Cloning a VM

You can create an exact copy of an existing VM by cloning it. After cloning, the original VM is the “parent” and the new VM is the “clone”. The clone will usually have the exact same virtual hardware configurations and installed software as the parent VM. You can use the parent VM as a template to deploy pre-configured servers with Ignition already installed.

The exact procedure for cloning a VM will depend on the hypervisor you are using. When in doubt, consult the documentation for your particular hypervisor or virtual machine monitor.

If you plan to use the same template VM for multiple Gateways on the same Gateway Network, you should ensure that these items are unique for each Gateway:

• Hostname
• Gateway system name
• UUID (universally unique identifier) file
• Metro-keystore file

Hostname

The hostname is a network identifier for the server where the Ignition service is running. The hostname can be mapped to one or more IP addresses. When creating a Gateway Network connection between two Ignition servers, the hostname for each should be unique.

On Windows, you can find the server’s hostname by entering this command in the Command Prompt:

Under “Windows IP Configuration”, the first item should be “Host Name”.

On Linux, you can find the server’s hostname by entering this command in the Terminal:

The server’s hostname will be the output on the next line.

Gateway System Name

If you install Ignition on a VM and then clone the VM, both Ignition Gateways will have the same System Name. For a Gateway Network connection to be successful, each System Name should be unique. 

You can change the Gateway System Name on the Gateway webpage > Config > System > Gateway Settings > System Name. 

More information can be found on the System Name Usage Reference page:

https://docs.inductiveautomation.com/display/DOC81/System+Name+Usage+Reference  

UUID

The .uuid file contains the unique identifier for a given Gateway. You can find the .uuid file in the following locations:

• Windows: C:\Program Files\Inductive Automation\Ignition\data\.uuid
• Linux: usr/local/bin/ignition/data/.uuid

You can see the Local Id and Remote Id for a given Gateway Network connection on the Gateway webpage  > Status > Connections > Gateway Network > Click Details next to the connection.

If two Gateways have the same UUID, the Gateway Network connection between them will fail. 

To generate a new .uuid file:

1. Stop the Gateway service on one side of the connection.
2. Delete its existing .uuid file.
3. Start the Gateway service again. 
4. A new .uuid file will be automatically generated. 

If two cloned Gateways are connected via outgoing connections from a third Gateway, they will connect as normal. However, interactions between the two clones, and between the third Gateway and either clone, may start to have issues.

Metro-keystore file

A cloned Gateway will have an identical copy of the template’s Gateway Network keystore file. The keystore file contains the cryptographic keys and certificates used to create a secure connection via SSL/TLS. The existing SSL/TLS certificates in the template Gateway’s keystore will not apply to the cloned Gateway. That keystore should be removed so that it can be regenerated with the new keystore file.

You can find the metro-keystore file here:

• Windows: C:\Program Files\Inductive Automation\Ignition\webserver\metro-keystore
• Linux: usr/local/bin/ignition/webserver/metro-keystore

To generate a new metro-keystore file:

1. Stop the Gateway service on one side of the connection. 
2. Delete its existing metro-keystore file.
3. Start the Gateway service again. 
4. A new metro-keystore file will be generated in its place.