Set of packer scripts to create Hyper-V VMs

Requirements

• packer <=1.5.1. Do not use packer below 1.5.1. For previous packer versions use previous releases from this repository
• Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2016/2019 or Microsoft Windows Server 2016/2019 (not 2012/R2) with Hyper-V role installed
• firewall exceptions for packer http server (look down below)
• [OPTIONAL] Vagrant >= 2.2.5 - for vagrant version of scripts

Usage

Install packer from Chocolatey

choco install packer --version=1.4.4

Add firewal exclusions for TCP ports 8000-9000 (default range)

Remove-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "Packer_http_server" -Verbose
New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "Packer_http_server" -Direction Inbound -Action Allow -Protocol TCP -LocalPort 8000-9000

To adjust to your Hyper-V, please check variables below and/or in ./variables files

• proper VLAN (possible passing as variable -var 'vlan_id=0' )
• proper Hyper-V Virtual Switch name (access to Internet will be required) (possible passing as variable -var 'switch_name=vSwitch' )
• proper URL for ISO images in packer's template (possible passing as variable -var 'iso_url=file.iso' )
• proper checksum type (possible passing as variable -var 'iso_checksum_type=sha256' )
• proper checksum (possible passing as variable -var 'iso_checksum=aaaabbbbbbbcccccccddddd' )

Scripts

Windows Machines

• all available updates will be applied (3 passes)

• latest version of chocolatey

• packages from a list below:

  Package	Version
  puppet-agent	5.5.17
  conemu	latest
  dotnetfx	latest
  sysinternals	latest

• latest Nuget poweshell module

• puppet agent settings will be customized (server=foreman.spcph.local). Please adjust it (/extra/scripts/phase-3.ps1) to suit your needs. Puppet won't be running after generalize phase

Linux Machines

• Repositories:
  • EPEL 7
  • Zabbix 4.2
  • Puppet 5.x [can be switch off by -p false]
  • Webmin/Usermin (can be switched off by setting -w false)
  • Neofetch
• latest System Center Virtual Machine Agent available (with versioning, so you always can go back)

Info

• adjust /files/provision.sh to modify package's versions/servers.
• change "provision_script_options" variable to:
  • -p (true/false) - switch Install Puppet on/off
  • -w (true/false) - switch Install Webmin on/off
  • -h (true/false) - switch Install Hyper-V integration services on/off
  • -u (true/false) - switch yum update all on/off (usable when creating previous than latest version of OS) Example:

"provision_script_options": "-p false -u true -w true -h false"

• prepare_neofetch.sh - default banner during after the login - change required fields you'd like to see in provision.sh

Templates Windows 2016

Hyper-V Generation 2 Windows Server 2016 Standard Image

Run hv_win2016_g2_std.ps1 (Windows)

2016 Standard Generation 2 Prerequisites

For Generation 2 prepare secondary.iso with folder structure:

• ./extra/files/gen2-2016/Autounattend.xml => /Autounattend.xml
• ./extra/scripts/hyper-v/bootstrap.ps1 => /bootstrap.ps1

This template uses this image name in Autounattendes.xml. If youre using different ISO you'll have to adjust that part in proper file and rebuild secondary.iso image.

<InstallFrom>
    <MetaData wcm:action="add">
        <Key>/IMAGE/NAME </Key>
        <Value>Windows Server 2016 SERVERSTANDARD</Value>
    </MetaData>
</InstallFrom>

Hyper-V Generation 2 Windows Server 2019 Standard Image

Run hv_win2019_std_g2.ps1 (Windows)

2019 Standard Generation 2 Prerequisites

For Generation 2 prepare secondary.iso with folder structure:

• ./extra/files/gen2-2019/std/Autounattend.xml => /Autounattend.xml
• ./extra/scripts/hyper-v/bootstrap.ps1 => /bootstrap.ps1

This template uses this image name in Autounattendes.xml. If youre using different ISO you'll have to adjust that part in proper file and rebuild secondary.iso image.

<InstallFrom>
    <MetaData wcm:action="add">
        <Key>/IMAGE/NAME </Key>
        <Value>Windows Server 2019 SERVERSTANDARD</Value>
    </MetaData>
</InstallFrom>

Hyper-V Generation 2 Windows Server 2019 Datacenter Image

Run hv_win2019_std_g2.ps1 (Windows)

2019 Datacenter Generation 2 Prerequisites

For Generation 2 prepare secondary.iso with folder structure:

• ./extra/files/gen2-2019/dc/Autounattend.xml => /Autounattend.xml
• ./extra/scripts/hyper-v/bootstrap.ps1 => /bootstrap.ps1

This template uses this image name in Autounattendes.xml. If youre using different ISO you'll have to adjust that part in proper file and rebuild secondary.iso image.

