We have been using VMware lab manager 4 for many years now and have been slowly getting vCAC deployed and configured so that we can make the transition. We were always under the impression (and had read) that vCAC could do everything that lab manager could do. However we've recently discovered that vCAC does not allow us to create a new catalog item based on an existing requested/deployed item/blueprint. In lab manager, you have your base templates which you add to a configuration. Then you deploy that configuration, install/configure as you see fit, then you can add that customized configuration into the library, and publish to all users who can then make their own clones of it. vCAC does let you create these configurations or multi-machine blueprints (MMBPs) based off of single machine templates but there is no mechanism for deploying these MMBPs, customizing them further, and then adding them to the service catalog as a new unique catalog item for users to request. Furthermore, vCAC does not let you clone your own or other users requested/deployed items/blueprints as was possible in lab manager. So we are now left to figure out work-arounds such as creating single machine blueprints for every OS/application permutation that is required for our dev, qa, and support teams, which would be the basis for all of the custom MMBPs that we need. This would impact our strorage with all of the full clones and be very difficult to manage. The other alternative is to upgrade to vCAC enterprise and deal with the high learning curve of Application Director and create custom workflows for every permutation that is required for our dev, qa, and support teams. Both options will put a lot of strain on our small IT team, so I'm hoping someone has been through this and has a functional and efficient solution to this problem.
Thanks in advance,
Tim
