This document supports the version of each product listed and
supports all subsequent versions until the document is
replaced by a new edition. To check for more recent editions
of this document, see http://www.vmware.com/support/pubs.
EN-001887-03
vSphere Virtual Machine Administration
You can find the most up-to-date technical documentation on the VMware Web site at:
http://www.vmware.com/support/
The VMware Web site also provides the latest product updates.
If you have comments about this documentation, submit your feedback to:
3401 Hillview Ave.
Palo Alto, CA 94304
www.vmware.com
2 VMware, Inc.
Contents
About vSphere Virtual Machine Administration7
Updated Information9
Introduction to VMware vSphere Virtual Machines11
1
What Is a Virtual Machine? 11
Virtual Machines and the Virtual Infrastructure 12
Virtual Machine Lifecycle 13
Virtual Machine Components 13
Virtual Machine Hardware Available to vSphere Virtual Machines 13
Virtual Machine Options and Resources 15
vSphere Web Client 16
Introduction to VMware Tools 17
Where to Go From Here 17
Deploying Virtual Machines19
2
About Provisioning Virtual Machines 19
Create a Virtual Machine Without a Template or Clone 20
Deploy a Virtual Machine from a Template 26
Clone a Virtual Machine 32
Clone a Virtual Machine to a Template in the vSphere Web Client 38
Clone a Template to a Template in the vSphere Web Client 42
Convert a Template to a Virtual Machine 45
Customizing Guest Operating Systems 47
Deploying OVF Templates63
3
OVF File Format and OVF Templates 63
Deploy an OVF Template in the vSphere Web Client 64
Browse VMware Virtual Appliance Marketplace 67
Export an OVF Template 68
VMware, Inc.
Using Content Libraries71
4
Create a Library 73
Synchronize a Subscribed Library 74
Edit the Settings of a Local Library 74
Edit the Settings of a Subscribed Library 75
Delete a Content Library 76
Hierarchical Inheritance of Permissions for Content Libraries 76
Sample User Role for Working with Content Libraries 78
Populating Libraries with Content 78
Working with Items in a Library 81
3
vSphere Virtual Machine Administration
Creating Virtual Machines and vApps from Templates in a Content Library 84
Installing the Microsoft Sysprep Tool87
5
Install the Microsoft Sysprep Tool from a Microsoft Web Site 87
Install the Microsoft Sysprep Tool from the Windows Operating System CD 88
Configuring Virtual Machine Hardware89
6
Virtual Machine Compatibility 89
Virtual CPU Configuration 95
Virtual Memory Configuration 101
Network Virtual Machine Configuration 103
Parallel and Serial Port Configuration 107
Virtual Disk Configuration 115
SCSI and SATA Storage Controller Conditions, Limitations, and Compatibility 125
Other Virtual Machine Device Configuration 130
Reduce Memory Overhead for Virtual machines with 3D graphics Option 139
USB Configuration from an ESXi Host to a Virtual Machine 139
USB Configuration from a Client Computer to a Virtual Machine 146
Add a Shared Smart Card Reader to Virtual Machines 152
Configuring Virtual Machine Options153
7
Virtual Machine Option Overview 153
Change the Virtual Machine Name 154
View the Virtual Machine Configuration and Working File Location 155
Change the Configured Guest Operating System 155
Configuring User Mappings on Guest Operating Systems 155
Change the Virtual Machine Console Options for Remote Users 157
Configure the Virtual Machine Power States 157
Configure Virtual Machines to Automatically Upgrade VMware Tools 158
Manage Power Management Settings for a Virtual Machine 159
Delay the Boot Sequence 160
Disable Virtual Machine Acceleration 160
Enable Virtual Machine Logging 160
Configure Virtual Machine Debugging and Statistics 161
Change the Swap File Location 161
Edit Configuration File Parameters 162
Configure Fibre Channel NPIV Settings 162
Managing Multi-Tiered Applications with vSphere vApp165
8
Create a vApp 165
Create a Virtual Machine, Resource Pool, or Child vApp Inside a vApp 167
Add Virtual Machine or Child vApp to a vApp 167
Edit vApp Settings 167
Clone a vApp 172
Perform vApp Power Operations 173
Edit vApp Notes 174
Add a Network Protocol Profile 174
Virtual Machine vApp Options 178
4 VMware, Inc.
Contents
Monitoring Solutions with the vCenter Solutions Manager183
9
View Solutions and vServices 183
Monitoring Agents 184
Monitoring vServices 184
Managing Virtual Machines185
10
Edit Virtual Machine Startup and Shutdown Settings 185
Install the Client Integration Plug-In 187
Using a Virtual Machine Remote Console 187
Open the HTML 5 Remote Console 188
Install the VMware Remote Console Application 188
Using the VMware Remote Console Application 189
Adding and Removing Virtual Machines 189
Change the Template Name 191
Deleting Templates 191
Using Snapshots To Manage Virtual Machines 192
VMware Tools Components, Configuration Options, and Security
11
Requirements203
Components of VMware Tools 203
Repairing, Changing, and Uninstalling VMware Tools Components 207
Security Considerations for Configuring VMware Tools 209
Using vmwtool to Configure VMware Tools in a NetWare Virtual Machine 212
Using the VMware Tools Configuration Utility 213
Upgrading Virtual Machines225
12
Upgrading VMware Tools 226
Installing VMware Tools 227
Planning Downtime for Virtual Machines 229
Downtime for Upgrading Virtual Machines 229
Manually Install or Upgrade VMware Tools in a Windows Virtual Machine 230
Automate VMware Tools Installation for Multiple Windows Virtual Machines 232
Manually Install or Upgrade VMware Tools in a Linux Virtual Machine 236
Operating System Specific Packages for Linux Guest Operating Systems 238
Manually Install or Upgrade VMware Tools in a Mac OS X Virtual Machine 239
Manually Install or Upgrade VMware Tools in a Solaris Virtual Machine 240
Manually Install or Upgrade VMware Tools in a NetWare Virtual Machine 241
Manually Install or Upgrade VMware Tools in a FreeBSD Virtual Machine 243
Upgrade VMware Tools 244
Perform an Automatic Upgrade of VMware Tools 245
Upgrade the Compatibility for Virtual Machines 246
Schedule a Compatibility Upgrade for Virtual Machines 247
Required Privileges for Common Tasks249
13
Index253
VMware, Inc. 5
vSphere Virtual Machine Administration
6 VMware, Inc.
About vSphere Virtual Machine Administration
vSphere Virtual Machine Administration describes how to create, configure, and manage virtual machines in
the VMware vSphere® environment.
In addition, this information provides introductions to the tasks that you can do within the system as well as
cross-references to the information that describes the tasks.
This information focuses on managing virtual machines in the VMware vSphere Web Client and includes
the following information.
