VMware vCenter Lifecycle Manager - 1.2.0 User’s Guide
Lifecycle Manager User's Guide
vCenter Lifecycle Manager 1.2
This document supports the version of each product listed and
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document, see http://www.vmware.com/support/pubs.
EN-000403-00
Lifecycle Manager User's Guide
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Contents
About This Book 5
Overview of Lifecycle Manager 7
1
Lifecycle Manager Process 7
Lifecycle Manager Terminology 7
Lifecycle Manager Roles 8
Supported Browsers 9
Log In to LCM 10
LCM Requester and LCM Tech Requester Tasks 11
2
Request a Virtual Machine as an LCM Requester 11
Request a Virtual Machine as an LCM Tech Requester 12
Display Requested Virtual Machines 14
Check the Power State of a Virtual Machine 15
Power a Virtual Machine On or Off 15
Suspend a Virtual Machine 16
Connecting to a Virtual Machine 16
Create a Snapshot 17
Revert to a Snapshot 17
Request to Extend the Life of a Virtual Machine 18
Decommission a Virtual Machine Immediately 18
Request to Change the Virtual Machine Customization Attributes 18
LCM Approver Tasks 21
3
Request a Virtual Machine as an LCM Approver 21
Display Requested Virtual Machines 22
Check the Power State of a Virtual Machine 24
Power a Virtual Machine On or Off 24
Suspend a Virtual Machine 24
Connecting to a Virtual Machine 24
Create a Snapshot 25
Revert to a Snapshot 26
Request to Extend the Life of a Virtual Machine 26
Decommission a Virtual Machine Immediately 26
Review Requests for Approval 27
Approve or Reject Requested Virtual Machines 27
Approve or Reject Requests to Extend the Life of a Virtual Machine 27
Approve or Reject Requests for Customization Changes 28
Generate Reports 28
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Lifecycle Manager User's Guide
LCM IT Staff Tasks 29
4
Request a Virtual Machine as an LCM IT Staff User 29
Display Requested Virtual Machines 31
Check the Power State of a Virtual Machine 32
Power a Virtual Machine On or Off 32
Suspend a Virtual Machine 33
Connecting to a Virtual Machine 33
Create a Snapshot 34
Revert to a Snapshot 34
Request to Extend the Life of a Virtual Machine 35
Decommission a Virtual Machine Immediately 35
Request to Change the Virtual Machine Customization Attributes 35
Deploy a Virtual Machine Manually 36
Retry a Request 36
Validate a Request After Manual Intervention 36
Approve or Reject Requests for Customization Changes 37
Generate Reports 37
Index 39
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About This Book
The Lifecycle Manager User's Guide describes the tasks that users can perform using VMware® vCenter Lifecycle
Manager (LCM). LCM allows you to request, approve, deploy, operate, and decommission a virtual machine.
Intended Audience
This book is intended for all LCM users who want to request, approve, deploy, operate, or decommission a
virtual machine. LCM users are assigned specific roles that determine the tasks that they can perform.
Depending on your assigned role, you might be able to perform all or some of the tasks described in this guide.
VMware Technical Publications Glossary
VMware Technical Publications provides a glossary of terms that might be unfamiliar to you. For definitions
of terms as they are used in VMware technical documentation, go to
http://www.vmware.com/support/pubs.
Document Feedback
VMware welcomes your suggestions for improving our documentation. If you have comments, send your
feedback to docfeedback@vmware.com.
Technical Support and Education Resources
The following technical support resources are available to you. To access the current version of this book and
other books, go to http://www.vmware.com/support/pubs.
Online and Telephone
Support
Support Offerings
VMware Professional
Services
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To use online support to submit technical support requests, view your product
and contract information, and register your products, go to
http://www.vmware.com/support.
Customers with appropriate support contracts should use telephone support
for the fastest response on priority 1 issues. Go to
http://www.vmware.com/support/phone_support.html.
To find out how VMware support offerings can help meet your business needs,
go to http://www.vmware.com/support/services.
VMware Education Services courses offer extensive hands-on labs, case study
examples, and course materials designed to be used as on-the-job reference
tools. Courses are available onsite, in the classroom, and live online. For onsite
pilot programs and implementation best practices, VMware Consulting
Lifecycle Manager User's Guide
Services provides offerings to help you assess, plan, build, and manage your
virtual environment. To access information about education classes,
certification programs, and consulting services, go to
http://www.vmware.com/services.
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Overview of Lifecycle Manager 1
VMware vCenter Lifecycle Manager (LCM) automates the process of creating virtual machines and removing
them from service at the appropriate time. The tasks that you can perform depends on the role that the LCM
Administrator has assigned to you. This guide describes the tasks that each role can perform. For information
about the tasks that the LCM Administrator can perform, see the Lifecycle Manager Administration Guide.
