Parallels Virtual Automation - 6.1 Quick Start Guide
Parallels Virtual Automation
6.1
Getting Started Guide
April 08, 2014
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Contents
Introduction ............................................................................................................... 5
Getting Help .................................................................................................................... 5
Feedback ........................................................................................................................ 6
Installing Parallels Virtual Automation ...................................................................... 7
Parallels Virtual Automation Infrastructure ......................................................................... 7
System Requirements ................................................................................................... 12
Hardware Requirements ........................................................................................................ 12
Software Requirements ......................................................................................................... 13
Installing on Parallels Server Bare Metal ......................................................................... 14
Installing on Windows .................................................................................................... 15
Installing on Linux .......................................................................................................... 16
Parallels Virtual Automation Basics ........................................................................ 18
Getting Started.............................................................................................................. 18
Interface Overview ......................................................................................................... 19
Managing Physical Servers ..................................................................................... 22
Registering Physical Servers .......................................................................................... 23
Logging in to Physical Servers ....................................................................................... 24
Backing Up and Restoring the Master Server ................................................................. 25
Monitoring Physical Server Resources ........................................................................... 25
Rebooting Physical Server ............................................................................................. 26
Managing Parallels Licenses .......................................................................................... 27
Managing Virtual Environments .............................................................................. 29
Creating Virtual Environments ........................................................................................ 29
Creating Virtual Machines ...................................................................................................... 30
Creating Containers ............................................................................................................... 32
Starting and Stopping Virtual Environments.................................................................... 35
Logging into Virtual Environments .................................................................................. 35
Logging in to Virtual Machines ............................................................................................... 35
Logging in to Containers ....................................................................................................... 36
Deleting Virtual Environments ........................................................................................ 37
Contents
Glossary ................................................................................................................... 38
Index ........................................................................................................................ 40
Feedback ............................................................................................................... 6
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1
Introduction
Parallels Virtual Automation is a flexible and easy-to-use administration tool designed for managing
physical servers with Parallels Virtuozzo Containers or Parallels Server Bare Metal software. With
Parallels Virtual Automation, you can create groups of physical servers and perform both collective
and individual administration operations on these groups. Moreover, you can manage the virtual
environments residing on the registered physical servers: their productivity and resources, system
tasks and processes, configuration, and much more. To work with the registered physical servers
and their virtual environments, you will need a standard Web browser running on any platform.
This guide is aimed at a wide range of users who are new to Parallels Virtual Automation or just
want to make sure they are doing everything right.
You can read more about Parallels Virtual Automation and its functionality in Parallels Virtual
Automation Administrator's Guide.
In This Chapter
Getting Help ........................................................................................................... 5
Getting Help
Parallels Virtual Automation offers several options for accessing necessary information:
Parallels Virtual Automation Documentation
• Parallels Virtual Automation Administrator's Guide. Contains extensive information about
Parallels Virtual Automation, its usage, and troubleshooting. To access the PDF version of
the document, go to the Support link in the left pane and then click the Downloads pane.
You can download any document of the Parallels Virtual Automation documentation bundle
from the Parallels website.
• Parallels Virtual Automation Installation Guides for Linux/Bare Metal and Windows. Contain
extensive information on system requirements for physical computers as well as instructions
on how to install Parallels Virtual Automation on such computers.
• Getting Started With Parallels Virtual Automation. Contains the basic information how to
install, launch, and manage Parallels Virtual Automation.
Introduction
• Parallels Power Panel User's Guide. Contains extensive information about Parallels Power
Panel.
• Parallels Virtual Automation Agent XML API Reference. A complete reference on all Parallels
Virtual Automation configuration files and physical server command-line utilities.
The documentation is available for download at
http://www.parallels.com/products/pva/documents/.
Parallels Knowledgebase
Visit http://kb.parallels.com/ for helpful articles on Parallels Virtual Automation, Parallels Virtuozzo
Containers, Parallels Server Bare Metal, and Parallels Cloud Server.