Creating and deploying virtual machines, templates, and clones
n
Deploying OVF templates
n
Configuring virtual machine hardware and options
n
Managing multitiered applications with VMware vSphere vApp
n
Monitoring solutions with the vCenter Solution Manager
n
Managing virtual machines, including using snapshots
This information is written for experienced Windows or Linux system administrators who are familiar with
virtualization.
VMware, Inc.
7
vSphere Virtual Machine Administration
8 VMware, Inc.
Updated Information
This vSphere Virtual Machine Administration guide is updated with each release of the product or when
necessary.
This table provides the update history of the vSphere Virtual Machine Administration guide.
RevisionDescription
EN-001887-03 Added information about the guest Introspection drivers. See “VMware Tools Device Drivers,”
on page 204 and “Names of VMware Tools Components Used in Silent Installations,” on page 234.
EN-001887-02
EN-001887-01
EN-001887-00 Initial release.
Added a new topic about the HTML 5 Remote console to a virtual machine. See “Open the HTML 5
n
Remote Console,” on page 188.
Updated information about the virtual machine remote consoles. See “Using a Virtual Machine
n
Remote Console,” on page 187.
Updated requirements for upgrading the virtual machine compatibility. See “Upgrade the
n
Compatibility for Virtual Machines,” on page 246.
Removed Datastore.Allocate space privilege from privileges required to take a virtual machine
n
snapshot. See Chapter 13, “Required Privileges for Common Tasks,” on page 249.
Updated procedure for using the VMware Remote Console. See “Using the VMware Remote Console
n
Application,” on page 189.
Enhanced the topic about using content libraries to reflect that a published and a subscribed library
n
do not necessarily need to belong to vCenter Server instances that are in the same vCenter SingleSign On domain. See Chapter 4, “Using Content Libraries,” on page 71.
VMware, Inc. 9
vSphere Virtual Machine Administration
10 VMware, Inc.
Introduction to VMware vSphere
Virtual Machines1
Before you start creating and managing virtual machines, you benefit from some background information,
for example, the virtual machine lifecycle, components, and VMware Tools.
This chapter includes the following topics:
“What Is a Virtual Machine?,” on page 11
n
“Virtual Machines and the Virtual Infrastructure,” on page 12
n
“Virtual Machine Lifecycle,” on page 13
n
“Virtual Machine Components,” on page 13
n
“Virtual Machine Hardware Available to vSphere Virtual Machines,” on page 13
n
“Virtual Machine Options and Resources,” on page 15
n
“vSphere Web Client,” on page 16
n
“Introduction to VMware Tools,” on page 17
n
“Where to Go From Here,” on page 17
n
What Is a Virtual Machine?
A virtual machine is a software computer that, like a physical computer, runs an operating system and
applications. The virtual machine consists of a set of specification and configuration files and is backed by
the physical resources of a host. Every virtual machine has virtual devices that provide the same
functionality as physical hardware are more portable, more secure, and easier to manage.
A virtual machine consists of several files that are stored on a storage device. The key files are the
configuration file, virtual disk file, NVRAM setting file, and log file. You configure virtual machine settings
through the vSphere Web Client, one of the vSphere command-line interfaces (PowerCLI, vCLI) or the
vSphere Web Services SDK.
CAUTION Do not change, move, or delete virtual machine files without instructions from a VMware
Technical Support representative.
Table 1‑1. Virtual Machine Files
FileUsageDescription
.vmxvmname.vmx
.vmxfvmname.vmxf
.vmdkvmname.vmdk
-flat.vmdkvmname-flat.vmdk
Virtual machine configuration file
Additional virtual machine configuration files
Virtual disk characteristics
Virtual machine data disk
VMware, Inc. 11
vSphere Virtual Machine Administration
Table 1‑1. Virtual Machine Files (Continued)
FileUsageDescription
.nvramvmname.nvram or nvram
.vmsdvmname.vmsd
.vmsnvmname.vmsn
.vswpvmname.vswp
.vmssvmname.vmss
.logvmware.log
-#.logvmware-#.log (where # is a number
starting with 1)
Virtual machine BIOS or EFI configuration
Virtual machine snapshots
Virtual machine snapshot data file
Virtual machine swap file
Virtual machine suspend file
Current virtual machine log file
Old virtual machine log files
Virtual Machines and the Virtual Infrastructure
The infrastructure that supports virtual machines consists of at least two software layers, virtualization and
management. In vSphere, ESXi provides the virtualization capabilities that aggregate and present the host
hardware to virtual machines as a normalized set of resources. Virtual machines can run on ESXi hosts that
vCenter Server manages.
vCenter Server lets you pool and manage the resources of multiple hosts and lets you effectively monitor
and manage your physical and virtual infrastructure. You can manage resources for virtual machines,
provision virtual machines, schedule tasks, collect statistics logs, create templates, and more. vCenter Server
also provides vSphere vMotion ™, vSphere Storage vMotion, vSphere Distributed Resource Scheduler
(DRS), vSphere High Availability (HA), and vSphere Fault Tolerance. These services enable efficient and
automated resource management and high availability for virtual machines.
The VMware vSphere Web Client is the interface to vCenter Server, ESXi hosts, and virtual machines. With
the vSphere Web Client, you can connect remotely to vCenter Server. The vSphere Web Client is the
primary interface for managing all aspects of the vSphere environment. It also provides console access to
virtual machines.
NOTE For information about running virtual machines on an isolated ESXi host, see the vSphere Single Host
Management documentation.
The vSphere Web Client presents the organizational hierarchy of managed objects in inventory views.
Inventories are the hierarchal structure used by vCenter Server or the host to organize managed objects.
This hierarchy includes the monitored objects in vCenter Server.
In the vCenter Server hierarchy, a data center is the primary container of ESXi hosts, folders, clusters,
resource pools, vSphere vApps, virtual machines, and so on.
Datastores are virtual representations of underlying physical storage resources in the data center. A
datastore is the storage location (for example, a physical disk or LUN on a RAID, or a SAN) for virtual
machine files. Datastores hide the idiosyncrasies of the underlying physical storage and present a uniform
model for the storage resources required by virtual machines.
For some resources, options, or hardware to be available to virtual machines, the host must have the
appropriate vSphere license. Licensing in vSphere is applicable to ESXi hosts, vCenter Server, and solutions.
Licensing can be based on different criteria, depending on the specifics of each product. For details about
vSphere licensing, see the vCenter Server and Host Management documentation.
12 VMware, Inc.
Virtual Machine Lifecycle
You create and deploy virtual machines into your datacenter in a several ways. You can create a single
virtual machine and install a guest operating system and VMware Tools on it. You can clone or create a
template from an existing virtual machine, or deploy OVF templates.
The vSphere Web Client New Virtual Machine wizard and Virtual Machine Properties editor let you add,
configure, or remove most of the virtual machine's hardware, options, and resources. You monitor CPU,
memory, disk, network, and storage metrics using the performance charts in the vSphere Web Client.
