Linux « blog.kaniski.eu

4Sep/170

Deploying Linux machines by using System Center 2016: Virtual Machine Manager templates

In light of "Microsoft loves Linux" initiative, you can now deploy your Linux virtual machines by using templates in the System Center 2016: Virtual Machine Manager. As I was searching on how to do this (successfully), there were couple of articles that helped, so I’ve decided to do a short list of all the necessary steps (in one place).

Steps to make your Linux VM template deployments work:

create a new (Generation 2) virtual machine (as you would normally do)
install the Linux operating system in that virtual machine (as you would normally do)
- HINT: A list of supported Linux distributions and versions on Hyper-V is available here.
install the Linux Integration Services (LIS) (as per this post):
- open the "modules" file
  
  Shell
  
  sudo nano /etc/initramfs-tools/modules
  
  1
  
  sudo nano /etc/initramfs-tools/modules
- add the following to the end of this file:
  
  hv_vmbus hv_storvsc hv_blkvsc hv_netvsc
  
  1
  2
  3
  4
  
  hv_vmbus
  hv_storvsc
  hv_blkvsc
  hv_netvsc

- save it (Ctrl+X and Y)
- install LIS and reboot the machine by using the following commands:
  
  Shell
  
  sudo apt-get install --install-recommends linux-tools-virtual-lts-xenial linux-cloud-tools-virtual-lts-xenial sudo update-initramfs -u sudo reboot
  
  1
  2
  3
  
  sudo apt-get install --install-recommends linux-tools-virtual-lts-xenial linux-cloud-tools-virtual-lts-xenial
  sudo update-initramfs -u
  sudo reboot
- check if the services are running by using the command:
  
  Shell
  
  sudo lsmod
  
  1
  
  sudo lsmod
install the Virtual Machine Manager agent (as per this post):
- share the folder C:\Program Files\Microsoft System Center 2016\Agents\Linux on your VMM machine
- copy the VMM agent files to Linux virtual machine
  - as a real Windows admin, I did it through the GUI
- install the agent:
  
  Shell
  
  sudo ./install scvmmguestagent.1.0.2.1075.x64.tar
  
  1
  
  sudo ./install scvmmguestagent.1.0.2.1075.x64.tar
fix the boot for Generation 2 virtual machine (boot information is by default stored in the VM configuration file, not on disk – Ben wrote a great article on this “issue”)
- Ben’s way (didn’t work for me):
  - change directory to the boot EFI directory
    
    Shell
    
    sudo cd /boot/efi/EFI
    
    1
    
    sudo cd /boot/efi/EFI
  - copy the ubuntu directory in to a new directory named boot
    
    Shell
    
    sudo cp -r ubuntu/ boot
    
    1
    
    sudo cp -r ubuntu/ boot
  - change directory to the newly created boot directory
    
    Shell
    
    sudo cd boot
    
    1
    
    sudo cd boot
  - rename the shimx64.efi file
    
    Shell
    
    sudo mv shimx64.efi bootx64.efi
    
    1
    
    sudo mv shimx64.efi bootx64.efi
- TriJetScud’s way in the comments (worked for me with Ubuntu 16.04 Generation 2 VM):
  
  Shell
  
  sudo grub-install --target=x86_64-efi --efi-directory=/boot/efi --no-nvram --removable
  
  1
  
  sudo grub-install --target=x86_64-efi --efi-directory=/boot/efi --no-nvram --removable
shutdown the virtual machine and copy its VHDX to the VMM Library
- HINT: Don't forget to refresh the VMM Library.
go to the VMM Library, right-click the copied VHDX and select the Create VM template option
proceed with creating the template as you normally would, to the part Configure Operating System
- HINT: If you are using Secure boot, don’t forget to select the MicrosoftUEFICertificateAuthority template in hardware settings.
there, under Guest OS profile, you select the option to create a new Linux operating system customization settings
next you specify your guest OS settings and finish creating the template
now you can create a new Linux virtual machine from the template you’ve configured!

Hope it helps!

Cheers!

Tagged as: 2016, agent, howto, Hyper-V, Linux, LIS, sudo, System Center, template, Ubuntu, Virtual Machine Manager No Comments

15Jul/1413

Office 365 and BIND

And now… something completely different. Smile

The other day I was “playing” with setting up Office 365 for one of our clients – they have Linux machines for their DNS servers, and BIND as their DNS solution. As this was my first encounter with configuring BIND by myself, I just wanted to share steps I’ve taken to make it work (in my lab environment) – maybe it will help someone…

DISCLAIMER: I’m not a Linux/UNIX expert! I try to figure out what I need, and then try to make this work… with the help of Internet resources (or experts), of course. There is plenty of resources on how to do this already, but I like to have things in one place if I need them again.

So, I’ve began my experiment with wondering which Linux distribution should I take. After some consulting (thanks, Ingrid Smile ), the final choice was pretty easy – Fedora (criteria – had to be relatively easy to use (for non-Linux person like me), had to work in Hyper-V without much trouble, and there should be someone who can help if I got stuck). Smile

After a pretty simple installation process (wizard, Next, …, Next, Finish), I’ve had my Fedora box up and running.