Feedback
If you want to report typos, share comments, suggestions or ideas on improving this guide, please
use the Parallels documentation feedback page at http://www.parallels.com/en/support/usersdoc/.
6
Installing on Linux ................................................................................................... 16
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2
Installing Parallels Virtual Automation
Installing Parallels Virtual Automation components is a quick and easy procedure that comprises
basic steps: starting Parallels Virtual Automation installer, configuring installation options, selecting
the Parallels Virtual Automation components to be installed.
Parallels Virtual Automation components can be installed either via the Parallels Virtual Automation
autoinstaller or from the Parallels Virtual Automation installation archives that you should download
on your physical servers. This guide contains instructions on how to install Parallels Virtual
Automation via the autoinstaller. If you choose to install from the archives, please, turn to the
Parallels Virtual Automation Installation Guide for Windows and Parallels Virtual Automation
Installation Guides for Linux and Bare Metal.
You can download Parallels Virtual Automation 6.1 distribution from its download page
(http://www.parallels.com/products/pva/download/).
In This Chapter
Parallels Virtual Automation Infrastructure ................................................................ 7
System Requirements ............................................................................................ 12
Installing on Parallels Server Bare Metal .................................................................. 14
Installing on Windows ............................................................................................. 15
Parallels Virtual Automation Infrastructure
With Parallels Virtual Automation, you can easily deploy an effectively functioning virtual
infrastructure that can help you to significantly reduce your costs in terms of time and resources.
While Parallels software virtualization products enable you to create complex formations of virtual
environments, you may find it hard to manage these formations using different management tools.
However, with Parallels Virtual Automation you can handle this challenging task with ease. Since
Parallels Virtual Automation supports the whole set of the Parallels products, you can use it with
any of its virtualization solutions, be it Parallels Virtuozzo Containers or Parallels Server virtual
machines.
Before you start installing Parallels Virtual Automation, you should learn about its components and
their role in the management process. Parallels Virtual Automation consists of several components
and an auxiliary tool. The main Parallels Virtual Automation components are:
Installing Parallels Virtual Automation
Component Where to Install Description
physical servers and have means to observe your
Panel installation, you will not be able to manage
PVA Management Server
PVA Agent for Parallels Server
PVA Agent for Virtuozzo
On any clean physical server
without any software virtualization
technology, or on a Container.*
The physical server with PVA
Management Server component
installed is called Master Server.
On a dedicated physical server that
has Parallels Server Bare Metal
installed.
Such server is also called a Slave
Server.
On a dedicated physical server that
has either of the following software
installed:
Parallels Virtuozzo Containers
for Linux, or
This component ensures the communication
between the slave physical servers and their
virtual environments.
PVA Control Center
It is a part of the PVA Management Server
component and is always installed together with
it. Thus, you are able to interact with the remote
virtual infrastructure.
It is the PVA front-end that you see in the
browser window after logging in to Parallels
Virtual Automation. When talking about the
Parallels Virtual Automation interface, we are
actually talking about the Control Center
interface.
The component ensures the interaction between
this physical server, the Master Server and your
client computer. Without this component, a
physical server cannot be registered in Master
Server.
This component ensures the interaction between
this physical server, the Master Server and your
client physical computer. Without this
component, a physical server cannot be
registered in Master Server.
SNMP
Parallels Power Panel
Parallels Virtuozzo Containers
for Windows.
Such server is also called a Slave
Server.
On a dedicated physical server that
has Parallels Virtuozzo Containers
for Windows/Linux installed. Such
server is also called a Slave Server.
On a dedicated physical server
together with the PVA Agent
component (PVA Agent for
Virtuozzo or for Parallels Server).
The PVA Agent for Virtuozzo on Windows
physical servers includes the SNMP protocol
distributive that is installed alongside with the
Agent. On Linux physical servers, SNMP should
be installed separately before the Agent
component installation.