Snapshots let you capture the state of the virtual machine, including the virtual machine memory, settings,
and virtual disks. You can roll back to the previous virtual machine state when needed.
With vSphere vApps, you can manage multitiered applications. You use vSphere Update Manager to
perform orchestrated upgrades to upgrade the virtual hardware and VMware Tools of virtual machines in
the inventory at the same time.
When a virtual machine is no longer needed, you can remove it from the inventory without deleting it from
the datastore, or you can delete the virtual machine and all its files.
Virtual Machine Components
Virtual machines typically have an operating system, VMware Tools, and virtual resources and hardware
that you manage in much the same way as you would manage a physical computer.
Chapter 1 Introduction to VMware vSphere Virtual Machines
You install a guest operating system on a virtual machine the same way as you install an operating system
on a physical computer. You must have a CD/DVD-ROM or ISO image containing the installation files from
an operating system vendor.
VMware Tools is a suite of utilities that enhances the performance of the virtual machine's guest operating
system and improves management of the virtual machine. With VMware Tools, you have more control over
the virtual machine interface.
In the vSphere Web Client, you assign each virtual machine to a compatible ESXi host version, cluster, or
datacenter by applying a compatibility setting. The compatibility setting determines which ESXi host
versions the virtual machine can run on and the hardware features available to the virtual machine.
The hardware devices listed in the Virtual Machine Properties editor complete the virtual machine. Not all
devices are configurable. Some hardware devices are part of the virtual motherboard and appear in the
expanded device list of the Virtual Machine Properties editor, but you cannot modify or remove them. For a
list of hardware devices and their functions, see “Virtual Machine Hardware Available to vSphere Virtual
Machines,” on page 13.
Access to a virtual machine is controlled by the vSphere administrator.
Virtual Machine Hardware Available to vSphere Virtual Machines
VMware provides devices, resources, profiles, and vServices that you can configure or add to your virtual
machine.
Virtual Machine Hardware
Not all hardware devices are available to every virtual machine. The host that the virtual machine runs on
and the guest operating system must support devices that you add or configurations that you make. To
verify support for a device in your environment, see the VMware Compatibility Guide at
http://www.vmware.com/resources/compatibility or the Guest Operating System Installation Guide at
http://partnerweb.vmware.com/GOSIG/home.html.
VMware, Inc. 13
vSphere Virtual Machine Administration
In some cases, the host might not have the required vSphere license for a resource or device. Licensing in
vSphere is applicable to ESXi hosts, vCenter Server, and solutions and can be based on different criteria,
depending on the specifics of each product. For information about vSphere licensing, see the vCenter Serverand Host Management documentation.
The PCI and SIO virtual hardware devices are part of the virtual motherboard, but cannot be configured or
removed.
Table 1‑2. Virtual Machine Hardware and Descriptions
Hardware DeviceDescription
CPUYou can configure a virtual machine that runs on an ESXi host to have one or
ChipsetThe motherboard uses VMware proprietary devices based on the following
DVD/CD-ROM DriveInstalled by default when you create a new vSphere virtual machine. You can
Floppy DriveInstalled by default when you create a new vSphere virtual machine. You can
Hard DiskStores the virtual machine's operating system, program files, and other data
IDE 0, IDE 1By default, two Integrated Drive Electronics (IDE) interfaces are presented to
KeyboardMirrors the keyboard that is connected to the virtual machine console when you
MemoryThe virtual hardware memory size determines how much memory applications
Network AdapterESXi networking features provide communication between virtual machines on
Parallel portInterface for connecting peripherals to the virtual machine. The virtual parallel
PCI controllerBus on the virtual machine motherboard that communicates with components
more virtual processors. A virtual machine cannot have more virtual CPUs than
the actual number of logical CPUs on the host. You can change the number of
CPUs allocated to a virtual machine and configure advanced CPU features,
such as the CPU Identification Mask and hyperthreaded core sharing.
chips:
Intel 440BX AGPset 82443BX Host Bridge/Controller
n
Intel 82371AB (PIIX4) PCI ISA IDE Xcelerator
n
National Semiconductor PC87338 ACPI 1.0 and PC98/99 Compliant
configure DVD/CD-ROM devices to connect to client devices, host devices, or
datastore ISO files. You can add, remove, or configure DVD/CD-ROM devices.
connect to a floppy drive located on the ESXi host, a floppy (.flp) image, or the
floppy drive on your local system. You can add, remove, or configure floppy
devices.
associated with its activities. A virtual disk is a large physical file, or a set of
files, that can be copied, moved, archived, and backed up as easily as any other
file.
the virtual machine. The IDE interface (controller) is a standard way for storage
devices (Floppy drives, hard drives and CD-ROM drives) to connect to the
virtual machine.
first connect to the console.
that are running inside the virtual machine have available to them. A virtual
machine cannot benefit from more memory resources than its configured
virtual hardware memory size.
the same host, between virtual machines on different hosts, and between other
virtual and physical machines. When you configure a virtual machine, you can
add network adapters (NICs) and specify the adapter type.
port can connect to a file. You can add, remove, or configure virtual parallel
ports.
such as hard disks and other devices. One PCI controller is presented to the
virtual machine. You cannot configure or remove this device.
14 VMware, Inc.
Chapter 1 Introduction to VMware vSphere Virtual Machines
Table 1‑2. Virtual Machine Hardware and Descriptions (Continued)
Hardware DeviceDescription
PCI DeviceYou can add up to 16 PCI vSphere DirectPath devices to a virtual machine. The
devices must be reserved for PCI passthrough on the host on which the virtual
machine runs. Snapshots are not supported with DirectPath I/O passthrough
devices.
Pointing deviceMirrors the pointing device that is connected to the virtual machine console
when you first connect to the console.
Serial PortInterface for connecting peripherals to the virtual machine. The virtual serial
port can connect to a physical serial port, to a file on the host computer, or over
the network. You can also use it to establish a direct connection between two
virtual machines or a connection between a virtual machine and an application
on the host computer. You can configure a virtual machine with up to 32 serial
ports. You can add, remove, or configure virtual serial ports.
SATA controllerProvides access to virtual disks and DVD/CD-ROM devices. The SATA virtual
controller appears to a virtual machine as an AHCI SATA Controller.
SCSI controllerProvides access to virtual disks. The SCSI virtual controller appears to a virtual
machine as different types of controllers, including LSI Logic Parallel, LSI Logic
SAS, and VMware Paravirtual. You can change the SCSI controller type, allocate
bus sharing for a virtual machine, or add a paravirtualized SCSI controller.
SCSI deviceBy default, a SCSI device interface is available to the virtual machine. The SCSI
interface is a typical way to connect storage devices (floppy drives, hard drives,
and DVD/CD-ROMs) to a virtual machine. You can add, remove, or configure
SCSI devices.
SIO controllerProvides serial and parallel ports, floppy devices, and performs system
management activities. One SIO controller is available to the virtual machine.
You cannot configure or remove this device.
