSqY .

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Hans Johnson (hans.johnson@gmail.com) B.ASc, Computer Engineering Simon Fraser University

... Si hoc legere scis numium eruditionis habes. -- Anonymous

[julsemaan]

Given 6.5.1 imported fine on your vCenter and 7.0.0 didn't, this means the 6.5.1 OVF file should work We changed the way we build the ZEN between 6 and 7 which explains why you've having issues with one and not with the other

[millijuna]

There were some other wierdnesses as well... It didn't set the distribution/operating system properly, so to switch to vmx network adapters (which I prefer to use) I needed to set it to the appropriate version of Centos.

On Wed, May 17, 2017 at 3:45 PM, Julien Semaan notifications@github.com wrote:

Given 6.5.1 imported fine on your vCenter and 7.0.0 didn't, this means the 6.5.1 OVF file should work We changed the way we build the ZEN between 6 and 7 which explains why you've having issues with one and not with the other

— You are receiving this because you were mentioned. Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub https://github.com/inverse-inc/packetfence/issues/2306#issuecomment-302252182, or mute the thread https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AbLG7u7NF-dgAhQ7MVavPaxZ7AchHln1ks5r63h7gaJpZM4NTSqY .

--

Hans Johnson (hans.johnson@gmail.com) B.ASc, Computer Engineering Simon Fraser University

... Si hoc legere scis numium eruditionis habes. -- Anonymous

[julsemaan]

Your last comment is for the new OVF I provided or about when you tried to import 6.5.1 ?

[waltdjr]

If you would like, I can help test this as well since I had the same problem.

[millijuna]

Unfortunately, I don't know how much more help I can be on this topic... For various other reasons (not related to PF), I rolled back to my 6.0U3 version of vCenter.

[criscabellos]

Hello.

I've just tried to deploy the "PacketFence-ZEN-7.1.0.ova" file into my VMware EXSi 6.0.0 and got the same error message at the same point:

I've found a possible solution which was to extract the files from the .ova file and use the ovftool.exe to recreate the .ovf file. After doing this, the error above was switched to the error below:

I searched once more and saw that it was related to the .ovf file information which contained the information vmx-7 instead of vmx-07. I was supposed to solve this by editing the .ovf file, changing vmx-7 to vmx-07, and recreating the .ova file. But after doing this, I got another error, and that error I can't seem to find a possible solution.

Can anyone help me on this?

[splummer]

I am seeing the same errors.

[robsee]

The "invalid OVF manifest:. " is due to an extra newline in the box.mf file. I also changed the vmx-7 to vmx-07 and am getting the same errors as the previous poster

[robsee]

So it looks overall like the problem is this was exported from virtualbox and is not entirely compatible with esxi. I was able to get the machine imported by removing the 2 ide controllers in the ovf, and replacing them with

0 SCSIController SCSI Controller SCSIController 3 lsilogic 6

The machine now boots into linux, but hangs during the boot process, I'm assuming because of HDA vs SDA device names.

[erSitzt]

I have the same Problem with ZEN 8.1

[berlulli]

same problem with ZEN 8.1 and VMware vsphere 6.5

[hirsh2020]

I was able to get it to boot on vmware esx by doing the following. I'm writing this from memory so please excuse any mistakes.

1. use tar to extract the ova file "tar xvf PacketFence-ZEN-8.3.0.ova"
2. delete box.mf file
3. edit box.ovf change vmx-7 to vmx-07 and disk entries per robsee's post above. I've attached my edited box.ovf for reference. box.ovf.txt
4. import the ovf and vmdk using vsphere ofv deploy option (select both files)
5. boot new VM using centos install disk iso. choose troubleshoot and then option 1 after booting
6. "chroot /mnt/sysimage"
7. get internet access running edit/create ifcfg-ens33 in /etc/sysconfig/network-scripts/ ("ifup ifcfg-ens33")
8. edit /etc/resolve.conf to get DNS working
9. install vmware tools and drivers "yum install -y open-vm-tools"
10. rebuild initrd dracut -f /boot/initramfs-3.10.0-514.10.2.el7.x86_64.img 3.10.0-514.10.2.el7.x86_64
11. exit chroot by "exit"
12. reboot the system "reboot" and remove virtual CD.
13. Done, good luck.

Some references that i used: robsee's info above https://www.tecmint.com/recover-or-rescue-corrupted-grub-boot-loader-in-centos-7/ https://www.techrepublic.com/article/how-to-configure-a-static-ip-address-in-centos-7/ http://www.doublecloud.org/2017/07/install-vmware-tools-on-centos-7-the-easy-and-quick-way/

If the maintainer of the OVA installed open-vm-tools on the base image I think just editing the box.ovf would be sufficient to get up and running and steps 5-11 could be skipped.

[nqb]

We build ZEN differently now. Please try latest one and open a new bug if you still have issue.