adding an inventory object

Adding an Inventory Object

Adding an Inventory Object This section contains the following topics:

[email protected] | Copyright © 2008 VMware, Inc. All rights reserved.

Adding an Inventory Object : VMware Infrastructure Client Inventory Objects

VMware Infrastructure Client Inventory Objects When the VI Client is connected to an ESX Server host, the inventory root is the host itself. Contained objects include resource pools and virtual machines. Clusters, folders, datacenters, networks, and datastores do not appear when the VI Client is connected directly to a host. They appear only when the VI Client is connected to a VirtualCenter Server.

The VMware Infrastructure Client objects are as follows:

Root folder – In VirtualCenter Server only. (In ESX Server, the root is always the host itself.) Inventory root folders correspond to the four Inventory views that you can select from the drop-down list on the right of the Inventory button in the navigation bar. Child objects to the root folder are datacenters and subfolders, and from there all the content of the VirtualCenter inventory. You cannot add or remove the root folder.

Folders – In VirtualCenter Server only. A top level structure that can contain other folders, datacenters, clusters, virtual machines, templates, and hosts. The Networks and Datastores views do not contain subfolders below the root folder.

Note: The privileges associated with a folder propagate to the objects within that folder. For information about privileges, see Working with Users, Groups, Roles, and Permissions.

Datacenters – In VirtualCenter Server only. A datacenter can contain folders, clusters, and hosts in the Hosts & Clusters view. In the Networks or Datastores view, the datacenters contain the virtual machines, templates, networks, and datastores associated with the managed hosts.

All actions performed on managed hosts and virtual machines are applied within their datacenter. Within a datacenter, you can monitor and manage virtual machines separately from their hosts and use VMotion (an optional add-on feature) to migrate powered-on virtual machines. You can migrate powered-off or suspended virtual machines between datacenters. For more information about migration, see Migrating a Virtual Machine.

Clusters – In VirtualCenter Server only. A cluster is a collection of ESX Server hosts and associated virtual machines with shared resources and a shared management interface.

You can enable the following cluster features if your system is licensed for them:

• VMware Infrastructure Client Inventory Objects

• Adding a Host

• Adding a Cluster

• Editing a Cluster

• Adding or Editing a Resource Pool

• Creating a Virtual Machine

• Adding an Existing Virtual Machine or Template to Inventory

• Editing Custom Attributes and Annotations for a Virtual Machine or Host

• VMware HA allows VirtualCenter to migrate and restart a virtual machine when a host fails.

of 30Adding an Inventory Object

6/25/2009file://D:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\Local Settings\Temp\~hh3F5A.htm

Hosts – Hosts are systems running ESX Server. The host is the default top structure when a VI Client is connected to a standalone ESX Server host. When the VirtualCenter Server is connected to the VI Client, all ESX Server hosts registered with VirtualCenter are referred to as hosts. An ESX Server host that is not part of a cluster is referred to as a standalone host.

Resource pools – Available on ESX Server hosts and through a VirtualCenter Server. Used to allocate host-provided CPU and memory to the virtual machines resident on the host.

Virtual machines – Located within a host, cluster, or resource pool. You can move virtual machines between hosts or clusters. When you add a virtual machine to a cluster or resource pool, you must specify a designated target host.

Networks – In VirtualCenter Server only. A network is an alias that unites the named networks of multiple hosts. Networks are discovered when hosts are added to the VMware Infrastructure environment. You can remove them from the VMware Infrastructure environment, but you cannot add new ones through the VI Client.

Datastores – In VirtualCenter Server only. Datastores are discovered when ESX Server hosts are added to the VMware Infrastructure environment. This includes the discovery of datastores that are local to the managed ESX Server host as well as datastores on a SAN or NAS. You can remove them from the VMware Infrastructure environment, but you cannot add new ones through the VI Client.


Adding an Inventory Object : VMware Infrastructure Client Inventory Objects : Parent/Child Objects Relationship

Parent/Child Objects Relationship The following table shows which child objects are allowed for each parent object.

A folder cannot contain hosts and virtual machines (or templates) as child objects on a sibling level. In the Hosts & Clusters view, a folder displays hosts as the child objects. In the Virtual Machines & Templates view, it displays virtual machines and templates as the child objects.

You must specify a designated target host when you add a virtual machine or template to a cluster or resource pool.