USB controllerThe USB hardware chip that provides USB function to the USB ports that it
manages. The virtual USB Controller is the software virtualization of the USB
host controller function in the virtual machine.
USB deviceYou can add multiple USB devices, such as security dongles and mass storage
devices, to a virtual machine. The USB devices can be connected to an ESXi host
or a client computer.
VMCIVirtual Machine Communication Interface device. Provides a high-speed
communication channel between a virtual machine and the hypervisor. You
cannot add or remove VMCI devices.
Virtual Machine Options and Resources
Each virtual device performs the same function for the virtual machine as hardware on a physical computer
does.
A virtual machine might be running in any of several locations, such as ESXi hosts, datacenters, clusters, or
resource pools. Many of the options and resources that you configure have dependencies on and
relationships with these objects.
Every virtual machine has CPU, memory, and disk resources. CPU virtualization emphasizes performance
and runs directly on the processor whenever possible. The underlying physical resources are used whenever
possible. The virtualization layer runs instructions only as needed to make virtual machines operate as if
they were running directly on a physical machine.
All recent operating systems provide support for virtual memory, allowing software to use more memory
than the machine physically has. Similarly, the ESXi hypervisor provides support for overcommitting
virtual machine memory, where the amount of guest memory configured for all virtual machines might be
larger than the amount of the host's physical memory.
VMware, Inc. 15
vSphere Virtual Machine Administration
You can add virtual disks and add more space to existing disks, even when the virtual machine is running.
You can also change the device node and allocate shares of disk bandwidth to the virtual machine.
VMware virtual machines have the following options:
General Options
VMware Tools
Advanced Options
Power Management
CPUID Mask
Memory/CPU Hotplug
Boot Options
View or modify the virtual machine name, and check the location of the
configuration file and the working location of the virtual machine.
Manage the power controls for the virtual machine and run VMware Tools
scripts. You can also upgrade VMware Tools during power cycling and
synchronize guest time with the host.
Disable acceleration and enable logging, configure debugging and statistics,
and change the swap file location. You can also change the latency sensitivity
and add configuration parameters.
Manage guest power options. Suspend the virtual machine or leave the
virtual machine powered on when you put the guest operating system into
standby.
Hide or expose the NX/XD flag. Hiding the NX/XD flag increases vMotion
compatibility between hosts.
Enable or disable CPU and memory hotplug. You can add Memory or CPU
resources to a virtual machine while the virtual machine is running. You can
disable Memory or CPU hotplug to avoid adding memory or CPUs while the
virtual machine is running. Memory hotplug is supported on all 64 bit
operating systems, but to use the added memory, the guest operating system
must also support this feature. See the VMware Compatibility Guide at
http://www.vmware.com/resources/compatibility.
Set the boot delay when powering on virtual machines or to force BIOS setup
and configure failed boot recovery.
Fibre Channel NPIV
vApp Options
vSphere Web Client
All administrative functions are available through the vSphere Web Client.
The vSphere Web Client is a cross platform application that can connect only to vCenter Server. It has a full
range of administrative functionality and an extensible plug-in-based architecture. Typical users are virtual
infrastructure administrators, help desk, network operations center operators, and virtual machine owners.
Users can use the vSphere Web Client to access vCenter Server through a Web browser. The
vSphere Web Client uses the VMware API to mediate the communication between the browser and the
vCenter Server.
Control virtual machine access to LUNs on a per-virtual machine basis. Nport ID virtualization (NPIV) provides the ability to share a single physical
Fibre Channel HBA port among multiple virtual ports, each with unique
identifiers.
Enable or disable vApp functionality. When you select the checkbox, you can
view and edit vApp properties, vApp Deployment options, and vApp
Authoring options. For example, you can configure an IP allocation policy or
a network protocol profile for the vApp. A vApp option that is specified at
the level of a virtual machine overrides the settings specified at the level of
the vApp.
16 VMware, Inc.
Introduction to VMware Tools
VMware Tools is a suite of utilities that you install in the operating system of a virtual machine.
VMware Tools enhances the performance of a virtual machine and makes possible many of the ease-of-use
features in VMware products. For example, the following features are just some of the features that are
available only if VMware Tools is installed:
Significantly faster graphics performance and Windows Aero on operating systems that support Aero
n
The Unity feature, which enables an application in a virtual machine to appear on the host desktop like
n
any other application window
Shared folders between host and guest file systems
n
Copying and pasting text, graphics, and files between the virtual machine and the host or client desktop
n
Improved mouse performance
n
Synchronization of the clock in the virtual machine with the clock on the host or client desktop
n
Scripting that helps automate guest operating system operations
n
Runs pre-freeze and post-thaw quiescing scripts
n
Enables capturing quiesced snapshots of guest operating systems
n
Chapter 1 Introduction to VMware vSphere Virtual Machines
Periodically collects network, disk, and memory usage information from the guest operating system
n
and sends it to ESXi hosts.
Sends a heartbeat to each virtual machine every second and collects guest heartbeat information from
n
guest operating systems. VMware HA uses the heartbeat information to determine virtual machine
availability.
Transports the OVF environment to guest operating systems using the guest OS environment variable
n
guestinfo.ovfEnv that contains the XML document.
Although the guest operating system can run without VMware Tools, many VMware features are not
available until you install VMware Tools. For example, if you do not have VMware Tools installed in your
virtual machine, you cannot get heartbeat information from guest operating systems or cannot use the
shutdown or restart options from the toolbar. You can only use the power options and you have to shut
down your guest operating systems from each virtual machine console. You cannot use VMware Tools for
connecting and disconnecting virtual devices, and shrinking virtual disks.
VMware highly recommends that you always run the latest version of VMware Tools. You can configure
your virtual machines to automatically check for and apply VMware Tools upgrades each time you power
on your virtual machines. For information about enabling automatic upgrade of VMware Tools on your
virtual machines, see the “Configure Virtual Machines to Automatically Upgrade VMware Tools,”
on page 158 topic.
The installation procedure varies, depending on the operating system. For information about installing or
upgrading VMware Tools on your guest operating systems, see the Upgrading Virtual Machines chapter. For
general instructions about installing VMware Tools, see the VMware Knowledge base article at
http://kb.vmware.com/kb/1014294.
Where to Go From Here
You must create, provision, and deploy your virtual machines before you can manage them.
To begin provisioning virtual machines, determine whether to create a single virtual machine and install an
operating system and VMware tools, work with templates and clones, or deploy virtual machines, virtual
appliances, or vApps stored in Open Virtual Machine Format (OVF).
VMware, Inc. 17
vSphere Virtual Machine Administration
After you provision and deploy virtual machines into the vSphere infrastructure, you can configure and
manage them. You can configure existing virtual machines by modifying or adding hardware or install or
upgrade VMware Tools. You might need to manage multitiered applications with VMware vApps or
change virtual machine startup and shutdown settings, use virtual machine snapshots, work with virtual
disks, or add, remove, or delete virtual machines from the inventory.
