This will cover Windows templates but the same steps are used with Linux, except the Sysprep.
After you get your VM the way you want it, patches, secured and have your applications installed, you right click on it in the inventory windows of your virtual center and select “convert to template”.
Converting to a template will allow you to deploy new systems from the template that will have a unique SID. A clone is an identical copy of the original, which means it will have the same SID. So, don’t clone unless you plan to convert the clone to a template.
Also, to properly deploy a template you will need to copy the Microsoft Sysprep tools to the correct directory on your virtual center system – C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Vmware\VMware VirtualCenter\ . This will activate the custom deployment feature. Make sure you download the proper Sysprep file from Microsoft or get them off the Windows Server 2003 SP1 disk in the \Support\Tools\Deploy.cab file.
Once the Sysprep files are in place, when you deploy new system, you can customize the system just like you would if you were running the sysprep tool from the system. Then when you boot the new system it will start up like with what ever name, IP, time zone, etc you gave the system during the deployment.
Other things to consider are VM setting for your new system: CPU, memory, NIC, etc. Don’t over use resources!
Do you have a tip to share? Please post it in the VM install forum.
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Originally posted 2008-05-23 17:30:16. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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