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FY Lab Validation Runbook

This runbook is for real x86_64 validation only. The local macOS ARM workstation is not a valid live-test target.

Credentials and host-specific secrets must stay external:

  • Obsidian FY Lab notes for host inventory and network context
  • ~/.secrets/credentials.yml for credentials

Pass A: Standard ESXi VM

Goal: prove control-plane install, reachability, and reboot persistence on Ubuntu 26.04 x86_64.

VM Shape

  • Hypervisor: FY Lab ESXi
  • Guest OS: Ubuntu 26.04 x86_64 from ubuntu-26.04-beta-live-server-amd64.iso
  • Nested virtualization: disabled
  • Network: normal management network with outbound package access
  • Disk: enough capacity for repo checkout, PostgreSQL, and /var/lib/nova-ve

Procedure

  1. Verify ISO checksum before attaching the media.
  2. Install Ubuntu 26.04 x86_64.
  3. Clone the repo onto the guest, preferably at /opt/nova-ve.
  4. Run sudo deploy/scripts/provision-ubuntu-2604.sh.
  5. Run sudo deploy/scripts/smoke-check.sh.
  6. Reboot the VM.
  7. Re-run sudo deploy/scripts/smoke-check.sh.

Evidence To Capture

  • VM name, ESXi host, CPU/RAM/disk shape
  • ISO filename and checksum
  • provisioning log
  • the bootstrap admin credential location (/etc/nova-ve/backend.env), without copying its contents into notes or logs
  • systemctl status postgresql caddy nova-ve-backend --no-pager
  • curl http://127.0.0.1/api/health
  • curl -I http://127.0.0.1/

Pass B: Nested-Virt ESXi VM

Goal: prove whether nested virtualization exposes /dev/kvm cleanly enough for the next runtime-validation lane.

VM Shape

  • Hypervisor: FY Lab ESXi
  • Guest OS: Ubuntu 26.04 x86_64
  • Nested virtualization: enabled in the VM CPU configuration
  • Network and disk: same baseline as Pass A

Procedure

  1. Start from the Pass A-proven install lane.
  2. Record the exact ESXi nested virtualization settings used.
  3. Confirm virtualization support inside the guest.
  4. Confirm /dev/kvm presence and permissions.
  5. Capture the result of the first QEMU-focused validation command once that runtime-validation step is ready.

Evidence To Capture

  • ESXi nested virtualization setting screenshots or text notes
  • egrep -c '(vmx|svm)' /proc/cpuinfo
  • ls -l /dev/kvm
  • any QEMU runtime logs or failure diagnostics

Proxmox Fallback Appendix

Proxmox is not a primary target in this phase. Only use it if ESXi is unavailable.

If Proxmox is used, add the following to the validation record:

  • equivalent CPU virtualization settings
  • storage/network differences from ESXi
  • any deviations in provisioning or smoke-check behavior
  • the same evidence set captured for Pass A or Pass B