This chapter includes the following topics:
n
“Lifecycle Manager Process,” on page 7
n
“Lifecycle Manager Terminology,” on page 7
n
“Lifecycle Manager Roles,” on page 8
n
“Supported Browsers,” on page 9
n
“Log In to LCM,” on page 10
Lifecycle Manager Process
The way that LCM handles requests to create virtual machines depends on how the LCM Administrator has
configured the approval process. If approval is required, an email notification is sent to the LCM Approver
user. If approval is not required, and there is no conflict with the request, the virtual machine is created. If
there is a conflict, an LCM IT Staff user receives an email notification that a virtual machine is waiting to be
created.
After a virtual machine is created, it can be used until the decommissioning date. Five days before the
decommissioning date, an email notice is sent to the user who requested the virtual machine if email
notifications are enabled. The user can perform one of the following actions:
n
Request to extend the life of the machine.
If the extension is not approved, the virtual machine is decommissioned and is archived or deleted.
The LCM Administrator determines whether decommissioned virtual machines are archived.
n
Manually decommission the virtual machine.
Lifecycle Manager Terminology
LCM uses specific terminology to describe lifecycle events and attributes.
Commission
Decommission
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The creation of a requested virtual machine. The commission time is submitted
during the request process.
The requested machine reaches the end of its life. A decommission date is
submitted during the request process. The decommissioned machine can be
archived or deleted.
Lifecycle Manager User's Guide
Extension
Infrastructure
Criteria
Template Profile
Customization Template
Placing
Lifecycle Manager Roles
The tasks that you can perform depend on the role that you have been assigned by the LCM Administrator.
All roles can request a virtual machine.
Extending the life of a virtual machine that is to be decommissioned. If approval
is required, the request for extension must be approved before the owner of the
virtual machine can continue to use it.
Attributes such as the network, domain, and datastore affect where the
requested virtual machine is placed in VMware Infrastructure.
Attributes attached to a requested virtual machine that are selected during the
request process, such as location, organization, server environment, service
level, and performance. The LCM Administrator maps this information to the
infrastructure.
The profile that is used when a requested virtual machine is cloned.
The template that determines the resources that the requested virtual machine
uses, such as memory reservation, memory limit, CPU shares, and disk shares.
Only the LCM IT Staff, LCM Tech Requester, and LCM Administrator can
modify the customization template.
The requested virtual machine is created or moved into the infrastructure,
based on the selected criteria and infrastructure.
LCM users who are not LCM Administrators can have one of the four LCM user roles.
n
LCM Requester Role on page 8
An LCM Requester makes virtual machine requests.
n
LCM Tech Requester Role on page 9
An LCM Technical Requester is an advanced LCM Requester.
n
LCM Approver Role on page 9
An LCM Approver approves or rejects requests.
n
LCM IT Staff Role on page 9
An LCM IT Staff user manually deploys approved virtual machines.
LCM Requester Role
An LCM Requester makes virtual machine requests.
The LCM Requester can perform certain tasks when requesting virtual machines.
n
Set the criteria.
n
Select a template profile.
n
Set the commissioning and decommissioning dates.
n
Specify who can control and view virtual machines.
n
View a list of the virtual machines that the LCM Requester has created.
n
Request an extension to the life of a virtual machine.
n
Manually decommission a virtual machine.
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Chapter 1 Overview of Lifecycle Manager
LCM Tech Requester Role
An LCM Technical Requester is an advanced LCM Requester.
In addition to the tasks that an LCM Requester can perform, the LCM Tech Requester can customize the settings
for the CPU, memory, and shares, of the virtual machine.
LCM Approver Role
An LCM Approver approves or rejects requests.
The LCM Approver is notified by email about new requests if email notifications are enabled.
An LCM Approver can perform certain tasks.
n
Review the catalog of requested virtual machines.
n
Receive requests for new virtual machines. Each request is presented with the fixed cost of the virtual
machine, so the LCM Approver can determine the cost per day of using the virtual machine.
n
Receive requests to extend the life of an existing virtual machine.
n
Receive requests to approve changes in the settings for CPU, memory, and shares of existing virtual
machines.
n
Generate reports.
LCM IT Staff Role
An LCM IT Staff user manually deploys approved virtual machines.
The LCM IT Staff user is notified by email about new requests if email notifications are enabled. If the choice
of criteria for a request is not resolved, the LCM IT Staff user can provide the missing placement or configuration
information to complete the request.