18 VMware, Inc.
Deploying Virtual Machines2
To deploy virtual machines in the vCenter Server inventory, you can deploy from a template, create a
virtual machine, or clone an existing virtual machine.
This chapter includes the following topics:
“About Provisioning Virtual Machines,” on page 19
n
“Create a Virtual Machine Without a Template or Clone,” on page 20
n
“Deploy a Virtual Machine from a Template,” on page 26
n
“Clone a Virtual Machine,” on page 32
n
“Clone a Virtual Machine to a Template in the vSphere Web Client,” on page 38
n
“Clone a Template to a Template in the vSphere Web Client,” on page 42
n
“Convert a Template to a Virtual Machine,” on page 45
n
“Customizing Guest Operating Systems,” on page 47
n
About Provisioning Virtual Machines
VMware provides several methods to provision vSphere virtual machines. The optimal method for your
environment depends on factors such as the size and type of your infrastructure and the goals that you want
to achieve.
VMware, Inc.
Create a single virtual machine if no other virtual machines in your environment have the requirements you
are looking for, such as a particular operating system or hardware configuration. For example, you might
need a virtual machine that is configured only for testing purposes. You can also create a single virtual
machine and install an operating system on it, and then use that virtual machine as a template from which
to clone other virtual machines. See “Create a Virtual Machine Without a Template or Clone,” on page 20.
Deploy and export virtual machines, virtual appliances, and vApps stored in Open Virtual Machine Format
(OVF) to use a preconfigured virtual machine. A virtual appliance is a virtual machine that typically has an
operating system and other software installed. You can deploy virtual machines from local file systems,
such as local disks (for example, C:), removable media (for example, CDs or USB keychain drives), and
shared network drives. See Chapter 3, “Deploying OVF Templates,” on page 63.
Create a template to deploy multiple virtual machines from. A template is a master copy of a virtual
machine that you can use to create and provision virtual machines. Use templates to save time. If you have a
virtual machine that you will clone frequently, make that virtual machine a template. See “Deploy a Virtual
Machine from a Template,” on page 26.
Cloning a virtual machine can save time if you are deploying many similar virtual machines. You can create,
configure, and install software on a single virtual machine. You can clone it multiple times, rather than
creating and configuring each virtual machine individually. See “Clone a Virtual Machine,” on page 32.
19
vSphere Virtual Machine Administration
Cloning a virtual machine to a template preserves a master copy of the virtual machine so that you can
create additional templates. For example, you can create one template, modify the original virtual machine
by installing additional software in the guest operating system, and create another template. See Clone a
Virtual Machine to a Template in the vSphere Web Client.
Create a Virtual Machine Without a Template or Clone
You can create a single virtual machine if no other virtual machines in your environment have the
requirements you are looking for, such as a particular operating system or hardware configuration. When
you create a virtual machine without a template or clone, you can configure the virtual hardware, including
processors, hard disks, and memory.
During the creation process a default disk is configured for the virtual machine. You can remove this disk
and add a new hard disk, select an existing disk, or add an RDM disk on the Customize hardware page of
the wizard.
Prerequisites
Verify that you have the following privileges:
Virtual machine.Inventory.Create new on the destination folder or datacenter.
n
Virtual machine.Configuration.Add new disk on the destination folder or datacenter, if you are
n
adding a new disk.
Virtual machine.Configuration.Add existing disk on the destination folder or datacenter, if you are
n
adding an existing disk.
Virtual machine.Configuration.Raw device on the destination folder or datacenter, if you are using a
n
RDM or SCSI pass-through device.
Virtual machine.Configuration.Host USB device on the destination folder or datacenter, if you are
n
attaching a virtual USB device backed by a host USB device.
Virtual machine.Configuration.Advanced on the destination folder or datacenter, if you are
n
configuring advanced virtual machine settings.
Virtual machine.Configuration.Swapfile placement on the destination folder or datacenter, if you are
n
configuring swapfile placement.
Virtual machine.Configuration.Disk change tracking on the destination folder or datacenter, if you
n
are enabling change tracking on the virtual machine's disks.
Resource.Assign virtual machine to resource pool on the destination host, cluster, or resource pool.
n
Datastore.Allocate space on the destination datastore or datastore folder.
n
Network.Assign network on the network that the virtual machine will be assigned to.
n
To verify the privileges assigned to your role, see the Required Privileges for Common Tasks topic in the
vSphere Security documentation.
Procedure
1Start the New Virtual Machine Creation Process on page 21
If you need a single virtual machine with a particular operating system and hardware configuration,
you create a new virtual machine. You can open the New Virtual Machine wizard from any object in
the inventory that is a valid parent object of a virtual machine.
20 VMware, Inc.
Chapter 2 Deploying Virtual Machines
2Select the Virtual Machine Name and Folder on page 22
When you create a virtual machine, you provide a unique name for it. The unique name distinguishes
it from existing virtual machines in the virtual machine folder or datacenter. The name can contain up
to 80 characters. You can select a datacenter or folder location for the virtual machine, depending on
your organizational needs.
3Select a Resource on page 22
When you deploy a virtual machine, you select the host, cluster, vApp, or resource pool for the virtual
machine to run in. The virtual machine will have access to the resources of the selected object.
4Select a Datastore on page 22
Select the datastore or datastore cluster in which to store the virtual machine configuration files and all
of the virtual disks. Each datastore might have a different size, speed, availability, and other
properties. The available datastores are accessible from the destination resource that you selected.
5Select the Virtual Machine Compatibility on page 23
You can accept the default ESXi host version for this virtual machine or select a different version,
depending on the hosts in your environment.
6Select a Guest Operating System on page 23
The guest operating system that you select affects the supported devices and number of virtual CPUs
available for the virtual machine. The New Virtual Machine wizard does not install the guest
operating system. The wizard uses this information to select appropriate default values, such as the
amount of memory needed.
7Customize Virtual Machine Hardware on page 24
Before you deploy a new virtual machine, you have the option to configure the virtual hardware.
When you create a virtual machine, the virtual disk is selected by default. You can use the New device
drop-down menu on the Customize Hardware page to add a new hard disk, select an existing disk, or
add an RDM disk.
8Finish Virtual Machine Creation on page 24
Before you deploy the virtual machine, you can review the virtual machine settings.
9Installing a Guest Operating System on page 24
A virtual machine is not complete until you install the guest operating system and VMware Tools.
Installing a guest operating system in your virtual machine is essentially the same as installing it in a
physical computer.
Start the New Virtual Machine Creation Process
If you need a single virtual machine with a particular operating system and hardware configuration, you
create a new virtual machine. You can open the New Virtual Machine wizard from any object in the
inventory that is a valid parent object of a virtual machine.
Procedure
1Right-click any inventory object that is a valid parent object of a virtual machine, such as a datacenter,
folder, cluster, resource pool, or host, and select New Virtual Machine.
