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Deploy a Virtual Machine from a Template and Clone a Virtual Machine

 

How To Configure Guest Operating System Customization on a vCenter Server System

  1. Log in to your vCenter Server system.
  2. Find Windows Sysprep CAB file and right-click the file WindowsServer2003-KB892778-SP1-DeployTools-x86-ENU and select Open.
  3. In Windows Explorer, open Sysprep tools installation folder.
  4. Copy all files from CAB file to Sysprep tools installation folder. There will be a warning for each file whose publisher is not verified. Click Save for each file.

 

 

How to Create a Template
How to create a template by cloning a virtual machine to a template.

  1. Log in to your desktop virtual machine.
  2. Use VMware vSphere Client to log in to your vCenter Server system.
  3. In vSphere Client, go to Home > Inventory > VMs and Templates.
  4. Right-click virtual machine and select Template > Clone to Template.
  5. Do the following when prompted by the Clone Virtual Machine to Template wizard:
    1. Enter a Template Name.
    2. Select Training datacenter (Template Inventory Location).
    3. Select your ESXi host (Host or Cluster on which to store template).
    4. Select your datastore (Datastore for the template).
    5. Keep default Disk Format.
    6. Click Finish when done.
  6. You can monitor progress of cloning task in Recent Tasks pane at the bottom of vSphere Client.
  7. The icon of the template differs from a virtual machine icon when the clone-to-template operation is done.

 

 

Deploy Virtual Machine from a Template
How to deploy a virtual machine from your template and allow vCenter Server to customize guest operating system.

  1. Right-click your template and select Deploy Virtual Machine from this Template.
  2. Do the following when prompted by wizard:
    1. Enter a name for your virtual machine.
    2. Select your LabVms folder (Inventory Location).
    3. Select your ESXi host (Host or Cluster to run this virtual machine).
    4. Select the shared datastore for virtual machines (Datastore for the virtual machine).
    5. Keep default Disk Format.
    6. Select Customize using the Customization wizard.
  3. Do the following when prompted by vSphere Client Windows Guest Customization wizard:
    1. Type in a name.
    2. Type in your Organization.
    3. Select Use the virtual machine name (NetBIOS Name).
    4. Type in Windows product ID (Product Key).
    5. Leave selected for Include Service License Information.
    6. Keep default Server License Mode.
    7. Enter the virtual machine Administrator password.
    8. Leave unselected for Automatically log on as administrator.
    9. Select your time zone.
    10. Keep defaults for Run Once, Network, Workgroup or Domain, and Generate New Security ID (SID).
    11. Leave selected for Save this customization specification for later use.
    12. Type in a name of customization specification.
    13. Type in a description (such as Windows 2003 Custom Spec).
    14. Click Finish [Ready to Complete (vSphere Client Guest OS Customization wizard)].
    15. Select Power on this virtual machine after creation check box and click Finish [Ready to Complete (Deploy Template wizard)].
  4. To verify that the virtual machine was created properly, you can check the following:
    1. The virtual machine booted up successfully. Wait at least two minutes for Sysprep to complete its tasks (including a reboot of the system).
    2. You can log in to guest operating system as Administrator with the virtual machine Admin password.
    3. VMware Tools is installed with time synchronization configured.

 

 

How to Clone a Virtual Machine that is Powered On
How to clone a running virtual machine.

  1. Right-click your virtual machine and select Clone.
  2. Do the following when prompted by the wizard:
    1. Create a name for your new virtual machine.
    2. Select a folder for Inventory Location.
    3. Select your ESXi host (Host or Cluster on which to run this virtual machine).
    4. Select a datastore.
    5. Keep default Disk Format.
    6. For Guest Customization, select Customize using an existing customization specification. Select your customization specification. Leave the Use the Customization Wizard temporarily adjust the specification before deployment check box unselected.
    7. Select Power on this virtual machine after creation check box and click Finish.