• VMware DRS monitors the VirtualCenter environment, makes initial placement recommendations, makes power-saving recommendations, makes virtual machine migration recommendations, and enables VirtualCenter to automatically place and migrate virtual machines on hosts to attain the best use of cluster resources.

Parent Object

Child Object

Data- center

Folder Cluster Host Virtual Machine

Resource Pool

Template Network Data- store

Data- center

X X X X X

Folder X X X X X X

Cluster X X X X

ESX Server Host

X X X

Resource Pool

X X X



Adding an Inventory Object : VMware Infrastructure Client Inventory Objects : Additional Manuals

Additional Manuals For more information about configuring or using these objects, see the following manuals in addition to information elsewhere in this online Help system:

Resource Management Guide for information on clusters.

Server Configuration Guide for information on hosts.

Resource Management Guide for information on resource pools.

Basic System Administration for information on virtual machines.

ESX Server 3 Configuration Guide or ESX Server 3i Configuration Guide for information on networks.

ESX Server 3 Configuration Guide or ESX Server 3i Configuration Guide for information on datastores.


Adding an Inventory Object : Adding a Host

Adding a Host After you create a datacenter, you can add a host to the VirtualCenter Server.

If any managed host in the VirtualCenter environment is behind a firewall, make sure that the managed host can communicate with the VirtualCenter Server and with all other hosts on port 902 or other configured port. See the Installation Guide and the Server Configuration Guide (choose Help > Manuals).

Conditions

To start the Add Host wizard

To enter the information used for connecting to the host

VirtualCenter uses the root account to log in to the system and then creates a special user account. VirtualCenter uses this account for all future authentication.

VI Client must be connected to:

VirtualCenter Server

Inventory panel object: Inventory button > Hosts & Clusters > datacenter object

To reach this wizard: File > New > Add Host

Minimum required privileges:

Host > Inventory > Add Host to Cluster OR Host > Inventory > Add Standalone Host

1. Click Inventory in the navigation bar.

2. Expand the inventory as needed, and click the appropriate datacenter or cluster.

3. Choose File > New > Add Host.

1. In the first page of the Add Host wizard, type the name or IP address of the managed host in the Host name field.

2. Enter the Username and Password for a user account that has administrative privileges on the selected managed host.

3. Click Next.



To configure lockdown mode, select Enable Lockdown Mode to disable remote access for the administrator account after VirtualCenter takes control of this host.

Selecting this check box ensures that the host is managed only through VirtualCenter. Certain limited management tasks can be performed while in lockdown mode by logging into the local console on the host.

This page appears only for ESX Server 3.x and ESX Server 3i hosts.

To confirm the Host Summary information

To add the host to a cluster enabled for DRS

Note: If EVC is enabled on the cluster, you must power off all virtual machines on the host or migrate them to another host before adding the host to the cluster.

Collapses the host’s resource pool hierarchy and makes all virtual machines direct children of the cluster.

Creates a resource pool corresponding to the host’s root resource pool. By default, the resource pool is named Grafted from <host_name>. You can choose a different name.

To add the host to a datacenter

To finish the Add Host wizard

What Happens Next VirtualCenter does the following after you click Finish:

Verifies that the managed host is not already being managed. If it is being managed on another datacenter, a message appears.

Newer processors have two CPU cores in each processor package. Systems with dual-core processors must use ESX Server 2.5.2 or greater. VirtualCenter licenses are issued by pairs of processor packages, not by processor cores. If the system is using two dual-core processors or two single-core processors, the system requires a single 2-processor VirtualCenter license.

If it is not supported, VirtualCenter checks whether the current version can be upgraded. If the managed host version can be upgraded, VirtualCenter prompts you to perform an upgrade.

For further information on adding a host, see the Server Configuration Guide (choose Help > Manuals).


1. Review the information on the Host Summary page.

2. When the Host Summary information is correct, click Next.

1. Select either:

• Put all of this host’s virtual machines in the cluster’s root resource pool

• Create a new resource pool for this host’s virtual machines and resource pools

2. Click Next.

1. Choose the location of the host’s virtual machines from the list under Select a location for this host’s virtual machines.

2. Click Next.

1. Review the information on the Ready to Complete window.

2. Make any needed changes to the appropriate page.

3. Click Finish.

1. Searches the network for the specified managed host, and performs the discovery process to identify all the virtual machines on the managed host.

2. Connects to the managed host.

3. Reads the number of processors on the managed host and allocates the appropriate number of licenses. The number of processors is stored in the VirtualCenter database and is verified on each managed host reconnection and VirtualCenter startup.

