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Server Automation
Server Automation provides powerful automation. You can use it to sequence automation actions in steps across multiple endpoints.
Virtualization
Virtualization is a software technology that allows multiple operating systems to run on the same host computer at the same time. Additional uses of virtualization include the quick creation of new systems for testing, training, and demonstration. Using virtualized computers saves the cost of hardware, management, and administration of the server infrastructure.
VMware
You can deploy and configure a management extender plug-in for VMware. You can then manage VMware virtual machines from within BigFix the console.
Power management tasks
Using these tasks you can manage the power state of your VMware virtual machines. You you can power off, suspend, and restart your virtual machines in two different ways: soft and hard. When you perform a power operation on a virtual machine with VMware Tools that are installed on the virtual machine, it is referred to as soft. When you perform a power operation by immediately stopping the virtual machine, it is referred to as hard. You can perform both hard and soft power operations on VMware virtual machines from within the BigFix console.
Suspending a VM (hard)
Using VMware, you can suspend your virtual machines in two different ways: suspend (soft) and suspend (hard). When you suspend a virtual machine with VMware tools that are installed on the virtual machine, it is referred to in VMware as suspend (soft). When you suspend a virtual machine by immediately suspending it, it is referred to in VMware as a suspend (hard). You can perform both hard and soft suspend operations on VMware virtual machines from the BigFix console.

