Auto-Deploy Image building and UMDS/VUM

[TimR26]

We want to use auto-deploy for provisioning ESXi Hosts. We are on an air-gapped network Should/Could we use content downloaded from UMDS to build / update our auto-deploy images or should we manually download content from the vmware patch site (along with any vendor drivers, etc.)

[vmrale]

Hi,

If your air-gapped network is stable and fast enough to download any updates, I dont see the reason to don't use the automatic download service.

[TimR26]

Ok, follow up. Can I use the content downloaded via UMDS to build an auto-deploy image? Are there any challenges to using this content (file format, tracking versions of files, etc), versus the ISO images from the patch website? I find the website very easy to use, but hate the manual downloading. I like UMDS because I can schedule the downloads, pick and choose the content I want, but I'm not familiar enough with the content itself to know if I can use it for auto-deploy images.

[vmrale · Accepted solution]

Hi,

UMDS was invented to separate vCenter with embedded Update Manager from Internet. Security reasons. You can use UMDS to build local, on-premise patch repository and the transfer the updates manually to Update Manager or publish the repository using internal https server.

You can use UMDS as You wish pointing Software Depot in Auto Deploy to http URL or import the zip or ISO files manually.

There're no seroius differences using UMDS or external online depot.