4. Verifies that the managed host version is supported.

5. Imports existing virtual machines.



Adding an Inventory Object : Adding a Cluster

Adding a Cluster After you create a datacenter, you can add a cluster.

Conditions

To create a cluster by using the New Cluster wizard

You can also leave both options unselected and edit cluster features later.

Note: If you power on multiple virtual machines simultaneously, a list of recommended hosts does not appear at power-on time.

You can set the migration threshold to determine how quickly virtual machines are migrated. Move the slider along the scale from Conservative to Aggressive. See Migration Threshold Levels.



Inventory panel object: Inventory button > Hosts & Clusters > datacenter object

To reach this wizard: File > New > Cluster


Host > Inventory > Create Cluster Host > Inventory > Modify Cluster

1. In the inventory panel, click the datacenter to place the cluster in.

2. Choose File > New > Cluster.

3. On the first page in the New Cluster wizard, configure the cluster features:

• Name – Name of the cluster. Specify a name to continue with cluster creation.

• VMware HA – If selected, VirtualCenter automatically migrates and restarts virtual machines on a different host when a host fails.

• VMware DRS – If selected, VirtualCenter starts collecting the load distribution information for the virtual machines. Depending on the settings in the next page, VirtualCenter either uses the information it collects to automatically migrate virtual machines to attain the best use of cluster resources, or displays migration recommendations, allowing administrators control over the migrations to be performed.

4. Click Next.

5. If you chose the VMware DRS option in the first screen of the wizard, the DRS page lets you select the level of automation:

• Manual – When you power on a virtual machine, a list of recommended hosts appears. When the cluster becomes unbalanced, recommendations for virtual machine migration appear.

• Partially automated – When you power on a virtual machine, DRS places it on the best-suited host. When the cluster becomes unbalanced, recommendations for virtual machine migration appear.

• Fully automated – When you power on a virtual machine, DRS places it on the best-suited host. When the cluster becomes unbalanced, DRS migrates virtual machines from overused hosts to underused hosts to ensure a balanced use of cluster resources.

6. Click Next.

7. If you chose the VMware HA option, the HA screen lets you set the following options:

• Admission Control—Number of host failures the cluster can tolerate– Lets you specify the maximum number of host failures that you can recover from or to guarantee failover for. VirtualCenter allows a maximum of 4.

• Admission Control – Lets you determine whether virtual machines can be started if



If you cannot store the swapfile in the datastore that the host specifies, the swapfile is stored in the same folder as the virtual machine.

For more information on VMware clusters, HA, and DRS, see the Resource Management Guide (choose Help > Manuals).

Migration Threshold Levels Migration threshold levels determine how quickly virtual machines are migrated.


they violate availability constraints. As a rule, the cluster reserves resources to allow failover for all virtual machines on the specified number of hosts. If you expect that you will not usually power on all virtual machines, you might make admission control less strict. If you do, the cluster icon turns red and failover is no longer guaranteed.

• VM restart priority – Specifies the default restart priority for virtual machines in this cluster. See Configuring HA Settings.

• Host isolation response – Specifies the default Host isolation response for virtual machines in this cluster. See Configuring HA Settings.

• Virtual Machine Monitoring – Enables and specifies the Monitoring Sensitivity setting (High, Medium, Low) for monitoring virtual machine heartbeats.

8. Click Next.

9. Configure the virtual machine swapfile location for the cluster:

• Select Store the swapfile in the same directory as the virtual machine to store the swapfile in the same directory as the virtual machine configuration file.

• Select Store the swapfile in the datastore specified by the host to store the swapfile in the location specified in the host configuration.

10. Click Next.

11. Review the configuration of the new cluster, and make any needed changes to the appropriate page

12. Click Finish.

Level Applies

Level 1, Most Conservative

Only five-star recommendations. Applies recommendations that must be followed to satisfy cluster constraints, such as affinity rules and host maintenance. This level indicates a mandatory move required to satisfy an affinity rule or evacuate a host that is entering maintenance mode.

Level 2, Moderately Conservative

Recommendations with four or more stars. Includes Level 1 as well as recommendations that provide a significant improvement in the cluster's load balance.

Level 3, Midpoint

Recommendations with three or more stars. Includes Levels 1 and 2 as well as recommendations that provide a good improvement in the cluster's load balance.

