VM Customisation does not start automatically after deploying from template in 6.7

[Sam1230]

Hi,

Using: vSphere Client version 6.7.0.42000

In our environment we have a "golden" VM set up to how we need it, then converted it to a template.

The VM Customisation specification is setup to Generate new security ID, add to workgroup, all the basic tasks to deploy a new unique VM from the template.

This has been working perfectly for a long time. However, now we have setup HCI VMware 6.7 environment. Deploying a VM from the template, the customisation specification no longer starts automatically after the VM is built. Despite ticking all 3 options including "Customize the operating system" during the Deploy from template stage.

This means the new VM remains as a clone of the template instead of becoming a unique VM. The current workaround we are doing is to shutdown the new VM after being built, Right click > Guest OS > Customise Guest OS and reselecting the customisation file again. This time it works.

This has always been working, but stopped working in HCI vCenter 6.7

The exact same templates in HP vSphere 6.5 works perfectly.

On a separate note, in vSphere 6.5 you could save the customisation file one vCenter and it would appear and be able to be used on all the other vCenters on the same platform. However on vSphere 6.7, the same customisation file must be duplicated to each vCenter to be seen when deploying a VM. This makes maintaining difficult.

Happy to add logs.

[Lalegre]

Hello Sam1230​,

Have you created the Custom Spec using version 6.5 on the very beginning or always with vCenter Server 6.7. I am asking this because maybe there is a compatibility regarding in which version you created the Custom Spec (It should not). If you did that just try to create a new one and see if it works.

If you select to power on the Virtual machine what do you see in the next logs: C:\WINDOWS\TEMP\vmware-imc\toolsDeployPkg.txt. Also do you even see the task Customizing OS on the task bar?

[Sam1230]

Hi,

Thank you for your reply.

I'm pretty sure we created new customisation files in 6.7, mirroring 6.5.

However I have just created a new one now to be sure and tested it out on a new VM from template deployment.

It is still the same, the customisation does not begin automatically after deployment.

In the Monitor > Events of the VM, there is no mention of customisation.

I also cannot find the file path you mentioned. I can get to C:\Windows\Temp\

If I now shutdown the VM, and manually right click Guest OS > Customize guest os, it will work.

[Lalegre]

So basically the task is not even showing in vCenter. Do you have any error in the vmware.log of that VM?

Also have you tried using the new version of the VMware Tools on the template as you are now deploying on vSphere 6.7? For testing this just clone the template and upgrade the VMware Tools to the last version possible and let us know to which version did you go.

[Sam1230]

Hi.

We are using a newer version of VMtools - version 11269

Attached the log. Some errors but not sure if those are anything significant.

If needed, i can raise this as a support ticket.

Thanks,

[Lalegre]

No relevant issue and i can see that those VMware Tools comes with ESXi 6.7 ep2.

I think you did not mention which OS are you using with the custom spec. Could you please confirm is supported and is in the next matrix? http://partnerweb.vmware.com/programs/guestOS/guest-os-customization-matrix.pdf

[Sam1230]

Hi,

The issue is occurring on Windows Server 2016 and 2019 templates which are supported in matrix. We do not have another OS to try customization on.

[Lalegre]

The vmware.log is from the template or from the VM you are deploying? I am asking this because i went throught the whole log and i am seeing some VMware Tools events for installation. You should send the vmware.log of the VM you are cloning.

Sorry if you did it and i misunderstood.

[Sam1230]

Hi,

The vmware.log was from the VM deployed from the template.

I removed from above in case of sensitive information.

[Lalegre]

Some more questions to confirm:

• Is the custom spec created on the vCenter where you are clonning the template?
• Could you clone that template and install some older VMware Tools from the ESXi 6.5?
• Could you see this log on the VM? C:\windows\system32\sysprep\panther\setupact.log

[RealQuiet · Accepted solution]

If you have a Administrator password that logs in during the customization process, make sure that you re-enter it. We use it in our customization and after upgrading from vCenter 6.0 to 6.5 we had to re-enter it. I also saw this when upgrading from 6.5 to 6.7. Perhaps the encryption keys change during the upgrade process.

[Sam1230]

Thank you. This was indeed the issue. Apologies for the late response. Many thanks for your help.

[minhajahmed]

I am having no issues if using Windows Desktop GUI version but if I use Core it does not automatically boots up. Did anyone tested it