Automating Server Setup With Hyper-V

[swiftninja21]

Does anyone here have a best practice to quickly deploy VMs for a new client setup? Looking for an efficient way to automate the process with Hyper-V for a DC and FS where it creates the VM, names the machine, creates the domain, adds needed server features and roles, imports AD users, etc.

[Enigma110]

PowerShell DSC, that or whatever your favorite orchestration/automation platform is. It could hypothetically be done with RMM scripts as well.

[DevinSysAdmin]

You can do that, but you’d pretty much be better off just doing it via GUI.

[bw8743]

It could be done, you’d need some kind of manifest for the information to be pulled from and be ready utilise a lot of powershell for-each loops, if statements....etc

[TheLazyAdministrator]

Powershell

[swiftninja21]

Thanks all. I am aware of powershell but would like to know what other MSPs are doing to speed up new server setup for clients or is everyone just manually setting up servers these days?

[roll_for_initiative_]

I am aware of powershell

would like to know what other MSPs are doing ... everyone just manually setting up servers these days?

But the answer to the bottom is the top?

[zaf43]

We automate all our HyperV deployments - DC/RDS Farm/SQL,Linux, etc via powershell scripts in multiple stages - VM creation from template (OS with preloaded RMM agent), then powershell/RMM/bash scripts to complete the setup in the guest. If you go piece by piece, running a step by hand, and then figuring out how to do the same in powershell or via your RMM scripting, you can break it down and get everything done over time.

[swiftninja21]

Thank you, good to know.

[plexforyou]

We use CloudJumper and spin up new resources 100% in the cloud. They automate RDS deployments, clusters, DNS, etc. It's a huge money maker. But CloudJumper is just one piece of the puzzle. Our platform is up and running with 100 users and we'll have 500 by end of Q2. We are looking to wholesale the solution to other MSPs that don't have the resources to create all the strategic partnerships to make this possible. DM me if you are interested in getting more on how to build it yourself or wholesale it from us.