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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.
Setup and maintenance for VMware Plugin
This section provides documentation about setup and maintenance tasks for VMware plug-in to complete the VMware virtualization.
Installing the VMware plug-in
Using the latest version of Install BigFix Plugin for VMware Discovery Task, you can install a VMware plug-in on a BigFix relay.

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.
    - Setup and maintenance for VMware Plugin
      This section provides documentation about setup and maintenance tasks for VMware plug-in to complete the VMware virtualization.
      - Installing the VMware plug-in
        Using the latest version of Install BigFix Plugin for VMware Discovery Task, you can install a VMware plug-in on a BigFix relay.
      - Upgrading the VMware plug-in
        Using the latest version of Update BigFix Plugin for VMware Discovery Task, you can upgrade the VMware vCenter plug-in component of the VMware plug-in for VMware vCenter.
      - Removing the VMware plug-in
        Using the Uninstall BigFix Plugin for VMware Discovery Task, you can remove the VMware plug-in.
    - 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.
  - 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.

Installing the VMware plug-in

Using the latest version of Install BigFix Plugin for VMware Discovery Task, you can install a VMware plug-in on a BigFix relay.

Before you begin

Important: Because of the workload that a VMware plug-in imposes on the system, it is recommended that you install the VMware plug-in on a relay server and not on a root server.

Before you work with BigFix Lifecycle Server Automation virtualization features, you can install a VMware plug-in to communicate with the VMware vCenter or ESX host.

You can install the VMware plug-in on a relay that is running Windows™ Server 2016 or later, Windows™ 10 or later, and RHEL™ 7 or later.

You must have a relay server or a root server version 10.0 or later. Additionally, ensure that there is no VMware plug-in currently installed on the server.

Important: Before you install the VMware plug-in, you must install the latest version of the plug-in portal with a separate Fixlet®. In the BES Support site, run the latest version of the Install Plugin Portal Fixlet® to install the plug-in portal.

Procedure

Open the Server Automation domain.
From the navigation tree in the Server Automation domain, click Virtualization > Setup and Maintainance > Deploy VMware Components.
In the Deploy VMware Components window, select the Install BigFix Plugin for VMware Discovery Task.
To configure the VMware plug-in properties, refer to VMware Plugin section in Installing cloud plugins.
In the Task: Install BigFix Plugin for VMware Discovery window, click Take Action.
In the Take Action dialog box, ensure Specific computers selected in the list below is selected.
In the Computer Name list, select a relay server and click OK.

Results

In the Action: Install BigFix Plugin for VMware Discovery window, you can check the status of the installation. When the status changes to Completed, the VMware plug-in for VMware is installed.