Provisioning VLAN

Overview

The Provisioning VLAN feature allows EasyDCIM to temporarily move a server’s switch port into a dedicated VLAN during OS installation. This isolates the server from the production network and ensures it has access to PXE boot and installation resources (DHCP, TFTP, HTTP) on the provisioning network.

After the operating system is installed and confirmed running, the server is automatically moved back to its original VLAN configuration.

This feature requires the OS Installation and IP Address Management (IPAM) extensions working together.

Prerequisites

Before using Provisioning VLAN, make sure the following are in place:

• OS Installation extension is activated and configured with at least one provisioning server
• IP Address Management (IPAM) extension is activated
• The target server has a switch port assigned in EasyDCIM
• The switch connected to the server supports VLAN management via its EasyDCIM driver
• At least one VLAN of type Provisioning VLAN is defined in IPAM

Step 1: Create a Provisioning VLAN in IPAM

1. Navigate to IP Manager -> VLANs
2. Click Add VLAN
3. Fill in:
   • VLAN ID - the numeric VLAN identifier (e.g. 100)
   • VLAN Name - a descriptive name (e.g. Provisioning-01)
   • Type - select Provisioning VLAN
   • Status - set to Active
4. Save the VLAN

The Provisioning VLAN must exist on the same switch that is connected to the target server’s port.

Step 2: Enable the Option on the Provisioning Server

1. Navigate to Extensions -> OS Installation -> Servers -> select the relevant provisioning server
2. In the server configuration, enable the option:
   • [IPAM] Move To The Provisioning VLAN
3. Save the configuration

This tells EasyDCIM to automatically manage VLAN assignments during OS installations handled by this provisioning server.

Automatic Flow

When a standard OS installation is started on a device connected to a switch with a Provisioning VLAN configured, the following happens automatically:

1. Move to Provisioning VLAN

Before the installation begins, EasyDCIM moves the server’s switch port from its current VLAN(s) into the Provisioning VLAN. The original VLAN configuration is saved.

2. OS Installation

The server boots via PXE on the provisioning network, downloads the installation image, and completes the OS installation.

3. Boot Confirmation

After the provisioning task ends, the system does not immediately restore the original VLANs. Instead, it waits for a boot confirmation callback from the installed operating system.

The installed OS sends a callback to EasyDCIM during its first-boot script, confirming that it has successfully started. This ensures the OS is actually running before the server is moved back to the production network.

4. VLAN Restore

Once the boot confirmation is received, EasyDCIM restores the switch port to its original VLAN configuration.

5. Timeout Fallback

If the boot confirmation callback is not received within 60 minutes, the system automatically restores the original VLANs and logs a timeout event. This prevents servers from being stuck on the provisioning network indefinitely.

Excluded Templates

Rescue-type templates (rescue, hardware diagnostics, memtest, wipe, clonezilla) are excluded from boot confirmation. These are one-shot PXE tools that do not install a persistent operating system and do not have a first-boot callback. For these templates, the original VLAN is restored immediately after the provisioning task ends.

Manual VLAN Management

Administrators can manually control the Provisioning VLAN assignment from the device summary view, independently of the OS installation flow.

Move to Provisioning VLAN

1. Open the device summary
2. In the Provisioning VLAN section, click Move to Provisioning VLAN
3. A confirmation modal will show the device, switch, port, and target Provisioning VLAN
4. Confirm the action

The device’s switch port will be moved to the Provisioning VLAN and the status will change to Active.

Restore Original VLANs

1. Open the device summary
2. In the Provisioning VLAN section, click Restore Original VLANs
3. The modal will show the saved original VLAN configuration
4. Confirm the action

The switch port will be restored to its previous VLAN configuration and the status will return to Inactive.

This manual control can be used as an operational workaround if:

• the boot confirmation callback does not arrive and you do not want to wait for the 60-minute timeout
• you need to temporarily move a server to the provisioning network outside of the standard installation flow
• you need to troubleshoot network connectivity during provisioning

Troubleshooting