Level 4, Moderately Aggressive

Recommendations with two or more stars. Includes Levels 1–3 as well as recommendations that provide a moderate improvement in the cluster's load balance.

Level 5, Aggressive

All recommendations. Includes Levels 1–4 as well as recommendations that provide a slight improvement in the cluster's load balance.



Adding an Inventory Object : Editing a Cluster

Editing a Cluster Select the General option of the Cluster Settings dialog box to enable the optional DRS and HA features for the cluster as needed. See Adding a Cluster for information about these features and assigned levels.

The remaining dialog box pages are used for the following cluster configuration tasks:

Conditions


Adding an Inventory Object : Editing a Cluster : Configuring HA Settings

Configuring HA Settings You can use the Cluster Settings dialog box to configure settings for VMware HA.

To configure VMware HA settings

• Configuring HA Settings

• Customizing HA for Virtual Machines

• Configuring the DRS Automation Level

• Customizing DRS for Virtual Machines

• Configuring DRS Power Management

• Configuring VMware EVC Settings

• Configuring a Virtual Machine Swapfile Location for a Cluster



Inventory panel object:

Inventory button > Hosts & Clusters > cluster object

To reach this dialog box:

Cluster object > Edit Settings link


Host > Inventory > Modify Cluster | Delete Cluster | Move Cluster | Rename Cluster

Related Topics: Adding a Cluster

1. In the Cluster Settings dialog box, select the General option.

2. Select Enable VMware HA.

3. Select the VMware HA option and set the following parameters:

• Admission Control—Number of host failures the cluster can tolerate – Specifies the maximum number of host failures that you can recover from or to guarantee failover for. VirtualCenter allows a maximum of 4.

• Admission Control – Determines whether virtual machines can be started if they violate availability constraints. As a rule, the cluster reserves resources to allow failover for all virtual machines on the specified number of hosts. If you think that you will not usually power on all virtual machines, you might make admission control less strict.

• VM restart priority – Specifies the default restart priority for virtual machines in this cluster. This setting indicates the relative priority for restarting the virtual machine in case of host failure. Higher priority virtual machines are started first. This priority applies only on a per-host basis. If multiple hosts fail, VirtualCenter first migrates all



Power off VM – The virtual machine powers off if the host can no longer communicate with other hosts in the cluster.

Leave VM powered on – The virtual machine on an isolated host continues to run even if the host can no longer communicate with other hosts in the cluster.

Shut down VM – The virtual machine shuts down its guest operating system before it powers off. This results in a slower failover time, compared to the Power off VM option, but also ensures greater data consistency.


Adding an Inventory Object : Editing a Cluster : Customizing HA for Virtual Machines

Customizing HA for Virtual Machines You can customize HA for VM restart priority and Host isolation response:

Disk locking usually prevents two instances of a virtual machine from running on two different hosts, but a problem might occur if you’re using NAS or iSCSI storage. In that case, VMware recommends that you keep the Host isolation response at Power off VM.

To customize HA behavior for individual virtual machines

If you add a host to a cluster, all virtual machines in the cluster default to a VM restart priority of Medium and an Host isolation response of Leave VM powered on.


virtual machines from the first host in order of priority, then all virtual machines from the second host in order of priority, and so on.You can customize this property for individual virtual machines. See Customizing HA for Virtual Machines.

• Host isolation response – Host isolation response specifies what the ESX Server host that has lost connection with its cluster should do with running virtual machines. By default, each virtual machine is left powered on if the host becomes isolated. You can customize this property for individual virtual machines. See Customizing HA for Virtual Machines. You can choose from the following options for the Host isolation response:

• Virtual Machine Monitoring – Enables and specifies the Monitoring sensitivity setting (High, Medium, Low) for monitoring virtual machine heartbeats.

• Advanced Options - Click Advanced Options to set advanced configuration options for HA.

• VM restart priority determines the order in which virtual machines are restarted when the host fails. The restart priority is always considered, but is especially important in the following cases:

• If you’ve set host failure to a certain number of hosts (for example, three) and more hosts fail (for example, four)

• If you’ve turned off strict admission control and started more virtual machines than HA was set up to support

• Host isolation response determines what happens when a host in an HA cluster loses its console network connection but continues running. By default, virtual machines are left powered on in case of a host isolation incident. You can change this behavior for individual virtual machines.