<InstallFrom>
    <MetaData wcm:action="add">
        <Key>/IMAGE/NAME </Key>
        <Value>Windows Server 2019 SERVERDATACENTER</Value>
    </MetaData>
</InstallFrom>

Hyper-V Generation 2 Windows Server 1903 Standard Image

If you need changes For - prepare secondary1903.iso with folder structure:

• ./extra/files/gen2-1903/Autounattend.xml => /Autounattend.xml
• ./extra/scripts/hyper-v/bootstrap.ps1 => /bootstrap.ps1

Run hv_winserver_1903_g2.ps1

Hyper-V Generation 2 Windows Server 1909 Standard Image

If you need changes For - prepare secondary1909.iso with folder structure:

• ./extra/files/gen2-1909/Autounattend.xml => /Autounattend.xml
• ./extra/scripts/hyper-v/bootstrap.ps1 => /bootstrap.ps1

Run hv_winserver_1909_g2.ps1

Templates CentOS 7.x

Hyper-V Generation 2 CentOS 7.7 Image

Run hv_centos77_g2.ps1

Warnings - CentOS

• if required change switch_name parameter to switch's name you're using. In most situations packer manages it fine but there were a cases when it created new 'internal' switches without access to Internet. By design this setup will fail to download and apply updates.
• folder ./iso should contain iso image of your Windows 2016 Server Standard (any version will be fine)
• if needed - change iso_url variable to a proper iso name
• packer generates v8 machine configuration files (Windows 2016/Hyper-V 2016 as host) and v9 for Windows Server 2019/Windows 10 1809
• credentials for Windows machines: Administrator/password (removed after sysprep)
• credentials for Linux machines: root/password
• for Windows based machines adjust your settings in ./scripts/phase-2.ps1
• for Linux based machines adjust your settings in ./files/gen2-centos/provision.sh and ./files/gen2-centos/puppet.conf

Vagrant support

Experimental support for vagrant machines hv_centos77_g2_vagrant.ps1

Hyper-V Generation 2 CentOS 7.7 Image with extra docker volume

Run hv_centos77_g2_docker.ps1

Warnings - CentOS Docker

• if required change switch_name parameter to switch's name you're using. In most situations packer manages it fine but there were a cases when it created new 'internal' switches without access to Internet. By design this setup will fail to download and apply updates.
• folder ./iso should contain iso image of your Windows 2016 Server Standard (any version will be fine)
• if needed - change iso_url variable to a proper iso name
• packer generates v8 machine configuration files (Windows 2016/Hyper-V 2016 as host) and v9 for Windows Server 2019/Windows 10 1809
• credentials for Windows machines: Administrator/password (removed after sysprep)
• credentials for Linux machines: root/password
• for Windows based machines adjust your settings in ./scripts/phase-2.ps1
• for Linux based machines adjust your settings in ./files/gen2-centos/provision.sh and ./files/gen2-centos/puppet.conf
• no docker repo will be added and no docker-related packages will be installed

Known issues

Infamous UEFI/Secure boot WIndows implementation

During the deployment secure keys are stored in *.vmcx file and are separated from *.vhdx file. To countermeasure it - there is added extra step in a form of (/usr/local/bin/uefi.sh) script that will check for existence of CentOS folder in EFI and will add extra entry in UEFI. In manual setup you can run it as a part of your deploy. In SCVMM deployment I'd recommend using RunOnce feature.

On Windows Server 2019/Windows 10 1809 image boots to fast for packer to react

hashicorp/packer#7278 (comment)

Fixed in version 1.4.4. Do not use lower versions

When Hyper-V host has more than one interface Packer sets {{ .HTTPIP }} variable to inproper interface

Fixed in version 1.4.4. Do not use lower versions No resolution so far, template needs to be changed to pass real IP address, or there should be connection between these addresses. Limiting these, end with timeout errors.**

Packer version 1.3.0/1.3.1 have bug with windows-restart provisioner

hashicorp/packer#6733

Packer won't run until VirtualSwitch is created as shared

hashicorp/packer#5023 Will be fixed in 1.4.x revision

I have problem how to find a proper WIM name in Windows ISO to pick proper version

You can use number. If you have 4 images on the list of choice - use ImageIndex with proper Value

<ImageInstall>
    <OSImage>
        <InstallFrom>
            <MetaData wcm:action="add">
                <Key>/IMAGE/INDEX </Key>
                <Value>2</Value>
            </MetaData>
        </InstallFrom>
        <InstallTo>
            <DiskID>0</DiskID>
            <PartitionID>2</PartitionID>
        </InstallTo>
    </OSImage>
</ImageInstall>

About

• Marcin Bojko - marcin(at)bojko.com.pl

Work based on https://github.com/jacqinthebox/packer-templates.git