User specified IP address?

[mlichsteintwc]

Is it possible to configure vCAC 5.2 to prompt a user for an IP address when deploying from a template? I have a situation where IP addresses have already been assigned to hostnames, so when the users go to actually deploy those VMs, they want to be able to enter the assigned IP address, rather than get one from a pool.

[ShibbyB]

You would create the custom property VirtualMachine.Network0.Address and select prompt user. If you want to pre-fill the first three octets you can provide them in the custom property area XXX.XXX.XXX. and it will be there when the end user has to request. Make sure you include the other VirtualMachine.Network0.XXXX properties, if they can vary base on the request, put them to prompt user as well, if they are static, just make sure they are provided.

I would create a build profile, put all the network properties in there, and then associate the build profile with the blueprints that require the user to provide the IP address. Page 243 of the Operating Guide has all the properties, but it is something like, where N refers to the virtual adapter you want to assign the property to (0 is the first network adapter)

VirtualMachine.NetworkN.SubnetMask

VirtualMachine.NetworkN.Gateway

VirtualMachine.NetworkN.PrimaryDns

VirtualMachine.NetworkN.SecondaryDns

VirtualMachine.NetworkN.PrimaryWins

VirtualMachine.NetworkN.SecondaryWins

VirtualMachine.NetworkN.DnsSuffix

VirtualMachine.NetworkN.DnsSearchSuffix

[mlichsteintwc]

Awesome, thanks!

[christianpg]

Seems to be a typo in the vCAC 5.2 doc (page 243):

Using the format "VirtualMachine.NetworkN.DnsSearchSuffix" logs an error saying that "The virtual machine X's NIC (0) as an unused custom property - [dnssearchsuffix, testa.domain1.com,no.domain2.com,domain3.com]!" ...even the log message has a typo 🙂

The actual property name is in plural: ""VirtualMachine.NetworkN.DnsSearchSuffixes"

Please also bear in mind that any network profile used by your blueprint will override (at least) the DNS settings. Even blank network profile entries overrides build profiles.