2Select Create a new virtual machine and click Next.
VMware, Inc. 21
vSphere Virtual Machine Administration
Select the Virtual Machine Name and Folder
When you create a virtual machine, you provide a unique name for it. The unique name distinguishes it
from existing virtual machines in the virtual machine folder or datacenter. The name can contain up to 80
characters. You can select a datacenter or folder location for the virtual machine, depending on your
organizational needs.
Folders provide a way to store virtual machines for different groups in an organization, and you can set
permissions on them. For a flatter hierarchy, you can put all virtual machines and templates in a datacenter
and organize them a different way.
The virtual machine name determines the name of the virtual machine files and folder on the disk. For
example, if you name the virtual machine win8, the virtual machine files are named win8.vmx, win8.vmdk,
win8.nvram, and so on. If you change the virtual machine name, the names of the files on the datastore do
not change.
Procedure
1Type a name for the virtual machine.
2Select or search for the datacenter or folder in which to deploy the virtual machine.
3Click Next.
Select a Resource
When you deploy a virtual machine, you select the host, cluster, vApp, or resource pool for the virtual
machine to run in. The virtual machine will have access to the resources of the selected object.
For example, a virtual machine has access to the memory and CPU resources of the host on which it resides.
If you select a cluster for the virtual machine, and the administrator has configured the cluster to take
advantage of HA and DRS, the virtual machine will have a greater level of availability.
Procedure
1Search or browse for the host, cluster, vApp, or resource pool for the virtual machine.
If deploying the virtual machine to the selected location might cause compatibility problems, the
problems appear at the bottom of the window.
2Click Next.
Select a Datastore
Select the datastore or datastore cluster in which to store the virtual machine configuration files and all of
the virtual disks. Each datastore might have a different size, speed, availability, and other properties. The
available datastores are accessible from the destination resource that you selected.
On the Customize hardware page, you can configure the storage. For example, you can add a new hard
disk, apply a Virtual machine storage policy, or place the configuration and disk files on separate storage
devices.
The amount of free space in the datastore is always changing. Ensure that you leave sufficient space for
virtual machine creation and other virtual machine operations, such as growth of sparse files, snapshots,
and so on. To review space utilization for the datastore by file type, see the vSphere Monitoring andPerformance documentation.
22 VMware, Inc.
Chapter 2 Deploying Virtual Machines
Procedure
Select the datastore location where you want to store the virtual machine files.
u
OptionAction
Store all virtual machine files in the
same location on a datastore.
Store all virtual machine files in the
same datastore cluster.
Select a datastore and click Next.
a Select a datastore cluster.
b (Optional) If you do not want to use Storage DRS with this virtual
machine, select Disable Storage DRS for this virtual machine and
select a datastore within the datastore cluster.
cClick Next.
Select the Virtual Machine Compatibility
You can accept the default ESXi host version for this virtual machine or select a different version, depending
on the hosts in your environment.
The default compatibility for this virtual machine is determined by the host on which the virtual machine is
created or by the default compatibility settings on the host, cluster, or datacenter. You can select a different
compatibility from the default.
Only host versions that are in your environment appear in the Compatible with drop-down menu. For
information about choices and compatibility strategies, see “Virtual Machine Compatibility,” on page 89.
Procedure
Select the compatibility from the drop-down menu and click Next.
u
Select a Guest Operating System
The guest operating system that you select affects the supported devices and number of virtual CPUs
available for the virtual machine. The New Virtual Machine wizard does not install the guest operating
system. The wizard uses this information to select appropriate default values, such as the amount of
memory needed.
For details, see the VMware Compatibility Guide at http://www.vmware.com/resources/compatibility.
When you select a guest operating system, BIOS or Extensible Firmware Interface (EFI) is selected by
default, depending on the firmware supported by the operating system. Mac OS X Server guest operating
systems support only EFI. If the operating system supports BIOS and EFI, you can change the default from
the Options tab of the Virtual Machine Properties editor after you create the virtual machine and before you
install the guest operating system. If you select EFI, you cannot boot an operating system that supports only
BIOS, and the reverse.
IMPORTANT Do not change the firmware after the guest operating system is installed. The guest operating
system installer partitions the disk in a particular format, depending on which firmware the installer was
booted from. If you change the firmware, you will not be able to boot the guest.
The Mac OS X Server must run on Apple hardware. You cannot power on a Mac OS X Server if it is running
on other hardware.
Procedure
1Select the guest operating system family from the Guest OS Family drop-down menu.
2Select a guest operating system version from the Guest OS Version drop-down menu.
3If you selected Other as the guest operating system family, and Other (32-bit) or Other (64-bit) for the
version, type a name for the operating system in the text box.
VMware, Inc. 23
vSphere Virtual Machine Administration
4Click Next.
Customize Virtual Machine Hardware
Before you deploy a new virtual machine, you have the option to configure the virtual hardware. When you
create a virtual machine, the virtual disk is selected by default. You can use the New device drop-down
menu on the Customize Hardware page to add a new hard disk, select an existing disk, or add an RDM
disk.
For information about virtual disk configuration, including instructions for adding different types of disks,
see “Add a Hard Disk to a Virtual Machine,” on page 117.
For help configuring other virtual machine hardware, see Chapter 6, “Configuring Virtual Machine
Hardware,” on page 89.
Procedure
1(Optional) To add a new virtual hardware device, select the device from the New device drop-down
menu and click Add.
2(Optional) Expand any device to view and configure the device settings.
3To remove a device, move your cursor over the device and click the Remove icon.
This icon appears only for virtual hardware that you can safely remove.
4Click Next.
Finish Virtual Machine Creation
Before you deploy the virtual machine, you can review the virtual machine settings.
Procedure
1Review the virtual machine settings and make changes by clicking Back to go back to the relevant page.
2Click Finish.
The virtual machine appears in the vSphere Web Client inventory.
Installing a Guest Operating System
A virtual machine is not complete until you install the guest operating system and VMware Tools. Installing
a guest operating system in your virtual machine is essentially the same as installing it in a physical
computer.
The basic steps for a typical operating system are described in this section. See the Guest Operating SystemInstallation Guide at http://partnerweb.vmware.com/GOSIG/home.html.
Using PXE with Virtual Machines
You can start a virtual machine from a network device and remotely install a guest operating system using a
Preboot Execution Environment (PXE). You do not need the operating system installation media. When you
turn on the virtual machine, the virtual machine detects the PXE server.
PXE booting is supported for Guest Operating Systems that are listed in the VMware Guest Operating
System Compatibility list and whose operating system vendor supports PXE booting of the operating
system.
The virtual machine must meet the following requirements:
Have a virtual disk without operating system software and with enough free disk space to store the
n
intended system software.
24 VMware, Inc.
Chapter 2 Deploying Virtual Machines
Have a network adapter connected to the network where the PXE server resides.
n
For details about guest operating system installation, see the Guest Operating System Installation Guide at
http://partnerweb.vmware.com/GOSIG/home.html.