1. Select the cluster, click the Edit Settings link, and select Virtual Machine Options under VMware HA.

2. For each virtual machine, select from the VM restart priority pop-up menu to customize its settings.

3. For each virtual machine, you can select from the Host isolation response pop-up menu to customize its settings. See Configuring HA Settings for a list of these settings. In addition to these settings, when customizing behavior for an individual virtual machine, you can also select Use cluster setting – The virtual machine should use the default behavior configured for the cluster on the VMware HA page.



Adding an Inventory Object : Editing a Cluster : Configuring the DRS Automation Level

Configuring the DRS Automation Level You can use the Cluster Settings dialog box to configure the DRS automation level.

To configure the DRS automation level

You can set the migration threshold to determine how quickly virtual machines are migrated. Move the slider along the scale from Conservative to Aggressive. See Migration Threshold Levels.

Click Advanced Options to set advanced options for DRS. VMware recommends that you not set advanced options unless you are working with VMware technical support to resolve an issue.


Adding an Inventory Object : Editing a Cluster : Using DRS Rules

Using DRS Rules After you create a DRS cluster, you can edit its properties to create rules that specify affinity. You can use these rules to determine that:

To create a DRS rule

After you’ve added the rule, you can edit it, look for conflicting rules, or delete it.

To edit an existing rule

1. In the Cluster Settings dialog box, select the General option.

2. Select Enable VMware DRS.

3. Select the VMware DRS option, and select the automation level:

• Manual – When you power on a virtual machine, a list of recommended hosts appears. When the cluster becomes unbalanced, recommendations for virtual machine migration appear.

• Partially automated – When you power on a virtual machine, DRS places it on the best-suited host. When the cluster becomes unbalanced, recommendations for virtual machine migration appear.

• Fully automated – When you power on a virtual machine, DRS places it on the best-suited host. When the cluster becomes unbalanced, DRS migrates virtual machines from overused hosts to underused hosts to ensure a balanced use of cluster resources.

• DRS try to keep certain virtual machines together on the same host (for example, for performance reasons).

• DRS try to keep certain virtual machines apart (for example, for high availability). You might want to guarantee that certain virtual machines are always on different physical hosts. When a problem occurs with one host, you don’t lose both virtual machines.

1. Select the cluster and click the Edit Settings link.

2. In the Cluster Settings dialog box, choose Rules.

3. In the Virtual Machine Rule dialog box, name the rule so that you can later find and edit it.

4. Choose an option from the pop-up.

5. Click Add to add virtual machines and click OK when you’re done.


2. In the left panel, select Rules under VMware DRS.

3. Click Details for additional information on topics such as conflicting rules.



If you have two conflicting rules, you cannot enable both. For example, if one rule keeps two virtual machines together and another rule keeps the same two virtual machines apart, you cannot enable both rules.

Understanding Rule Results When you add or edit a rule, and the cluster violates immediately of that rule, the system continues to operate and tries to correct the violation. For manual and partially automated DRS clusters, migration recommendations are based on rule fulfillment and load balancing. You are not required to fulfill the rules, but the corresponding recommendations remain until the rules are fulfilled.

Disabling or Deleting Rules You can disable a rule or remove it completely.

To disable a rule

You can later enable the rule again by reselecting the check box.

To delete a rule


Adding an Inventory Object : Editing a Cluster : Customizing DRS for Virtual Machines

Customizing DRS for Virtual Machines You can customize the automation mode for individual virtual machines in a DRS cluster to override the cluster’s automation mode. This allows you to fine-tune automation to suit your needs. For example, you can select Manual for specific virtual machines in a cluster with full automation, or Partially Automated for specific virtual machines in a manual cluster.

If a virtual machine is set to Disabled, VirtualCenter does not migrate that virtual machine or provide migration recommendations for it.

To set a custom automation mode for one or more virtual machines


Adding an Inventory Object : Editing a Cluster : Configuring DRS Power Management

Configuring DRS Power Management You can enable Distributed Power Management (DPM) in a DRS cluster to reduce the power

4. Make changes in the dialog box and click OK when you’re done.



3. Deselect the check box to the left of the rule and click OK.



3. Select the rule to remove and click Remove.


2. In the Cluster Settings dialog box:

a. Under VMware DRS, select Virtual Machine Options.

b. Select an individual virtual machine, or Shift-click or Control-click multiple virtual machines. You can filter the list of virtual machines by using the Virtual Machine or Automation level contains field.

c. From the right-button menu, choose the automation mode, and click OK.



consumption of ESX hosts in the cluster. DPM monitors the resource use of the running virtual machines in the cluster. If sufficient excess capacity exists, DPM recommends moving virtual machines to other hosts in the cluster and placing the original host into standby mode to conserve power. If insufficient capacity exists, DPM might recommend returning standby hosts to a fully powered-on state.

