RAC on ESXi home lab

This repository is just a sandbox for Oracle RAC oriented tests. I use pyvmomi to create/update/delete VMs, ansible to install various testing environments. Altough ansible supports VCenter API, not all necessary functionality is implemented.

kicklinux jump-host

Whole home lab net is managed from kicklinux VM (See kicklinux directory for more details) This VM serves as:

• DNS
• DHCP
• TFTP (PXE, anaconda install)
• Nexus .rpm proxy
• HTTP/FTP

VM creation

vsphere-api directory:

• config.py, utilitty class for parsing .yaml config files (VM hw definition)
• create.py, create plain empty VM hw, use kicklinux/anaconda to install OS (RHEL7/RHEL8) on such a VM. Convert it into VM Template then.
• clone.py, clone VM Template into live VM (including IP setup, and DDNS registration)
• delete.py, decomm VM

VM's HW definition

• Oracle node has 2x NIC adapters(prod + barn/interconnect), 2x SCSI adapter( OS/APP DG + DATA disks)

.yaml config file:

scsi:
  - adapter:
      pciSlotNumber: 16
  - adapter:
      pciSlotNumber: 32
disks:
  ... ( omited)
network:
  - adapter:
    pciSlotNumber: 192
    network: "Public Network"
  - adapter:
    pciSlotNumber: 224
    network: "Barn Network"

# lspci
03:00.0 Serial Attached SCSI controller: VMware PVSCSI SCSI Controller (rev 02)
0b:00.0 Ethernet controller: VMware VMXNET3 Ethernet Controller (rev 01) 
13:00.0 Ethernet controller: VMware VMXNET3 Ethernet Controller (rev 01)
1b:00.0 Serial Attached SCSI controller: VMware PVSCSI SCSI Controller (rev 02)

• 1st SCSI adapter pciSlotNumber(16) has two disks on it (vg00 Centos OS, vg01 applications instalation)

• 2nd SCSI adapter pciSlotNumber(32) - when present - contains shared SCSI disk, intended for RAC data (ASM disk group)

• 1st NIC adapter pciSlotNumber(192) is connected to ESXi's Network "Public Network" 192.168.8.0/24

• 2st NIC adapter pciSlotNumber(224) is connected to ESXi's Network "Barn Network" 10.0.0.0/24, this is also interface there DHCP,TFTP listens on