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HOWTO: Create a vRealize Automation 6.x vSphere Linked-Clone Blueprint

VMware vRealize Automation VCAP6 VCAP6-CMA

Published on 21 January 2017 by Christopher Lewis. Words: 494. Reading Time: 3 mins.

Introduction

This post is a part of a series of posts for preparation for the VCAP6-CMA Deploy exam. For the full exam prep resources check here .

Prerequisites

Full deployment of vRealize Automation 6.x (Simple or Distributed)
VMware vSphere Virtual Machine Deployed with a Snapshot.

Configuration Overview

Creating the Linked-Clone Blueprint is the same process whether it be for a Desktop or Server Operating System. As per the prerequisites, you will need to have already deployed Virtual Machine with a VM Snapshot which is used as the basis for the linked-clone.

Note

If you have JUST deployed a VM and created a snapshot, you may (depending on the data collection interval) need to log in with an account with the Fabric Administrator role and complete a Data Collection on the Compute Resource where the VM resides. After all, if vRA doesn’t know the inventory has changed, how can it use it as the basis of a linked clone?

Create and Configure Machine Blueprints according to a deployment plan

Navigate to the vRealize Automation Portal for the Default Tenant ( https://vra.fqdn/vcac )

Click the Infrastructure Tab.

Click Blueprints > Blueprints.

Click New Blueprint > Virtual > vSphere (vCenter).

Note

All mandatory fields are highlight with a star.

Type the name of the of the new Blueprint into the Name text box, select machine prefix from the Machine prefix drop down, and type a numerical value into the Archive (days) text field.

Note

A value of 0 in the Archive (days) text field means that the deployed instance of the Blueprint will be deleted rather than archived.

Click Build Information.

Select Server from the Blueprint type drop down, then Linked Clone from the Action drop down and ensure CloneWorkflow is selected from the Provisioning workflow drop down. Click … next to the Clone from text field.

Select the appropriate virtual machine and click Next.

Select the Snapshot that you wish to use as the basis for the linked-clone and click Next.

Click OK.

(optionally) Enter the name of the vSphere Customization specification into the Customization spec text box, and choose whether (or not) to delete the Snapshot on the Virtual Machine if the Blueprint is deleted (via the checkbox). Then choose the minimum values for the blueprint from the CPU, Memory, Storage and Lease (days) text boxes.

Note

You may also choose to make changes to the Properties and Actions Tabs but for this walk through we’re leaving those as default.

Click OK.

Note

As we added no value into the Lease (days) text box will mean the Virtual Machine will not be removed automatically, note the indefinite value in the Lease (days) column.

Congratulations! that’s your first vSphere Linked-Clone Template created! (queue the applause! and take a bow!)

Now you would normally go ahead and Publish the new Blueprint to the Service Catalog, but that’s covered elsewhere so we won’t be doing that here.

Published on 21 January 2017 by Christopher Lewis. Words: 494. Reading Time: 3 mins.

Blog Categories: VMware Certification VCAP vRealize Automation

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