Integration of DNS Server and VMware Aria Automation 8 to Create DNS Records on Microsoft DNS Server

In this post, I’ll describe how to create a DNS record when the cloud template configuration sets a static IP address on a cloud VM after deployment.

Prerequisites

• Ensure your assembler template works fine and sets the hostname and IP address on the deployed VM.

• Add the Microsoft DNS server as a PowerShell host in VMware Aria Orchestrator.

Steps to Add the DNS Server as a PowerShell Host

• Find the Workflow “Add a PowerShell host” and run it.

• Provide the name, IP address of the DNS Server, port, and protocol.
• The port for HTTP is 5985 and for HTTPS is 5986.
• For production, use HTTPS, but for lab environments, no security configuration is required.

• If the workflow fails to run because the remote target (DNS server) does not allow remote connections, run these commands locally on the DNS server:

PowerShell:

# Enable-PSRemoting -Force

# Set-Item WSMan:\localhost\Client\TrustedHosts -Value "Automation IP Address"

# Set-ExecutionPolicy -Policy RemoteSigned

After adding the DNS Server you will be able to see it on VRO inventory.

• Create a new Workflow and give it a name:

• Go to the variables tab and create a new variable:
  • Name: host
  • Type: PowerShell:PowerShellHost
  • Value: dnsServer (or the name of the DNS server you added in the previous step)

Create a Scriptable Task:

• Go to the Schema tab and add a Scriptable task to the Schema graphical environment.
• Run a test command to check everything works fine. Click on the scriptable task, open the general tab, and expand the inputs and outputs.
• Add the host to inputs and go to the scripting tab. Select JavaScript and copy this script:

javascript

var session = host.openSession();
var command1 = "Add-DnsServerResourceRecordA -Name test01 -ZoneName domain.local -IPv4Address 10.10.10.199 -CreatePtr";
var result = session.invokeScript(command1);
System.log("Command Sent: " + command1);
System.log("Result: " + result);

• Use the domain name of your environment inested of domain.local

• Use a test IP address in your range. In this case, I use 10.10.10.199 and for hostname use test01.

• After a test run, you should see a record on your DNS server console.

After running the test, you should update the Workflow as follows:

• Add Inputs/Outputs:

• Go to the inputs/outputs tab and create these:
  • Name: inputProperties, Type: Properties, Direction: input
  • Name: addresses, Type: Array/string, Direction: output
  • Name: hostname, Type: Array/string, Direction: output

Update the Scriptable Task:

• Go to the schema and click on the scriptable task. Go to the general tab and add inputProperties in input and hostname and addresses as the output.
• Update the JavaScript code to:

javascript:

// Get the hostname and IP address properties from vRA

var hostname = inputProperties.get("resourceNames");

var addresses = inputProperties.get("addresses");

// Open a PowerShell session

var session = host.openSession();

// Construct the PowerShell command using string concatenation

var command1 = "Add-DnsServerResourceRecordA -Name " + hostname + " -ZoneName fardad.local -IPv4Address " + addresses + " -CreatePtr";

// Execute the command

var result = session.invokeScript(command1);

// Log the result

System.log("Command Sent: " + command1);

System.log("Result: " + result);

After this step your Workflow will look’s like this:

4. Save and exit.

Creating a Subscription

1. Create a New Subscription:

• Go to the extensibility tab and create a new subscription.
• Give it a name and select Compute Post Provision as the event topic.
• Check the filter event topic in the condition and write this code to filter the subscription to the cloud template you created:

Condition:

event.data.blueprintId == 'last part of cloud template URL'

In my case:

JavaScript:

event.data.blueprintId == 'f206516c-17ab-4adc-bf20-bcb0280da2fb'

• Select the workflow you created before as the action/workflow.
• Select the project scope.
• Save and exit.

Testing the Workflow

Deploy a Test Virtual Machine:

• Go to the design tab and select the cloud template.
• Deploy a test virtual machine.
• Wait for the deployment to complete.

After the deployment, you should see a DNS record with the exact same values on the DNS server.