Product Documentation
Application Delivery Management
14.1 - Current Release 13.1 13.0 12.1
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Automate deployment of NetScaler agent on VMware ESXi

March 25, 2024
Contributed by: 
C R C

NetScaler Console allows you to automate the deployment of NetScaler agents on VMware ESXi.

As an admin, you can automate the following actions:

  • Configure the NetScaler agent
  • Register the NetScaler agent and change the default password of the agent.

Configure the NetScaler agent

To automate the configuration of the agent, add the values for the following parameters in the .ovf file:

  1. IPAddress
  2. Netmask
  3. Gateway
  4. Nameserver
  5. Hostname

Note:

The .ovf file is available in the agent image file. To download the NetScaler agent file, go to https://www.citrix.com/downloads/citrix-application-management/. The naming pattern of the agent image file is as follows, MASAGENT-ESX-releasenumber-buildnumber.zip

Register the NetScaler agent and change the default password

Note:

Before registering and changing the default password, make sure that you have added the parameters specified in Configure the NetScaler agent.

To automate the registering of the NetScaler agent and the changing of the default password, add the values for the following parameters in the same .ovf file:

  1. NetScaler Console Server IP
  2. NetScaler Console Username
  3. NetScaler Console Password
  4. Agent New Password

Prerequisites

Before you begin installing a virtual appliance, make sure you:

  • Install VMware vSphere 8.x on a management workstation that meets the minimum system requirements.
  • Download the NetScaler Console setup files.

How to configure and register a NetScaler agent

  1. Download and edit the .OVF file
  2. Install NetScaler Console virtual appliance on VMware ESXi
  3. Verify

Step 1: Download and edit the .OVF file

  1. Extract the files from the MASAGENT-ESX-releasenumber-buildnumber.zip to the desired location. The following files are extracted:

    • .ovf file
    • .vmdk file
    • .ova file
    • .mf file

  2. Open the .ovf file in any editor and add the following <ProductSection>..</ProductSection> sample code after the </VirtualHardwareSection> tag

    <ProductSection>
<Info>Information about the installed software</Info>
<Product>Application Delivery management</Product>
<Vendor>Citrix</Vendor>

<Property ovf:userConfigurable="true" ovf:value="VALUE" ovf:type="string"
ovf:key="eth0.ip">
<Label>IPAddress</Label>
</Property>

<Property ovf:userConfigurable="true" ovf:value="VALUE" ovf:type="string"
ovf:key="eth0.netmask">
<Label>Netmask</Label>
</Property>

<Property ovf:userConfigurable="true" ovf:value="VALUE" ovf:type="string"
ovf:key="eth0.gateway">
<Label>Gateway</Label>
</Property>

<Property ovf:userConfigurable="true" ovf:value="VALUE" ovf:type="string"
ovf:key="eth0.nameserver">
<Label>Nameserver</Label>
</Property>

<Property ovf:userConfigurable="true" ovf:value="VALUE" ovf:type="string"
ovf:key="eth0.hostname">
<Label>Hostname</Label>
</Property>

<Property ovf:userConfigurable="true" ovf:value="VALUE" ovf:type="string"
ovf:key="eth0.ServerIP">
<Label>NetScaler Console Server IP</Label>
</Property>

<Property ovf:userConfigurable="true" ovf:value="VALUE" ovf:type="string"
ovf:key="eth0.ServerUname">
<Label>NetScaler Console Username</Label>  
</Property>

<Property ovf:userConfigurable="true" ovf:password="true" ovf:value="VALUE"
ovf:type="string" ovf:key="eth0.ServerPassword">
<Label>NetScaler Console Password</Label>
</Property>

<Property ovf:userConfigurable="true" ovf:password="true" ovf:value="VALUE"
ovf:type="string" ovf:key="eth0.NewPassword">
<Label>Agent New Password</Label>
</Property>

</ProductSection>
<!--NeedCopy-->

  3. For the parameters which you want to configure, add their corresponding values in ovf:value=”VALUE”

    • To configure the NetScaler agent, add the values to the following parameters:

      • IPAddress
      • Netmask
      • Gateway
      • Nameserver
      • Hostname

    • To register and change the default password of the NetScaler agent, add the values to the following parameters:

      • NetScaler Console Server IP
      • NetScaler Console Username
      • NetScaler Console Password
      • Agent New Password

    Note:

    • You must configure the NetScaler agent before you register and change the default password of the agent.
    • If you do not register and change the default password in the .ovf file, perform these actions manually after the VM is deployed.

    Edit the OVF file

  4. After adding the parameters and their values, save the .ovf file.

Step 2: Install NetScaler Console virtual appliance on VMware ESXi

  1. Log in to the VMWare vSphere Client and type the administrator credentials. Click Login.

    vSphere login

  2. Select your ESXi server, and right-click to select Deploy OVF Template.

    Deploy OVF template

  3. In the Deploy OVF Template page:

    1. Select an OVF template: Select Local file and navigate to where you have saved the edited .ovf file and the .vmdk file. Select the files and click Open to upload them. Click Next.

      Select OVF template

    2. Select a name and folder: Add a name for the virtual appliance and select the location on the ESXi where you want to deploy the virtual machine. Click Next.

      Select name and folder

    3. Select a compute resource: Select a resource on which to run the template after it is deployed. Click Next.

      Select compute resource

    4. Review details: Verify the OVF template details. Click Next.

      Review details

    5. Select storage: Select a datastore to store the OVF template. Click Next.

      Select storage

    6. Select networks: Proceed with the default settings. Click Next.

      Select network

    7. Customize template: Review all the properties of the OVF template. All the parameters and values you added in the .ovf file in the Download and edit the .OVF file section are displayed.

      Review template

    8. Ready to complete: To save the settings and start the deployment process, click Finish.

      Finish deployment

    Wait for the deployment to complete. After the status of the Deploy OVF template operation is 100% complete, your agent is deployed.

    Deployment ovf status

    Important:

    Do not power on the virtual appliance before you edit the settings.

  4. Click the new virtual appliance that you installed and navigate to Configure > Settings > vApp Options > Edit.

  5. In the Edit vApp Options window, navigate to In OVF Details > OVF environment transport, and select VMware Tools. Click OK.

    Configure settings

  6. Right-click on the virtual machine and click Power On. As an alternative, you can select the virtual machine’s Summary tab and click Power On.

    Power on the VM

  7. In the Summary tab, select Launch Web Console. In the Launch Console window, select Web Console. Click Launch.

    Launch console

    Select web console

  8. In the console, a successful registration message is displayed after the NetScaler agent is registered to the NetScaler Console server. To verify that the NetScaler agent has been deployed and the default password has been changed, log in with the NetScaler agent user name and the new password.

    Agent registration success message

Step 3: Verify

To verify that the NetScaler agent is deployed:

  1. After the NetScaler agent is deployed, access the NetScaler Console GUI by typing the IP address of the NetScaler Console server in the browser.
  2. Log in to the server with your credentials.
  3. Navigate to Infrastructure > Instances > Agents. The newly deployed agent is displayed in the ESX Platform.
Automate deployment of NetScaler agent on VMware ESXi
March 25, 2024
Contributed by: 
C R C
March 25, 2024
Contributed by: 
C R C

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