Converting a virtual machine to a template
Using the VMware Convert Virtual Machine to Template Task, you can convert a VMware virtual machine to a template from the IBM® BigFix console.
Before you begin
To check the status of the analysis, from the navigation tree in the Server Automation domain, click . In the Activate Analyses list, ensure that the VMware Host Overview analysis changes from Not Activated to Activated Globally and click the VMware Host Overview analysis. In the Analysis: VMware Host Overview window, click the Results tab. When the Results window is populated with one or more computer names, the analysis is gathered. If any of the computer names display the message "not reported", the analysis is not gathered.
For non-English users: VMware vCenter supports only Simplified Chinese, Japanese, German and French. You can use this Task only if the console language that you selected in IBM® BigFix console is identical to the console language selected in VMware.
If you configured the VMware Management Extender with an ESX host, you cannot use this Task.
About this task
This Task is automatically populated with data from VMware. To work with other data, you must turn off validation and enter your own values into the parameter field. To override the data that is provided in the form, check whether a button exists in the Validation column to the left of the parameter that you want to disable and select OFF. For more information, see Turning off validation in a task.
Complete the following steps to convert a virtual machine to a template.
Procedure
- Open the Server Automation domain.
- From the navigation tree in the Server Automation domain, click .
- From the Host Configuration list, select the VMware Convert Virtual Machine to Template Task. If you are working with a copied Task, click Take Action and enter the required information when you are prompted by the alert boxes.
- In the Task: VMware Convert Virtual Machine to Template window, from the Host list, select the host on which the virtual machine is running.
- From the Virtual Machine Name list, select the name of the virtual machine that you want to convert. If the virtual machine name that you want to convert is displayed more than once in the Virtual Machine Name list, you can verify that the virtual machine that you select is correct by viewing the Virtual Machine UUID field and the IP Address field. If you want to convert a virtual machine whose name is not displayed in the Virtual Machine Name list, select OFF on the validation button for Virtual Machine Name in the Validation column. If you disable validation for the Virtual Machine Name list, the Virtual Machine UUID field is cleared. You must ensure that the virtual machine name that you enter is correct or the Task fails in VMware. For more information, see Turning off validation in a Task
- You can use the Power State field to view whether the virtual machine that you want to convert is powered on or off. VMware allows you to convert only virtual machines that are powered off. However, if you want to convert a virtual machine that is powered on, but is scheduled to be powered off at a later stage, select OFF on the validation button for Power State in the Validation column. You can then schedule the Task to take action when the virtual machine is powered off.
- When the form is completed, click Take Action.
- In the Take Action dialog box, ensure Specific computers selected in the list below is selected and from the list of Computer Names, select the host on which the virtual machine is stored and click OK.