Install a Guest Operating System from Media
You can install a guest operating system from a CD-ROM or from an ISO image. Installing from an ISO
image is typically faster and more convenient than a CD-ROM installation.
If the virtual machine’s boot sequence progresses too quickly for you to open a console to the virtual
machine and enter BIOS or EFI setup, you might need to delay the boot order. See “Delay the Boot
Sequence,” on page 160.
Prerequisites
Verify that the installation ISO image is present on a VMFS datastore or network file system (NFS)
n
volume accessible to the ESXi host.
Verify that you have the installation instructions that the operating system vendor provides.
n
Procedure
1Log in to the vCenter Server system or host on which the virtual machine resides.
2Select an installation method.
OptionAction
CD-ROM
ISO image
Insert the installation CD-ROM for your guest operating system into the
CD-ROM drive of your ESXi host.
a Right-click the virtual machine and select Edit Settings. The virtual
machine Edit Settings dialog box opens. If the Virtual Hardware tab is
not preselected, select it.
b Select Datastore ISO File from the CD/DVD drop-down menu, and
browse for the ISO image for your guest operating system.
3Right-click the virtual machine and select Power On.
A green right arrow appears next to the virtual machine icon in the inventory list.
4Follow the installation instructions that the operating system vendor provides.
What to do next
Install VMware Tools. VMware highly recommends running the latest version of VMware Tools on your
guest operating systems. Although the guest operating system can run without VMware Tools, you lose
important functionality and convenience without them. See Chapter 12, “Upgrading Virtual Machines,” on
page 225 for instructions on installing and upgrading VMware Tools.
Upload ISO Image Installation Media for a Guest Operating System
You can upload an ISO image file to a datastore from your local computer. You can do this when a virtual
machine, host, or cluster does not have access to a datastore or to a shared datastore that has the guest
operating system installation media that you require.
Prerequisites
Verify that the Client Integration Plug-In is installed. See “Install the Client Integration Plug-In,” on
n
page 187. The installation process requires you to close any open browsers.
Required privileges:
n
Datastore.Browse datastore on the datastore.
n
VMware, Inc. 25
vSphere Virtual Machine Administration
Datastore.Low level file operations on the datastore.
n
Procedure
1In the inventory, click Datastores and on the Objects tab, select the datastore to which you will upload
the file.
2
Click the Navigate to the datastore file browser icon (
3(Optional) Click the Create a new folder icon.
4
Select the folder that you created or select an existing folder, and click the Upload a File icon ( ).
5If the Client Integration Access Control dialog box appears, click Allow to allow the plug-in to access
your operating system and proceed with the file upload.
6On the local computer, find the file and upload it.
ISO upload times vary, depending on file size and network upload speed.
7Refresh the datastore file browser to see the uploaded file in the list.
What to do next
After you upload the ISO image installation media, you can configure the virtual machine CD-ROM drive to
access the file.
).
Deploy a Virtual Machine from a Template
Deploying a virtual machine from a template creates a virtual machine that is a copy of the template. The
new virtual machine has the virtual hardware, installed software, and other properties that are configured
for the template.
Prerequisites
You must have the following privileges to deploy a virtual machine from a template:
Virtual machine .Inventory.Create from existing on the datacenter or virtual machine folder.
n
Virtual machine.Configuration.Add new disk on the datacenter or virtual machine folder. Required
n
only if you customize the original hardware by adding a new virtual disk.
Virtual machine.Provisioning.Deploy template on the source template.
n
Resource.Assign virtual machine to resource pool on the destination host, cluster, or resource pool.
n
Datastore.Allocate space on the destination datastore.
n
Network.Assign network on the network to which the virtual machine will be assigned. Required only
n
if you customize the original hardware by adding a new network card.
Virtual machine.Provisioning.Customize on the template or template folder if you are customizing the
n
guest operating system.
Virtual machine.Provisioning.Read customization specifications on the root vCenter Server if you are
n
customizing the guest operating system.
Procedure
1Start the Deploy a Virtual Machine from a Template Task on page 28
To save time, you can create a virtual machine that is a copy of a configured template. You can open
the New Virtual Machine wizard from any object in the inventory that is a valid parent object of a
virtual machine, or directly from the template. The wizard provides several options for creating and
deploying virtual machines and templates.
26 VMware, Inc.
Chapter 2 Deploying Virtual Machines
2Select a Template on page 28
After you select the template from which to deploy the virtual machine, you can optionally select to
customize the guest operating system and the virtual machine hardware. You can also select to turn
on the virtual machine when you complete the creation procedure. You can change the properties of
the guest operating system, such as the computer name, and network and license settings, which helps
prevent conflicts that can result if virtual machines with identical settings are deployed. You can add a
CD device such as an ISO file to install the guest operating system, or reconfigure the virtual
machines' hardware, such as storage or networking, before you deploy the virtual machine.
3Select the Virtual Machine Name and Folder on page 29
When you create a virtual machine, you provide a unique name for it. The unique name distinguishes
it from existing virtual machines in the virtual machine folder or datacenter. The name can contain up
to 80 characters. You can select a datacenter or folder location for the virtual machine, depending on
your organizational needs.
4Select a Resource on page 29
When you deploy a virtual machine, you select the host, cluster, vApp, or resource pool for the virtual
machine to run in. The virtual machine will have access to the resources of the selected object.
5Select a Datastore on page 29
Select the datastore or datastore cluster in which to store the virtual machine configuration files and all
of the virtual disks. Each datastore might have a different size, speed, availability, and other
properties. The available datastores are accessible from the destination resource that you selected. You
can select a format for the virtual machine's disks and assign a storage policy.
6Select Clone Options on page 30
You can optionally select to customize the guest operating system, customize the virtual machine's
hardware, and turn on the virtual machine when you complete the creation procedure. You can
customize the guest operating system to change properties, such as the computer name, and network
and license settings, which helps prevent conflicts that can result if you deploy virtual machines with
identical settings. You can add a CD device such as an ISO file to install the guest operating system or
you can reconfigure the virtual machine storage or networking, before you deploy the virtual
machine.
7Customize the Guest Operating System on page 31
When you customize a guest operating system, you can prevent conflicts that might result if you
deploy virtual machines with identical settings, such as duplicate computer names. You can change
the computer name, network settings, and license settings. You can customize guest operating systems
when you clone a virtual machine or deploy a virtual machine from a template.
8Enter Additional Customization Parameters for the Guest Operating System on page 31
In the User Settings screen, you can enter the NetBIOS name and configure the network settings of the
virtual machine.
9Customize Virtual Machine Hardware on page 32
Before you deploy a new virtual machine, you have the option to configure the virtual hardware.
When you create a virtual machine, the virtual disk is selected by default. You can use the New device
drop-down menu on the Customize Hardware page to add a new hard disk, select an existing disk, or
add an RDM disk.
