Hi guys ! In this article, I explain step-by-step, with pictures, how to create, manage and deploy virtual machine template.

This article was write in 3 steps :

1. Create your template
2. Create a custom specs (answer file)
3. Deploy your template

Are you ready ? Let’s go !

How to create, manage and deploy virtual machine template ?

• Create a template

To create a template, no more easy ! You create a virtual machine and you custom it as you want. After you have finished, right click on it!

Here, you have two choices :

1. Clone to Template, with this option you have your original virtual machine + your template
2. Convert to Template, with this option your virtual machine must be convert directly to a template.

• In this exemple, I’ve select “Convert to template”. Select “Yes” to convert your template

• Your Template was create !

Now, you can clone your Template into Library if you want !

 

• Create a custom specs

What are custom specs ?

Customization Specifications is a file that will attach to your Template to personalize it when you start your deployment ! This option is available on your home screen in your vSphere Web Client !

• Click on (+) to create a new Guest Custom Spec

• Select your operating system and add a description if you want. You can also attach a sysprep answer file if you want !

• Add the name of your Organization

• Select how to name your VM

• Add a windows license key to activate your virtual machine automatically

• Add an administrator local password

• Select the time zone

• If you want to run a command line to the first start…

• Here you can choose the network to add at your VM

• Select the domain and user/password that allow to add a new computer in a domain

• /!\ VERY IMPORTANT /!\ This checkbox will be generate a new ID in your VM. if you don’t select this box, all virtual machine will have the same ID and when you use in a domain, you cannot have multiple VM with the same ID.

• A little summary of your custom specs file !

 

• Deploy virtual machine template

Now we have a template and custom specs, we can deploy our VM !

• Go to your template, right click on it and select “New VM from This Template“

• Enter the name of your future VM and choose where you want to place it.

• Choose the cluster to deploy your VM

• Select the storage, same as a new virtual machine

• Select the first box, to add a custom spec that we have create in the previous step
• If you want to customize hardware, check the second box

• Here we can see the custom specs that we have create! Select it if you want to use it, otherwise, you can create another one.

• Modify the virtual hardware if you have check box previously

• Summary of your deployment !

 

• Start your VM

Now you can start the VM ! It’s possible it will be restart several times !

 

Your virtual machine is now deployed ! Enjoy ! 🙂