You can configure power management to operate in either Manual or Automatic mode. In Manual mode, VirtualCenter makes power management recommendations, but does not migrate virtual machines or move hosts into or out of standby mode. In Automatic mode, VirtualCenter migrates virtual machines and moves hosts into or out of standby mode automatically. These settings can be overriden on a per-host basis.

Note: DRS automation settings do not affect power management automation settings.


Adding an Inventory Object : Editing a Cluster : Configuring VMware EVC Settings

Configuring VMware EVC Settings You can use the VMware Enhanced VMotion Compatibility (EVC) feature to help ensure VMotion compatibility for the hosts in a cluster. EVC ensures that all hosts in a cluster present the same CPU feature set to virtual machines, even if the actual CPUs on the hosts differ. This prevents migrations with VMotion from failing due to incompatibile CPUs.

EVC cannot prevent virtual machines from accessing hidden CPU features in all circumstances. Applications that do not follow CPU vendor recommended methods of feature detection may behave unexpectedly in an EVC environment. VMware EVC cannot be supported with ill-behaved applications that do not follow the CPU vendor recommendations..

Before you enable EVC for a cluster, do the following:

To configure EVC

This option is unavailable if AMD hosts are present in the cluster, or if EVC cannot be enabled.


2. In the left panel, select Power Management under VMware DRS.

3. Choose one of the following options:

• Off – The feature is disabled and no recommendations are made.

• Manual – Host power state and related virtual machine migration recommendations are made, but not automatically executed.

• Automatic – Host power state and related virtual machine migration recommendations are automatically executed.

4. (Optional) Specify host overrides by selecting a host and choosing an option from the Power Management drop-down menu.

1. Ensure that all hosts in the cluster either have CPUs with live migration support (Intel FlexMigration or AMD Extended Migration) or have the CPU whose baseline feature set you intend to enable for the cluster.

2. Ensure that all the hosts in the cluster have CPUs from the same vendor.

3. Power off or evacuate all virtual machines in the cluster.

1. Right-click the cluster and choose Edit Settings.

2. In the left panel, select VMware EVC.

3. Select one of the following options:

• Disable EVC – The EVC feature is disabled. CPU compatibility is not enforced for the hosts in this cluster.

• Enable EVC for Intel® Hosts – The EVC feature is enabled. All hosts in this cluster present the baseline feature set of Intel Core™ 2 Xeon® processors to virtual machines.

• Enable EVC for AMD Hosts – The EVC feature is enabled. All hosts in this cluster present the baseline feature set of Second Generation AMD Opteron™ processors to



This option is unavailable if Intel hosts are present in the cluster, or if EVC cannot be enabled.

If EVC cannot be enabled, the Details pane displays the reason or reasons why. If EVC cannot be enabled due to incompatible hosts, the Incompatible Hosts pane lists these hosts along with the reason for the incompatibility.

The Current CPUID Details dialog box displays the CPUID feature flags that EVC is enforcing for the hosts in this cluster. For more information on CPUID feature flags, see Intel Processor Identification and the CPUID Instruction (available from Intel), or CPUID Specification (available from AMD).


Adding an Inventory Object : Editing a Cluster : Configuring a Virtual Machine Swapfile Location for a Cluster

Configuring a Virtual Machine Swapfile Location for a Cluster By default, swapfiles for a virtual machine are located on a VMFS3 datastore in the folder that contains the other virtual machine files. However, you can instead configure the hosts in your cluster to place virtual machine swapfiles on an alternative datastore of your choice. You might use this option to place virtual machine swapfiles on either lower-cost or higher-performance storage, depending on your needs.

Note: Setting an alternative swapfile location might cause migrations with VMotion to complete more slowly. For best VMotion performance, store virtual machine swapfiles in the same directory as the virtual machine.

To configure a virtual machine swapfile location for a cluster

If you cannot store the swapfile in the datastore that the host specifies, the swapfile is stored in the same folder as the virtual machine.


Adding an Inventory Object : Adding or Editing a Resource Pool

Adding or Editing a Resource Pool After you create a datacenter and added a clustered or standalone host to your VirtualCenter Server, you can create a resource pool.

