OVA template deployment - sysprepping and customizing the deployment

[geemail]

Hello,

I am seeking guidance on automation\customization of an OVA deployment.

Looking to use an OVA due to it's compression ability which is favorable when needing to transfer a VMWare virtual machine from Host to Host for deployment at different location across a WAN.  In the past, we have created a VM template and provided customization file for deployment but the size of the template was too large for transfer across the WAN....so we would have to ship on seperate media.

I am looking to achieve the same end result of deployment of a vm template but through the deployment of the OVA template.

Here is where I am at so far:
1. Create the VM (in this case Windows XP SP3)
2. Export the VM to OVA Template.
3. Deploy OVA Template

All of the above works without any problem.  However, during deployment of the OVA, I would like to prompt the end user to input computer name, Fixed IP information or DHCP, domain to join, etc.  Additionally, I would like sysprep to run.

I have read the guide and numerous articles on the OVF descriptors, but not quite sure where or how to input these prompts so they appear during the OVA deployment.  Additionally, if I sysprep the vm before exporting to OVA, how can I get sysprep and the input from the end user deployment to work hand in hand.

Thanks in advance for any guidance or tutorial reference you can supply to help me understand OVA deployment of a single vm and how to configure custom settings during deployment with sysprep running.

[admin]

First take a look at this blog post:

http://blogs.vmware.com/vapp/2009/07/selfconfiguration-and-the-ovf-environment.html

it also contains a video that explain it.

but basically you will need to

1) before exporting the VM add vapp properties via the client.

2) write a guest script that read the values and update the guest.

3) export the VM

4) deploy the vm using the GUI or ovftool and provide values for the properties.

The best advice I can give you is to have a small test VM where you develop the guest script to get it right.

If you want to run the tests on a local workstation you could take a look at the vapprun fling that enables the complete vApp runtime env as vCenter provides.

eske

[geemail]

Eske...

Thank you....I have come across this article before and just haven't been able to put 2 and 2 together I guess....let me give it another read and see if I can get it....I appreciate the reinforcement of the article.

On another note...are u familiar with VMWare Studio.  I began researching it today and reviewing the guides....the only thing I see so far is that it references support for 2008 R2 and 2003 R2 but doesn't mention anything about either XP or Win7....it does state you can add another custom OS.

Do you happen to have any experience in using VMWare Studio and adding XP as a custom OS ?  Studio appears to have all the additional components as part of the default VM build profile...ie...sysprep, networking, etc....

Thanks

[admin]

I have forwarded your questions to someone how knows.

Please let me know if there is no update made on the thread.

eske

[geemail]

@Eske...haven't seen an update to this thread yet.