10 Finish Virtual Machine Creation on page 32
Before you deploy the virtual machine, you can review the virtual machine settings.
VMware, Inc. 27
vSphere Virtual Machine Administration
Start the Deploy a Virtual Machine from a Template Task
To save time, you can create a virtual machine that is a copy of a configured template. You can open the
New Virtual Machine wizard from any object in the inventory that is a valid parent object of a virtual
machine, or directly from the template. The wizard provides several options for creating and deploying
virtual machines and templates.
If you open the wizard from a template, the Select a creation type page does not appear.
Procedure
Select to deploy a virtual machine from a template.
u
OptionDescription
Open the New Virtual Machine
wizard from any object in the
inventory
Open the Deploy From Template
wizard from a template
a Right-click any inventory object that is a valid parent object of a virtual
machine, such as a datacenter, folder, cluster, resource pool, or host,
and select New Virtual Machine.
b Select Deploy from template and click Next.
The Select a name and folder page opens.
Right-click the template and select Deploy VM from this Template.
The Select a name and folder page opens.
Select a Template
After you select the template from which to deploy the virtual machine, you can optionally select to
customize the guest operating system and the virtual machine hardware. You can also select to turn on the
virtual machine when you complete the creation procedure. You can change the properties of the guest
operating system, such as the computer name, and network and license settings, which helps prevent
conflicts that can result if virtual machines with identical settings are deployed. You can add a CD device
such as an ISO file to install the guest operating system, or reconfigure the virtual machines' hardware, such
as storage or networking, before you deploy the virtual machine.
This page appears only if you opened the New Virtual Machine wizard from a inventory object that is not a
template.
NOTE If you start the deploy operation from a template, you select the customization and power options on
a later page in the wizard.
Procedure
1Search for or browse to the template.
2(Optional) Select Customize the operating system to customize the guest operating system of the
virtual machine.
3(Optional) Select Customize this virtual machine's hardware to configure the virtual machine's
hardware before deployment.
4(Optional) Select Power On Virtual Machine after creation to power on the virtual machine after
creation is complete.
5Click Next.
28 VMware, Inc.
Chapter 2 Deploying Virtual Machines
Select the Virtual Machine Name and Folder
When you create a virtual machine, you provide a unique name for it. The unique name distinguishes it
from existing virtual machines in the virtual machine folder or datacenter. The name can contain up to 80
characters. You can select a datacenter or folder location for the virtual machine, depending on your
organizational needs.
Folders provide a way to store virtual machines for different groups in an organization, and you can set
permissions on them. For a flatter hierarchy, you can put all virtual machines and templates in a datacenter
and organize them a different way.
The virtual machine name determines the name of the virtual machine files and folder on the disk. For
example, if you name the virtual machine win8, the virtual machine files are named win8.vmx, win8.vmdk,
win8.nvram, and so on. If you change the virtual machine name, the names of the files on the datastore do
not change.
Procedure
1Type a name for the virtual machine.
2Select or search for the datacenter or folder in which to deploy the virtual machine.
3Click Next.
Select a Resource
When you deploy a virtual machine, you select the host, cluster, vApp, or resource pool for the virtual
machine to run in. The virtual machine will have access to the resources of the selected object.
For example, a virtual machine has access to the memory and CPU resources of the host on which it resides.
If you select a cluster for the virtual machine, and the administrator has configured the cluster to take
advantage of HA and DRS, the virtual machine will have a greater level of availability.
Procedure
1Search or browse for the host, cluster, vApp, or resource pool for the virtual machine.
If deploying the virtual machine to the selected location might cause compatibility problems, the
problems appear at the bottom of the window.
2Click Next.
Select a Datastore
Select the datastore or datastore cluster in which to store the virtual machine configuration files and all of
the virtual disks. Each datastore might have a different size, speed, availability, and other properties. The
available datastores are accessible from the destination resource that you selected. You can select a format
for the virtual machine's disks and assign a storage policy.
The amount of free space in the datastore is always changing. Ensure that you leave sufficient space for
virtual machine creation and other virtual machine operations, such as growth of sparse files, snapshots,
and so on. To review space utilization for the datastore by file type, see the vSphere Monitoring andPerformance documentation.
Thin provisioning lets you create sparse files with blocks that are allocated upon first access, which allows
the datastore to be over-provisioned. The sparse files can continue growing and fill the datastore. If the
datastore runs out of disk space while the virtual machine is running, it can cause the virtual machine to
stop functioning.
VMware, Inc. 29
vSphere Virtual Machine Administration
Procedure
1Select the format for the virtual machine's disks.
OptionAction
Same format as source
Thick Provision Lazy Zeroed
Thick Provision Eager Zeroed
Thin Provision
2(Optional) Select a storage policy from the VM Storage Policy drop-down menu.
Storage policies specify storage requirements for applications that run on the virtual machine.
3Select a datastore location for the virtual disk.
Use the same format as the source virtual machine.
Create a virtual disk in a default thick format. Space required for the
virtual disk is allocated during creation. Any data remaining on the
physical device is not erased during creation, but is zeroed out on demand
at a later time on first write from the virtual machine.
Create a thick disk that supports clustering features such as Fault
Tolerance. Space required for the virtual disk is allocated at creation time.
In contrast to the thick provision lazy zeroed format, the data remaining
on the physical device is zeroed out during creation. It might take longer
to create disks in this format than to create other types of disks.
Use the thin provisioned format. At first, a thin provisioned disk uses only
as much datastore space as the disk initially needs. If the thin disk needs
more space later, it can grow to the maximum capacity allocated to it.
OptionAction
Store the virtual disk and virtual
machine configuration files in the
same location on a datastore.
Store the disk in a separate
datastore location.
Store all virtual machine files in the
same datastore cluster.
Select Store with the virtual machine from the Location drop-down
menu.
Select Browse from the Location drop-down menu, and select a datastore
for the disk.
a Select Browse from the Location drop-down menu and select a
datastore cluster for the disk.
b (Optional) If you do not want to use Storage DRS with this virtual
machine, select Disable Storage DRS for this virtual machine and
select a datastore within the datastore cluster.
4Click Next.
Select Clone Options
You can optionally select to customize the guest operating system, customize the virtual machine's
hardware, and turn on the virtual machine when you complete the creation procedure. You can customize
the guest operating system to change properties, such as the computer name, and network and license
settings, which helps prevent conflicts that can result if you deploy virtual machines with identical settings.
You can add a CD device such as an ISO file to install the guest operating system or you can reconfigure the
virtual machine storage or networking, before you deploy the virtual machine.
NOTE If you opened the wizard from an object other than a virtual machine or template, the Select Clone
Options page does not appear. These options are available on a different page of the wizard.
Procedure
1Select Customize the Operating System.
2Select Customize this virtual machine's hardware.
3Select Power on virtual machine after creation.
4Click Next.
30 VMware, Inc.
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