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Running the downloaded installer for VSDM opens the first of three wizards that allow you to control the installation process.

1. On the Welcome to the Virtual Server Deployment Manager 1.3.0 (VSDM) Setup Wizard page, click Next.


2. On the License Agreement page, click I agree, and then click Next.


3. On the Select Installation Folder page, select an appropriate folder for VSDM, and then click Next.


4. On the Confirm Installation page, click Next.



The VSDM installation begins. When the installation is complete, the second of the three wizards, the VSDM IIS Configuration Wizard is launched.



5. In the VSDM IIS Configuration Wizard, on the Step 1: Please locate your Virtual Server Installation page, confirm that the information is correct, and then click Next.


6. On the Step 2: Enable ASP.NET Runtime Engine 1.1 page, click Next.



Note: There will not be anything for you to select on this page. If you don't have ASP.NET installed, the installer will add it and enable the ASP.NET extension automatically. If you have ASP.NET installed, but don't have the extension enabled, the installer will enable it. If you have ASP.NET installed and have the extension enabled, the installer will report this.



7. On the Step 3: Please select your IIS installation method page, select the appropriate option to either install VSDM as a new web site, or to install it as a virtual folder (or virtual directory) in an existing web site, and then click Next.



Note: The next page will present one of two options, depending on which option you chose in Step 3.



8. If you chose to install VSDM as a new web site, on the Step 4: Please select your configuration page, in the Name box, enter a name for your web site. In the Port box, enter an unused port for the new web site, and then click Next.


9. If you chose to install VSDM as a virtual directory in an existing web site, on the Step 4: Please select your configuration page, in the Host Web Site list, select an existing web site, in the Folder box, type the name for the new virtual directory, and then click Next.


10. On the Step 5: Choose authentication method page, click Next.




Note: There really is nothing to configure here. If you attempt to clear the Integrated Windows authentication check box, a message will appear informing you that you must select at least one authentication method. If you want to change the authentication methods for the VSDM web site, you'll need to do so after the installation is complete by using the Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager.



11. On the Step 6: Virtual Server Options page leave the Create reference to the Virtual Server Web Admin and Create Virtual Server folder in website root options enabled. This will create a link to the Virtual Server Administration Web site from within the VSDM web site. I've found a bug relating to this option which I'll describe later. For now, it is important that you leave these options enabled. You also have the option to create the VSDM security groups at this time.


12. On the Step 7: VSDM Client Support page, click Next. I'm not entirely sure what this option is for, but as the page says, it is under development and is not currently available.


13. On the Review your settings page, verify that all of the settings are correct, and then click Finish.

The VSDM IIS configuration is now complete and the VSDM Configuration Wizard is launched. This wizard builds the XML file that VSDM uses for its configuration information.

1. In the VSDM Configuration Wizard, on the Welcome page, click Next.


2. On the Introduction page, click Next.


3. On the Step 1: Installation Information page fill in the options as follows:
   

   
   
   • Title: This will appear in the top panel of the VSDM Web site.
   
   
   • Display: If this is enabled, the Title wil be displayed in the top panel of the VSDM web site.
   
   
   • Show Server: If this is enabled, the FQDN of the VSDM server will be displayed in the top panel of the VSDM web site.
   
   
   • URL: This is supposed to create a hyperlink for the Title value. Note: This is where I think I've identified the bug that I mentioned earlier. It would appear that the wizard actually writes this value to the wrong location in the XML file. Rather that doing what it is supposed and creating a hyperlink for the Title value, this value gets written to the XML file where the value for the Virtual Server Administration web site is supposed to be written. I've reported this to Nelson, but have not heard back from him as of yet. For now, I'd recommend that you either leave this value blank, or if you must fill it out, use the URL for your VS Administration web site, i.e. http://hostname:1024/VirtualServer. No matter what you do here, the Title value will not have a hyperlink behind it. To get a hyperlink you'll need to manually edit the XML file after the installation is complete.
   