Resource pools allow you to delegate control of host resources, but the benefits are especially evident when resource pools are used to compartmentalize all resources in a cluster. You can create multiple resource pools as direct children of the host or cluster and configure them,

virtual machines.

4. To view the CPUID feature flags currently enforced by EVC, click Current CPUID Details.

5. Click OK.

1. Configure the virtual machine swapfile locations for the hosts in the cluster as described in Configuring Virtual Machine Swapfile Properties for the Host.

2. Select the cluster, click the Edit Settings link, and select VM swapfile location.

• Select Store the swapfile in the same directory as the virtual machine to store the swapfile in the same directory as the virtual machine configuration file.

• Select Store the swapfile in the datastore specified by the host to store the swapfile in the location specified in the host configuration.

3. Click OK.



and delegate their control to other individuals or organizations. See the Resource Management Guide topic “Why Use Resource Pools?” (Choose Help > Manuals.)

You can create a child resource pool of any host, resource pool, or DRS cluster. When you create a child resource pool, you are prompted for resource pool attribute information. The managing server analyzes the resources that are allocated to the parent and the siblings (resource pools or virtual machines) and uses admission control to prevent you from allocating unavailable resources to the resource pool.

Conditions

To create the resource pool

The CPU resources for your resource pool are the guaranteed physical resources the host reserves for a resource pool. Normally, you accept the default and let the host handle resource allocation.

Shares – CPU shares for this resource pool with respect to the parent’s total CPU resources. Sibling resource pools share resources according to their relative share values bounded by the reservation and limit. Low, Normal, or High specify share values respectively in a 1:2:4 ratio. Choose Custom to give each virtual machine a specific number of shares, which expresses a proportional weight.

Reservation – Guaranteed CPU allocation for this resource pool.

Limit – Upper limit for this resource pool’s CPU allocation. You can usually accept the default.

Shares – Memory shares for this resource pool with respect to the parent’s total memory resources. Sibling resource pools share resources according to their relative share values bounded by the reservation and limit. Low, Normal, or High specify share values respectively in a 1:2:4 ratio. Choose Custom to give each virtual machine a specific number of shares, which expresses a proportional weight.

Reservation – Guaranteed memory allocation for this resource pool.

Limit – Upper limit for this resource pool’s memory allocation. You can usually accept the default.

To edit a resource pool

After you create the resource pool, you can edit its settings.

Conditions


Inventory button > root folder > datacenter, host, cluster, resource pool, or virtual machine object


File > New > Resource Pool


Resource > Create Pool

1. In the Create Resource Pool dialog box, type the name of the new resource pool.

2. Specify the CPU Resources for your resource pool.

3. Specify the Memory Resources for your resource pool.

4. Click OK.

1. Click the resource pool object in the inventory panel.

2. Click Edit Settings in the information panel and make your changes.


Inventory button > root folder> resource pool object


Resource pool object > Edit Settings link


Resource > Modify Pool | Rename Pool



For more information on resource pools, see the Resource Management Guide (choose Help > Manuals).


Adding an Inventory Object : Creating a Virtual Machine

Creating a Virtual Machine After you create a datacenter and add a clustered or standalone host, you can add virtual machines to clusters or hosts by using the New Virtual Machine wizard.

You can also add a machine by deploying it from a template or cloning it from an existing virtual machine. Many of the steps for the three methods are the same. See Deploying a Virtual Machine from a Template or Cloning a Virtual Machine.

Conditions

To start the wizard

The following topics describe how to use the wizard pages to create the virtual machine. Some of the topics apply to all three methods of creating a virtual machine:



Inventory button > root folder> datacenter, host, cluster, resource pool, or virtual machine object

To reach this wizard:

File > New > Virtual Machine


Host > Local Operations > Create Virtual Machine OR Virtual Machine > Inventory > Create

1. Click Inventory in the navigation bar and expand the inventory as needed.

2. In the inventory list, select the host or cluster to add the new virtual machine to.

3. From the File menu, choose New > Virtual Machine.

• Selecting the Appropriate Configuration

• Naming the Virtual Machine

• Selecting a Resource Pool

• Choosing a Datastore

• Choosing the Guest Operating System

• Configuring Virtual Processors

• Configuring the Virtual Machine’s Memory

• Choosing Network Connections

• Selecting I/O Adapter Types

• Creating a Virtual Disk

• Selecting a Disk

• Choosing Disk Capacity and Location

• Selecting an Existing Disk

• Selecting and Configuring a LUN

• Selecting a Datastore for the LUN

• Selecting the Compatibility Mode

• Specifying Advanced Disk Options

• Completing Virtual Machine Creation



Adding an Inventory Object : Creating a Virtual Machine : Selecting the Appropriate Configuration

