Task 10: Configure Hostname

DOCUMENT CATEGORY: Runbook SCOPE: Set the computer hostname for each node according to naming standards PURPOSE: Set the computer hostname for each node according to naming standards MASTER REFERENCE: Azure Local Prepare Active Directory

Status: Active

Overview

Rename each node to its target hostname from variables.yml. Nodes must restart to apply the change.

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Prerequisites

Requirement	Details
Tasks 01–09 complete	Unused adapters disabled
Hostnames from variables.yml	cluster_nodes[].hostname

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Config Reference

YAML Key	Variable	Example
cluster_nodes[].hostname	$NewHostname	azlocal-node01
cluster_nodes[].management_ip	$ServerList / $node.ip	10.0.0.11

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Execution Options

SConfig (Recommended)

Run on each node via console, KVM, or RDP. SConfig is the simplest method.

1. At the PowerShell prompt, type SConfig and press Enter
2. Select option 2 — Computer Name
3. Type the hostname from variables.yml (cluster_nodes[].hostname)
4. Press Enter and confirm
5. Select Yes to restart now

Repeat on each node.

Orchestrated Script

Run from the management server. Reads all node IPs and hostnames from variables.yml, renames each node, restarts it, and waits for it to come back online.

Toolkit script: scripts/deploy/04-cluster-deployment/phase-03-os-configuration/task-10-configure-hostname/powershell/Invoke-ConfigureHostname-Orchestrated.ps1

# Task 10 - Configure Hostname (orchestrated, all nodes)
# variables.yml variables:
# cluster_nodes[].management_ip -> connection IP per node
# cluster_nodes[].hostname -> target hostname per node

$ConfigPath = "$env:USERPROFILE\variables.yml"
$lines = Get-Content $ConfigPath
$nodes = @()
$current = $null
foreach ($line in $lines) {
 if ($line -match '^\s*-\s*hostname:\s*"?([^"]+)"?') { $current = @{ hostname = $Matches[1].Trim(); ip = "" } }
 elseif ($line -match '^\s+management_ip:\s*"?([^"]+)"?' -and $current) { $current.ip = $Matches[1].Trim() }
 if ($current -and $current.ip -and $current.hostname) { $nodes += [PSCustomObject]$current; $current = $null }
}

foreach ($node in $nodes) {
 Invoke-Command -ComputerName $node.ip -ArgumentList $node.hostname -ScriptBlock {
 param($name)
 Rename-Computer -NewName $name -Force
 }
 Restart-Computer -ComputerName $node.ip -Force
 Write-Host "[$($node.ip)] Renamed to $($node.hostname) -- restarting"
}

Write-Host "Waiting 60s for nodes to come back online..."
Start-Sleep -Seconds 60

foreach ($node in $nodes) {
 $reported = Invoke-Command -ComputerName $node.ip -ScriptBlock { $env:COMPUTERNAME }
 Write-Host "[$($node.ip)] Online - hostname: $reported"
}

Standalone Script

When to use: Use this option for a self-contained deployment without a shared configuration file.

Script: See azurelocal-toolkit for the standalone script for this task.

Content Pending

Standalone script content references the toolkit repository. See the Orchestrated Script tab for the primary implementation.

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Validation

# Confirm hostname on each node
$env:COMPUTERNAME
# or remotely:
Invoke-Command -ComputerName <ip> -ScriptBlock { $env:COMPUTERNAME }

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Validation Checklist

• Each node reports the correct hostname
• All nodes accessible after restart
• Hostnames match cluster_nodes[].hostname in variables.yml

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Variables from variables.yml

Variable	Config Path	Example
Hostname Pattern	cluster.nodes[].hostname	azlocal-node-01
Domain Name	cluster.domain.name	contoso.local
OU Path	cluster.domain.ou_path	OU=Servers,DC=contoso,DC=local

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Troubleshooting

Issue	Resolution
Node didn't come back after restart	Wait another 60s then ping the management IP
Hostname not applied	Confirm Rename-Computer ran without error; restart if needed

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Alternatives

The procedures in this task use the scripted methods shown in the tabs above. Additional deployment methods including Azure CLI and Bash scripts are available in the azurelocal-toolkit repository under scripts/deploy/.

Method	Description
Azure CLI	PowerShell-based Azure CLI scripts for Azure resource operations
Bash	Linux/macOS compatible shell scripts for pipeline environments

Navigation

← Task 09: Disable Adapters · ↑ Phase 03 · Task 11: Clear Storage →

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Version Control

Version	Date	Author	Changes
1.0.0	2025-03-25	Azure Local Cloud	Initial release