   
   • Install Path: The location of the Virtual Server installation.
   
   
   • Images: I haven't been able to figure out what Images are as of yet. Any ideas?
   
   
   • Templates: Templates are existing VHD files that you make available to your users. They can use these VHD files to create their own virtual machines.
   
   
   • ISO: ISO files that your users can attach to their virtual machines.
   
   
   • Configs: Where the user created virtual machines are stored.
   
   
   • Runtime: Another option I haven't managed to figure out yet.
   
   



4. On the Step 2: Security/Administrators page, delete the 2 sample rows, and then add your VSDM Administrators using the following parameters:
   

   
   
   • Primary: This indicates the primary Administrator contact for the VSDM web site. Selecting this checkbox will cause (primary) to appear beside the administrator's link on the web site.
   
   
   • Contact: Selecting this option causes the administrator to be listed on the VSDM web site.
   
   
   • Display Name: The name of the administrator as it should appear on the VSDM web site.
   
   
   • Email: The email address of the administrator. This will appear beside the administrator's name on the web site and will create a mailto: hyperlink.
   
   
   • Domain: The domain containing the administrator's account.
   
   
   • User: The administrator's account name.
   
   

   
   



5. On the Step 3: Security/Users page, add any users and/groups that should be able to create new virtual machines or to manage existing machines that they own or have been granted permissions for, and then click Next.




Note: There seems to be another bug here that I hit consistently and that I've seen reported at least once in the public news groups. As soon as I click in the Display Name column below Users(Domain/Users) the installer throws an exception (see below). I can click Continue and, well, continue.





6. On the Step 4: Security/Guests page, add the users and/or groups that should be able to see or operate virtual machines for which they have been assigned permissions, and then click Next. Guests can only see and operate virtual machines. They cannot create or configure them.


7. On the Step 5: Security/Teams page, add the users and/or groups that should be able to create new virtual machines or to manage existing machines that they own or have been granted permissions for, and then click Next.


8. On the Step 6: Templates page, add the existing VHD files which you want to make available to your users as templates for new virtual machines. Use the following parameters, and then click Next:
   

   
   
   • Disabled: If selected prevents the template from being used to create new virtual machines.
   
   
   • ID: ID number assigned to the template.
   
   
   • Name: The name for the template as displayed on the VSDM web site.
   
   
   • Image Path: The absolute path to the folder containing the VHD.
   
   
   • Image Name: The file name, minus the .VHD extension of the VHD.
   
   
   • Description: A brief description of the template. This appears along with the Name on the VSDM web page.
   
   



9. On the Step 7: CD/DVD ISO Images page, add the existing ISO file which you want to make available to your users. ISO files listed here will be available to users to attach to the virtual machines they create. Use the following parameters, and then click Next:
   

   
   
   • Disabled: If selected prevents the ISO from being attached to virtual machines.
   
   
   • ID: ID number assigned to the ISO.
   
   
   • Name: The name for the ISO as displayed on the VSDM web site.
   
   
   • Image Path: The absolute path to the folder containing the ISO.
   
   
   • Image Name: The file name, minus the .ISO extension of the ISO.
   
   
   • Description: A brief description of the ISO. This appears along with the Name on the VSDM web page.
   
   



10. On the Save Changes page, click Finish.


11. On the Installation Complete page, click Close. The installation of VSDM is now complete.

Note: If you want to make any changes to either the VSDM IIS configuration, or to the VSDM XML configuration after the installation is complete, you can rerun either of the configuration wizards from the VSDM - Virtual Server Deployment Manager menu You can also edit the XML configuration file directly by using an XML editor (or even Notepad).

To start using VSDM, open a browser and then open either the VSDM web site, or the VSDM virtual directory, depending on which option you chose during the installation. Stay tuned for documentation on how to use VSDM.

Questions or comments? Please leave a comment!