An auxiliary tool designed for managing a single
virtual machine or a single Container. It can be
installed only together with the PVA Agent
component.
Note: During the Parallels Power Panel
installation, an auxiliary Service
Container 1 is created. It ensures proper
Parallels Power Panel functioning.
SOAP
The Soap Agent part is installed alongside with
the Power Panel component. Rejecting Power
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Installing Parallels Virtual Automation
virtual environments via SOAP.
* The PVA Management Server component cannot be installed directly on a Parallels Server Bare
Metal physical server due to the virtualization software already installed on this server. The
workaround solution is to create a Container on the PSBM physical server and to launch the PVA
installation there. A Container is free from any virtualization technologies, so you can easily install
PVA Management Server on it. To ensure a successful installation, the Container should be created
on the basis of the ve-vswap.2048MB.conf-sample template.
The PVA Management Server component cannot be as well installed on a dedicated Mac, Linux, or
Windows-based physical server. However, creating a virtual environment on this physical server
allows you to launch the PVA Management Server component installation inside it. Create a
Container on Linux or Windows server, and a virtual machine with any OS on a Mac server.
For instructions on creating Containers, refer to the Parallels Virtuozzo Containers for Linux User
Guide or Parallels Virtuozzo Containers for Windows User Guide.
For instructions on creating virtual machines, refer to the Parallels Server Bare Metal
documentation.
Planning Your Parallels Virtual Automation Management System
Please pay attention to the following scheme. This is an example of a possible Parallels Virtual
Automation management system. Of course, your management system may vary from the scheme
below but nevertheless it will help you to understand the Parallels Virtual Automation basics more
clearly.
9
Installing Parallels Virtual Automation
So, let us analyze the Parallels Virtual Automation management system displayed on the scheme. It
consists of:
Master Server
Master Server is a physical server where all other subordinate physical servers are registered. On
this physical server, PVA Management Server component should be installed.
Note: The PVA Management Server component is always installed together with the PVA Control Center
component.
What physical server can be used as a Master Server?
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Installing Parallels Virtual Automation
• A clean physical server with Linux, Windows or Mac operating system. This server should have
no Parallels virtualization software installed. The PVA Management Server component is
installed directly on the physical server.
• A Linux or Windows-based physical server running Parallels Virtuozzo Containers or a
Windows-based physical server running Parallels Containers for Windows. As such physical
server already has a software virtualization technology installed, you cannot install PVA
Management Server component directly on it. First, you should create a Container by means of
Parallels Virtuozzo Containers software and then install the PVA component inside the
Container. In this case, the physical server can act as a Master Server and a Slave Server at the
same time.
• A bare-metal physical server running Parallels Server Bare Metal or Parallels Cloud Server. This
case is much alike the previous one. First, you should create a Container and then install the
PVA Management Server component into it. The physical server also can act as a Master
Server and a Slave Server at the same time.
Slave Server
A Slave Server is a dedicated physical server that has one of the Parallels software virtual
technologies installed. On this physical server, PVA Agent for Parallels Server and/or PVA Agent for
Virtuozzo should be installed depending on the software virtualization technology the server already
has. For example, a bare metal computer with Parallels Server Bare Metal software allows you to
install both PVA Agents, thus to have Containers and virtual machines on one and the same
physical server.
A Slave Server should also have the Power Panel component installed. This ensures that a
customer can manage the private virtual environment residing on the hosting physical server.
Note: PVA Agent component is installed by default together with the PVA Power Panel component.
What physical server can be used as a Slave Server?
• a Linux-based physical server running Parallels Virtuozzo Containers for Linux 4.7;
• a Windows-based physical server running Parallels Virtuozzo Containers for Windows 4.6 or
Parallels Containers for Windows 6.0.
• a bare metal physical server running Parallels Server Bare Metal 5.0 or Parallels Cloud Server
6.0.
