How can I allow software components to be chosen on the request page in vRA 7?

[darrenoid]

This question relates to VRA 7 and embedding software components in blueprints.

I have a feeling I am missing something really simple, but I can't seem to find a straight forward way of allowing the user to easily select which software components they wish to install during the request. The best we could come up with is providing a Boolean drop down menu for true or false on each individual software component. Inside each software component code there is a condition to check if the the user chose true or false before installing the software:

Previously, in vRA 6, we were using the install software feature and where able to get the software selected easily from a single request page using the property layout feature:

I could not find any options for a check box in the software component properties, and I can't find the property layout options in vRA7. Am I missing something? I would appreciate any advice on how I could make the selection of software components more user friendly. Ideally I would like know if I can include custom properties on the machine request page to provide a list of checkboxes for each software component that would get passed down to the software component properties.

Thank you,

Darrenoid

[GrantOrchardVMw]

How were you deploying the software previously? I would expect (based on the screenshot) that the boolean values were checked as part of an orchestrator workflow, and then ran a script in guest?

The second appears to be with the native application authoring. Good to understand this to answer your question.

Grant

[darrenoid]

Thank you for your response and feedback. You are right. Previously in vRA 6 the boolean values were sent to an orchestrator workflow during the BuildMachine lifecycle. The workflow then created the InstallSoftware custom properties for all selected software. Then the VRMGuestagent would carry out the task of installing the software.

This is the major shift we are trying to execute. Switching from using the installsoftware capabilities of the VRMGuestagent in vRA 6 to the software components in VRA 7.

Regards,

Darrenoid