RHEL Linux OS Install

Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) 10.x OS Install and setup

Download the latest RHEL installer ISO

Create and deploy the base VM (with the minimum Requirements) in your hypervisor and select the downloaded ISO as the install media.

Boot with the install media and choose “Install Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10.x”

Choose language (Suggest keeping English for compatibility with BT Call Server) and “Continue”

First complete the “Connect to Red Hat” and activate your subscription for this OS install.
As already mentioned we do not cover this process.
Once you have provided the correct account details and activated the subscription you can continue.

Leave the “Root Account” disabled

Click on “User Creation” make sure to add the required "iptadmin" user name.

Also ensure “Add administrative privileges" is ticked as well as “Require a password to use this account” and choose a secure password.

No need to configure anything in “Advanced…” it can be left with defaults.

Click “Done” in the top left.

Click on “Time & Date” and set the details for your zone.

Leave “Automatic date & time” selected. The BT Call Server install provides NTP configuration later.

Click “Done” in the top left.

Click on “Software Selection”

Check “Server” and on the right, select “Guest Agents” and leave the rest unchecked.

Click “Done” in the top left.

Click “Installation Destination”

Make sure the “Local Standard Disks” has the 64GB HDD checked (as seen)

For “Storage Configuration” leave “Automatic” selected

Click “Done” in the top left.

It is assumed the VM will have a DHCP assigned IP with full internet access during the deployment phase.
The VM will later be setup with a Static IP after the BT Call Server scripted install.

However, If you need to manually set a Static IP at this point for the VM to work on the network with internet access,
then proceed to configure the “Network & Host Name” as required.

Click on “Network & Host Name” and enter in a “Host Name” and click “Apply”
(make sure the “Current host name” updates to show the newly set host name as seen in the below example.)

Ensure the slider in point 2 is toggled "On"

To further configure the “IPv4 Settings”, click on “Configure...”

On the “IPv4 Settings” tab fill in all the required details as seen below.

All other tabs can be left on defaults.

Click on “Save” when done.

Click “Done” in the top left to complete the Network & Host Name configuration.

We are now complete with the Installation Summary.

Click on “Begin Installation”

Installation will proceed

Once the install is complete, press “Reboot System”

RHEL will suggest registering with Red Hat Insights at login.
This is optional and is the customers choice to use this service or not.

A default install of RHEL Linux comes with “Cockpit” installed and enabled.

This is a web-based management tool provided by Red Hat for the OS, which provides an overview of hardware (CPU, memory, etc.),
as well as services and firewall rules. It runs as a self-hosted web interface on port 9090.

This could be flagged as an additional attack surface in production systems.

The choice is entirely up to the customer if they would like to keep or disable this service.
By default, we choose to disable this to avoid any potential security concerns.

To disable Cockpit, login with the “iptadmin” user and run the following commands.

sudo systemctl disable --now cockpit.socket

sudo firewall-cmd --remove-service=cockpit –permanent

sudo firewall-cmd --reload

(Sudo password is always the same password for the “iptadmin” account)

To confirm cockpit is removed from the Firewall use the following:

sudo firewall-cmd --list-services

Finally to complete the OS staging update the system / packages

sudo dnf -y update

sudo dnf clean all

sudo reboot

The RHEL Linux OS is now staged and ready for the BT Call Server Scripted Install

Duplicate the entire procedure for any additional VM’s required.