Now, the more complicated part – setup this box to be BIND server, and load the correct records in it, so that Office 365 can add and verify my domain.

Here are the high-level steps (I’ve used Terminal, with su rights):

1. install few packages to get things up and running:

yum -y install bind bind-utils bind-libs nano

1	yum -y install bind bind-utils bind-libs nano

2. configure the BIND (DNS) server to run at startup:

chkconfig named on

1	chkconfig named on

3. query the firewall rules for UDP port 53 access:

iptables -vnL | grep 53

1	iptables -vnL \| grep 53

4. open the required firewall ports (list of TCP and UDP ports):

iptables -I INPUT 3 --proto udp --dport 53 -j ACCEPT
iptables -I INPUT 4 --proto tcp --dport 53 -j ACCEPT

1 2	iptables -I INPUT 3 --proto udp --dport 53 -j ACCEPT iptables -I INPUT 4 --proto tcp --dport 53 -j ACCEPT

5. edit the /etc/named.conf file:

nano /etc/named.conf

1	nano /etc/named.conf

6. comment the lines that are preventing your BIND server from responding to “outside” requests:

...
 // listen-on port 53 { 127.0.0.1; };
 // listen-on-v6 port 53 { ::1; };
...

...

// listen-on port 53 { 127.0.0.1; };

// listen-on-v6 port 53 { ::1; };

...

7. add your local subnet to allowed list (and add some forwarders for resolving other domains and records):

...
allow-query { 192.168.0.0/24; };
forwarders { 8.8.8.8; 8.8.4.4; };
...

...

allow-query { 192.168.0.0/24; };

forwarders { 8.8.8.8; 8.8.4.4; };

...

8. enable recursion:

recursion yes;

1	recursion yes;

9. add your zone and a “pointer” to your zone file:

zone "o365.kaniski.eu" {
     type master;
     file "/var/named/o365.kaniski.eu.db";
};

zone "o365.kaniski.eu" {

type master;

file "/var/named/o365.kaniski.eu.db";

};

10. create and edit the zone file specified:

nano /var/named/o365.kaniski.eu.db

1	nano /var/named/o365.kaniski.eu.db

11. add the required records to your zone file (by the instructions that Office 365 gives you; sorry about the formatting):

$TTL 7D
$ORIGIN o365.kaniski.eu.
@	IN	SOA	ns1.o365.kaniski.eu. hostmaster.o365.kaniski.eu. (
					2014071501
					8H
					2H
					4W
					1D )
;
@	IN	NS	ns1.o365.kaniski.eu.
@	3600	IN	TXT	"MS=ms10101010"
@	3600	IN	TXT	"v=spf1 include:spf.protection.outlook.com -all"
@	3600	IN	MX	0	o365-kaniski-eu.mail.protection.outlook.com.
autodiscover	3600	IN	CNAME	autodiscover.outlook.com.
_sip._tls	3600	IN	SRV		100	1	443	sipdir.online.lync.com.
_sipfederationtls._tcp	3600	IN	SRV	100	1	5061	sipfed.online.lync.com.
sip	3600	IN	CNAME	sipdir.online.lync.com.
lyncdiscover	3600	IN	CNAME	webdir.online.lync.com.
msoid	3600	IN	CNAME	clientconfig.microsoftonline-p.net.

$TTL 7D

$ORIGIN o365.kaniski.eu.

@ IN SOA ns1.o365.kaniski.eu. hostmaster.o365.kaniski.eu. (

2014071501

1D )

;

@ IN NS ns1.o365.kaniski.eu.

@ 3600 IN TXT "MS=ms10101010"

@ 3600 IN TXT "v=spf1 include:spf.protection.outlook.com -all"

@ 3600 IN MX 0 o365-kaniski-eu.mail.protection.outlook.com.

autodiscover 3600 IN CNAME autodiscover.outlook.com.

_sip._tls 3600 IN SRV 100 1 443 sipdir.online.lync.com.

_sipfederationtls._tcp 3600 IN SRV 100 1 5061 sipfed.online.lync.com.

sip 3600 IN CNAME sipdir.online.lync.com.

lyncdiscover 3600 IN CNAME webdir.online.lync.com.

msoid 3600 IN CNAME clientconfig.microsoftonline-p.net.

12. save the files, and check the new zone:

named-checkzone o365.kaniski.eu. /var/named/o365.kaniski.eu.db

1	named-checkzone o365.kaniski.eu. /var/named/o365.kaniski.eu.db

13. restart the service and start using it:

service named restart

1	service named restart

And Office 365 response after this – success! Smile

Things I’ve learned during this “adventure”:

you should be careful about the trailing “.” (dot) in FQDN-s that you are using – if you miss it somewhere, you’ll get errors loading the zone
there are great guides that can help you – one of them is BIND9 Server: How to (although I’ve seen it a bit too late )
don’t be afraid to ask for help!

I cannot stress this enough – this recipe is not the secure way of doing things – it’s sole purpose is to make BIND work in my lab environment!

If I missed (or misunderstood) something, feel free to comment and correct me.

Cheers!

Updated (20160917): There was a tiny error in my zone file - switched priority and wieght fields (thank you, Lenny, for pointing it out).