Note: After you install all the necessary components on the physical servers, you should register
your slave servers on Master Server. Registering a slave server is a management operation. You
can learn about management operations from the Parallels Virtual Automation Administration
Guide.
Client Computer
Any computer can serve as a client provided that it has a stable network connection and a Web
browser supported by Parallels Virtual Automation. A customer's computer does not need any PVA
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Installing Parallels Virtual Automation
components to be installed. The connection between the customer's computer and the PVA Slave
Server's virtual environments is provided by the Parallels Power Panel installed on the Slave server.
Note: Parallels Power Panel allows working with a single private computer and does not provide access
to the whole Slave Server or PVA management system.
System Requirements
In most cases, there are no special requirements for the physical servers on which you want to
install Parallels Virtual Automation components. However, we strongly recommend you to read the
following information carefully, so that you can ensure a successful installation of the product.
Hardware Requirements
If a Windows-based, Linux-based, or Parallels Server bare metal computer serves as a Master
Server, there are no special requirements for it. However, you can use the following list of the basic
hardware requirements as a checklist:
• Intel Celeron, Pentium III, Pentium 4, Xeon, or AMD Athlon CPU;
• at least 1 GB of RAM;
• hard drive with at least 15 GB of free disk space;
• network card.
If a Windows-based, Linux-based,or Parallels Server Bare Metal computer serves as a Slave Server
where virtual environments will be stored and managed, then Parallels Virtual Automation will call for
more complex hardware. The general considerations regarding the configuration of your physical
servers could be as follows:
• CPUs. The more virtual environments you plan to run simultaneously, the more CPUs you need.
• Memory. The more memory you have, the more virtual environments you can run. The exact
figure depends on the number and nature of applications you are planning to run in your virtual
environments.
• Disk space. Each virtual environment occupies 40–150 MB of hard disk space for system files
in addition to the user data inside the virtual environment (for example, website content). You
should consider it when planning disk partitioning and the number of virtual environments to
run.
• Intel VT-x or AMD-V hardware virtualization technology support (for Parallels Server Bare Metal
virtual machines management).
For the detailed and more concrete information on the requirements for the physical computer, see
Parallels Server Bare Metal Administration Guide, Parallels Virtuozzo Containers for Linux and
Parallels Virtuozzo Containers for Windows User Guides.
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Installing Parallels Virtual Automation
Software Requirements
Software Requirements for PVA Client Computers
A client computer should have one of the supported Web-browser clients:
• Internet Explorer 9.x, 10.x, 11.x,
• Firefox 26.x or newer,
• Safari 5.x or newer,
• Chrome 31.x and newer.
Note: Although other browsers will most likely work, only those listed above have been extensively tested
for compatibility with Parallels Virtual Automation.
Software Requirements for PVA Slave Servers
If a Windows or Linux-based computer serves as a Slave Server where virtual environments
will be stored and managed, then Parallels Virtual Automation will call for more complex
requirements, as the creation and management of Containers demand more complex software
resources. So, in choosing an appropriate Windows or Linux-based computer, you should be
guided by the system requirements for Parallels Virtuozzo Containers, Parallels Containers for
Windows, Parallels Server Bare Metal or Parallels Cloud Server. For detailed information on the
requirements, see installation guides for these products.
Any physical server that will be managed via PVA should have a virtualization technology installed:
Parallels Virtuozzo Containers software for Linux or Windows, Parallels Containers for Windows, or
Parallels Serve Bare Metal or Parallels Cloud Server for a bare metal computer.
Software Requirements for PVA Master Servers
If a Windows-based computer serves as a Master Server, it should be free from any software
virtualization technology and can have one of the following operating systems:
• Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1,
• Windows Server 2012.
If a Linux-based computer serves as a Master Server, it should be a physical server without any
software virtualization technology running x64 or x86 versions of
• CentOS 5.x or 6.x,
• RHEL 5.x or 6.x.
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