Creating a VM as a generic image

[eversys]

Dear Experts,

On a VMWare Host 5.5 we have created a Windows Server 2012 R2 VM with all updates and wish to use this as a generic image for subsequent servers. We have used sysprep to prepare Windows.

Is it a simple process of shutting down the VM and copying away the folder / files? These have the name of the current VM - can these be renamed for better recognition? Then just adding to the inventory again?

Thanks for your help.

Oliver

[brunofernandez1]

the best way is to rightclick the vm an select copy/create to template.

from then on, you can deploy as many vms from this server as you want...

[Ram8]

Hi,

Once you've finished the sysprep, shutdown the VM. Convert it to template. (Right click on the VM to convert) And you can deploy any number of VMs from this template. The sysprep will prepare your new server based on the settings given by you. Alternatively, you also have a Customization Specification Wizard in your vCenter home page. You can use the options given by this tool to customize your template.

Regards,

Ram.

[eversys]

Thanks for your replies. We currently use vSphere Client to administer our VMware Host... I could not find the this create template option.

[brunofernandez1 · Accepted solution]

sorry i thought that you work with an vsphere environment.

you can export the virtual machine as OVA/OVF and then import it each time you wan't to create a new virtual machine

OR you can do it like this: How to clone virtual machines in VMware ESXi

[eversys]

Great, thanks.

Just for clarification... I create a new dir and copy the vm files within. Add it to the inventory (.vmx) - here I can change the VM name, will this also change the names of the vm files in the new dir (at the moment they have the same name as the original files)

[inglenin]

Hi Eversys

we prepare the template as follows; if you use an antivirus you must erase the ID of the agent that antivirus, stop windows update service and go to the registry and delete the entire rule (WSUS Client ID)

(HKLM \ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ WindowsUpdate (Delete WindowsUpdate), if you use an application that will generate some local ID, clears iD registry to not be replicated in new VMs created. When you are creating a VM with that template should put a new name automatically when you run the sysprep adds the new name in windows. I hope this helps.

I hope this helps.

Lenin.

[eversys]

FYI, I was not able to rename all of the vmware files in vSphere - restrictions/limitations in the client. I had to do this via another tool