An LCM IT Staff user can perform certain tasks.
n
Modify virtual machine names.
n
Approve or reject virtual machine customization settings for the CPU, memory, and shares.
n
Retry placing a request that has previously failed.
n
Validate a request after manual intervention.
n
Generate reports.
Supported Browsers
The LCM user interface requires a Web browser.
You must use one of the following browsers to connect to LCM.
n
Microsoft Internet Explorer 6, 7, or 8
n
Mozilla Firefox 3.0.19 or 3.6.x
To connect to a virtual machine through your browser, you must use the VMware WebCenter Remote MKS
Plug-in, which is compatible with the following browsers and operating systems:
n
Microsoft Internet Explorer 6 or 7 on Windows XP or Windows Server 2003
n
Mozilla Firefox 3.0.19 or 3.6.x on Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2008, Windows 7,
or Linux
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Lifecycle Manager User's Guide
Log In to LCM
You must use a Web browser to connect to LCM.
Procedure
1 In your Web browser, type the URL provided by your LCM Administrator.
The default is http://server_name:8280/vmo/lifecycle/default.html.
2 Type the user name and password provided by your LCM Administrator.
The user interface options shown depend on the LCM role that you have been assigned.
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LCM Requester and LCM Tech
Requester Tasks 2
If you are an LCM Requester, you can request virtual machines and perform the basic LCM user tasks. If you
are an LCM Tech Requester, you can perform all tasks that an LCM Requester can perform, and you can also
modify customization attributes for your virtual machine requests.
This chapter includes the following topics:
n
“Request a Virtual Machine as an LCM Requester,” on page 11
n
“Request a Virtual Machine as an LCM Tech Requester,” on page 12
n
“Display Requested Virtual Machines,” on page 14
n
“Check the Power State of a Virtual Machine,” on page 15
n
“Power a Virtual Machine On or Off,” on page 15
n
“Suspend a Virtual Machine,” on page 16
n
“Connecting to a Virtual Machine,” on page 16
n
“Create a Snapshot,” on page 17
n
“Revert to a Snapshot,” on page 17
n
“Request to Extend the Life of a Virtual Machine,” on page 18
n
“Decommission a Virtual Machine Immediately,” on page 18
n
“Request to Change the Virtual Machine Customization Attributes,” on page 18
Request a Virtual Machine as an LCM Requester
To obtain a virtual machine, you must submit a request. You can request a specific start date or accept the first
available date.
Procedure
1 Log in to LCM and click the Requests view.
2 Click Request.
3 (Optional) To specify a commissioning date, select Yes for Set commissioning date? and select a date.
If you do not specify a commissioning date, the virtual machine is created at the first available opportunity
after approval.
4 (Optional) To specify a decommissioning date, select Yes for Set decommissioning date? and select a date.
If you do not specify a decommissioning date, the virtual machine remains in service until it is
decommissioned manually.
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Lifecycle Manager User's Guide
5 (Optional) Specify who can control the virtual machine request.
If you do not specify a user or group, only you and the LCM Administrator have control.
a From the Virtual machine control by drop-down menu, select Group or User.
b Type the name of the user or group, or search from a list of available group or user names and
descriptions.
c Type the email address for the user or group if email notifications are enabled.
6 (Optional) Specify who can connect to and view the virtual machine when it is running.
If you do not specify a user or group, only you and the LCM Administrator can view the virtual machine.
a From the Virtual machine view by drop-down menu, select Group or User.
b Type the name of the user or group, or search from a list of available group or user names and
descriptions.
c Type the email address for the user or group if email notifications are enabled.
7 Click Next.
8 Select settings for the Location, Organization, Server Environment, Service Level, and Performance
options.
The available settings for these options are specified by the LCM Administrator.
9 Type the requester email and click Next.
10 Select the server type.
11 (Optional) To start the virtual machine as soon as it is provisioned, select Yes for Start virtual machine.
12 Click Next.
13 Type comments about the virtual machine, which are viewed in the approval process.
14 Click Submit.
The virtual machine is deleted on the decommissioning date. You cannot retrieve it, unless the LCM
Administrator has configured LCM to archive the virtual machine. If virtual machines are archived, contact
your LCM Administrator to retrieve it.
Request a Virtual Machine as an LCM Tech Requester
To obtain a virtual machine, you must submit a request. You can request a specific start date or accept the first
available date.
You can modify virtual machine parameters like CPU, memory, and shares, when you request the virtual
machine. The options available are determined by the LCM Administrator. The modifications affect only the
virtual machine that you are requesting at the time.
Prerequisites
Review the customization template attributes to verify that you understand the default values. For more
information, see “Customization Template Attributes,” on page 14.
Procedure
1 Log in to LCM and click the Requests view.
2 Click Request.
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