Server Automation
Server Automation provides powerful automation. You can use it to sequence automation actions in steps across multiple endpoints.
- Overview
  BigFix Lifecycle Server Automation provides you with the capability to automate provisioning workflows. You can automate a sequence of Fixlets, Tasks, and Baselines across different endpoints, such as servers or computers. Server Automation exploits the agility and scalability of BigFix to deliver powerful functionality in a lean and efficient manner, with minimal impact on your network.
- Automation
  BigFix Lifecycle Server Automation provides you with technology to sequence actions, such as the deployment of Fixlets, across multiple endpoints. To sequence automation, you create an Automation Plan. Your Automation Plan contains all of the actions for your end-to-end automation sequence.
- Virtualization
  Virtualization is a software technology that allows multiple operating systems to run on the same host computer at the same time. Additional uses of virtualization include the quick creation of new systems for testing, training, and demonstration. Using virtualized computers saves the cost of hardware, management, and administration of the server infrastructure.
  - VMware
    You can deploy and configure a management extender plug-in for VMware. You can then manage VMware virtual machines from within BigFix the console.
    - Setup and maintenance for Management Extender
      This section provides documentation about setup and maintenance tasks that you can complete for VMware virtualization.
    - Virtual server overview
      The Virtual Server Overview dashboard lists the hosts and virtual machines reported by the management extender through the VMware API. You can use the Virtual Server Overview to view the attributes of each host and virtual machine. You can also filter the lists of hosts and virtual machines by their attributes. To view the Virtual Server Overview, in the Server Automation domain, select Virtualization > Virtual Server Overview.
    - Host management tasks
    - Snapshot management tasks
    - Power management tasks
      Using these tasks you can manage the power state of your VMware virtual machines. You you can power off, suspend, and restart your virtual machines in two different ways: soft and hard. When you perform a power operation on a virtual machine with VMware Tools that are installed on the virtual machine, it is referred to as soft. When you perform a power operation by immediately stopping the virtual machine, it is referred to as hard. You can perform both hard and soft power operations on VMware virtual machines from within the BigFix console.
      - Powering on a VM
        Using the Power On VM Task, you can power on VMware virtual machines from the BigFix console.
      - Powering off a VM (hard)
        Using VMware, you can power off your virtual machines in two different ways: power off (soft) and power off (hard). When a virtual machine is powered off using VMware tools that are installed on the virtual machine, it is referred to in VMware as power off (soft). When a virtual machine is powered off by immediately stopping it, it is referred to in VMware as a power off (hard). You can power off VMware virtual machines from within the BigFix console.
      - Powering off a VM (soft)
        Using VMware, you can power off your virtual machines in two different ways: power off (soft) and power off (hard). When you power off a virtual machine with VMware tools that are installed on the virtual machine, it is referred to as power off (soft). When a virtual machine is powered off by immediately stopping it, it is referred to as a power off (hard). You can perform both hard and soft power off operations on VMware virtual machines from within the BigFix console.
      - Restarting a VM (hard)
        Using VMware, you can restart your virtual machines in two different ways: restart (soft) and restart (hard). When you restart a virtual machine with VMware tools that are installed on the virtual machine, it is referred to in VMware as restart (soft). When you restart a virtual machine by immediately restarting it, it is referred to in VMware as a restart (hard). You can perform both hard and soft restart operations on VMware virtual machines from the BigFix console.
      - Restarting a VM (soft)
        Using VMware, you can restart your virtual machines in two different ways: restart (soft) and restart (hard). When you restart a virtual machine with VMware tools that are installed on the virtual machine, it is referred to as restart (soft). When you restart a virtual machine by immediately restarting it, it is referred to as a restart (hard). You can perform both hard and soft restart operations on VMware virtual machines from the BigFix console.
      - Suspending a VM (hard)
        Using VMware, you can suspend your virtual machines in two different ways: suspend (soft) and suspend (hard). When you suspend a virtual machine with VMware tools that are installed on the virtual machine, it is referred to in VMware as suspend (soft). When you suspend a virtual machine by immediately suspending it, it is referred to in VMware as a suspend (hard). You can perform both hard and soft suspend operations on VMware virtual machines from the BigFix console.
      - Suspending a VM (soft)
        Using VMware, you can suspend your virtual machines in two different ways: suspend (soft) and suspend (hard). When you suspend a virtual machine with VMware tools that are installed on the VMware virtual machine, it is referred to in VMware as suspend (soft). When you suspend a virtual machine by immediately suspending it, it is referred to in VMware as a suspend (hard). You can perform both hard and soft suspend operations on VMware virtual machines from the BigFix console.
  - AIX® NIM
    You can setup and configure management extender plug-in for AIX® NIM. You can then create and remove NIM Clients and Mksysb images on a NIM master server from within the BigFix console.
  - PowerVM®
    You can deploy and configure a management extender plug-in for PowerVM®. You can then manage PowerVM logical partitions (LPARs) from within the BigFix console.
  - Management Extender Log Viewer
    The Management Extender Log Viewer dashboard provides information about each Virtualization task that you run. In the dashboard, you can view a high-level overview of the action logs. Each log entry contains a link to where you can find the original action window. Each entry also contains a link to the log file.
  - Turning off validation in a task
    Some of the Virtualization Tasks within the Server Automation domain contain a Validation button which you can use to disable validation and enter your own data for some of the parameters.
- Configuring your system
  This section describes how the BigFix architecture is relevant for Server Automation. It also describes how Server Automation can affect BigFix performance.
- Sample Automation Plans
  Server Automation is shipped with a number of sample Automation Plans that you can run out of the box. To run these Automation Plans out of the box, ensure that the Fixlets contained in them are available. Typically, you would substitute some of the Fixlets contained in these samples with particular Fixlets that you want to run. Use the information in each of the following sections to find out more about each of the sample plans.
- Server Automation content
  Server Automation provides content that you can use to automate processes and software deployment.

Suspending a VMware virtual machine (hard)

Using VMware, you can suspend your virtual machines in two different ways: suspend (soft) and suspend (hard). When you suspend a virtual machine with VMware tools that are installed on the virtual machine, it is referred to in VMware as suspend (soft). When you suspend a virtual machine by immediately suspending it, it is referred to in VMware as a suspend (hard). You can perform both hard and soft suspend operations on VMware virtual machines from the BigFix console.

About this task

Complete the following steps to suspend a VMware virtual machine (hard).

Procedure

Open the Server Automation domain.
From the navigation tree in the Server Automation domain, click Virtualization > Virtual Machine Management > Power Configuration to open the list of Power Configuration Tasks.
From the Tasks list, select Suspend VM (hard).
In the Task: Suspend VM (hard) window, click Take Action.
In the Take Action dialog box, ensure Specific computers selected in the list below is selected.
To target a virtual machine to suspend, select a virtual machine from the Computer Name list and click OK.

Results

When the virtual machine is suspended, the Status changes to Completed in the Action: Suspend VM (hard) window.