Creating VM templates

This topic describes the overview steps when creating a virtual machine (VM) template on VMware Virtual Center (vCenter). A VM template is a reusable image created from an existing VM.

You use these VM templates when creating a Virtual Guest Package (VGP) in BMC Server Automation.

• • Requirements and recommendations
  • To add a BMC Server Automation agent to the VM template
  • To modify Linux VM templates
  • To disable Microsoft Windows 2008 Password complexity checks

Requirements and recommendations

Review the following requirements and recommendations for VM templates.

OS customization support

Before creating a VM template, ensure that your version of vCenter supports OS Customization for the specified guest OS. See the VMware vSphere online documentation regarding Operating System Compatibility for vCenter Server.

VMware Tools requirement

VMware Tools must be installed in all templates. Refer to the VMware online documentation for installation details.

Microsoft System Preparation (Sysprep) tool requirement

VMware vCenter uses the Microsoft System Preparation (Sysprep) tool to automate the deployment of various Microsoft operating systems. Sysprep must be present on the vCenter to support OS Customization for Microsoft Windows. If Sysprep is not present for a specific version of Windows, OS Customization will fail. This in turn causes the VirtualGuest create task to fail.

Recommendations

To add a BMC Server Automation agent to the VM template

Before you use a VM template to create a VGP, use the following procedure to add a BMC Server Automation RSCD agent to the template:

1. Convert the template to a VM.
2. Install a BMC Server Automation RSCD agent on the VM (see the BMC Server Automation online technical documentation for details).
3. From a remote machine, use the BMC Server Automation agentinfo utility to ensure connectivity. Enter the following command:
   agentinfo hostname
    If the agent is not reachable, you may need to disable the firewall on the VM.
4. Delete the BladeLogicRSCD user before converting the VM to a template.
5. Convert the VM back to a template.

To modify Linux VM templates

Linux VM templates must include the following:

1. Modify the /etc/rc.d/rc.local script to ensure successful DNS registration. See the following example for the recommended modification: 

   
   dhcpHostname=`grep "DHCP_HOSTNAME=.*" /etc/sysconfig/network`
   dhcpHostname=`echo "$dhcpHostname" | sed "s/\s*//g"`
   if [ -z "$dhcpHostname" ]; then
   echo "DHCP_HOSTNAME=$HOSTNAME" >> /etc/sysconfig/network
   reboot
   else if [ "DHCP_HOSTNAME=$HOSTNAME" != "$dhcpHostname" ]; then
   sed "s/DHCP_HOSTNAME=.*/DHCP_HOSTNAME=$HOSTNAME/g" /etc/sysconfig/network > /tmp/hostnamechange
   mv /tmp/hostnamechange /etc/sysconfig/network
   reboot
   fi
   fi
   
2. Distribute the UNIX Users custom object to the BMC Server Automation agent to validate users created on VMs. See the BMC Server Automation online technical documentation for details).

To disable Microsoft Windows 2008 Password complexity checks

If you do not want the Windows 2008 Password Complexity check enabled on your VMs, disable it in the template. If you do not disable this check, VM creation will fail during the Create User phase if you do not supply a complex password.

1. Convert your template to a VM.
2. In the VM, click Start > Administrative Tools > Local Security Policy.
3. Select Security Settings > Account Policies > Password Policy.
4. Right-click Passwords must meet complexity requirements and then select Properties.
5. Disable this option.
6. Log out of the VM and convert it back to a template.