Selecting the Appropriate Configuration On the Wizard Type page, you select one of the following paths:

Conditions


Adding an Inventory Object : Creating a Virtual Machine : Naming the Virtual Machine

Naming the Virtual Machine On the Name and Location page, you specify a display name for the virtual machine and select a location in the inventory for the virtual machine. After the virtual machine is created, you can change its display name (See Changing the Name of a Virtual Machine).

Conditions

• Typical – The quickest way to create a virtual machine. However, you are limited to the default options for I/O adapters and disk configuration.

• Custom – Lets you specify the type of I/O adapter and disk configuration.


Inventory button > root folder> datacenter, host, cluster, resource pool, or virtual machine object

To reach this wizard:

File > New > Virtual Machine

Scheduled Tasks button> New icon > Create a new virtual machine


Host > Local Operations > Create Virtual Machine OR Virtual Machine > Inventory > Create

Related Topics: Creating a Virtual Machine Creating a Scheduled Task

To reach this page:

File > New > Virtual Machine > Next button on the Wizard Type page

Inventory template object > right-click > Deploy Template

Inventory virtual machine object > right-click > Clone

Scheduled Tasks button > New icon > Clone a virtual machine > Next button from previous page

Scheduled Tasks button > New icon > Create a new virtual machine > Next button from previous page

Scheduled Tasks button > New icon >



To name a virtual machine

This name appears in the VI Client UI. It is also used as the name of the virtual machine’s files.

The name can be up to 80 characters long and can contain alphanumeric characters, spaces, and the underscore (_) and hyphen (-) characters. This name must be unique within the virtual machine folder. Names are case-insensitive: the name "my_vm" is identical to "My_Vm".


Adding an Inventory Object : Creating a Virtual Machine : Selecting a Resource Pool

Selecting a Resource Pool On the Resource Pool page, you specify the resource pool for your virtual machine.

Conditions

Deploy a virtual machine > Next button from previous page


Host > Local Operations > Create Virtual Machine Virtual Machine > Inventory > Create Virtual Machine > Provisioning > Clone | Deploy

Related Topics: Creating a Virtual Machine Deploying a Virtual Machine from a Template Cloning a Virtual Machine Creating a Scheduled Task

1. Type a name in the Virtual Machine Name field for your virtual machine.

2. Select a folder or the root of a datacenter from the list under Virtual Machine Inventory Location as the inventory location for your virtual machine.

3. Click Next.

To reach this page:

File > New > Virtual Machine > Next on the previous page of the New Virtual Machine wizard

Inventory template object > right-click > Deploy Template > Next button from previous page

Inventory virtual machine object > right-click > Clone > Next button from previous page

Inventory virtual machine object > right-click > Convert Template to VM > Next button from previous page





Resource pools let you manage your computing resources within a host or cluster by setting them up in a meaningful hierarchy. Virtual machines and child resource pools share the resources of the parent resource pool.

To select a resource pool

See the Resource Management Guide.


Adding an Inventory Object : Creating a Virtual Machine : Selecting a Specific Host

Selecting a Specific Host If you chose a cluster, you must specify a specific host in the cluster for the virtual machine.

Conditions

To select a specific host


Adding an Inventory Object : Creating a Virtual Machine : Choosing a Datastore

Choosing a Datastore On the Choose a Datastore page, you specify the datastore for the virtual machine and its virtual disk files. Datastores are a unifying abstraction for storage locations such as Fibre Channel, iSCSI LUNs, or NAS volumes. On this page, you select from datastores already configured on the destination cluster or host.

Scheduled Tasks button > New icon > Deploy a virtual machine > Next button from previous page


Host > Local Operations > Create Virtual Machine Virtual Machine > Inventory > Create Virtual Machine > Provisioning > Clone | Deploy Resource > Assign Virtual Machine to Resource Pool

Related Topics: Creating a Virtual Machine Deploying a Virtual Machine from a Template Cloning a Virtual Machine Converting a Template to a Virtual Machine Creating a Scheduled Task

1. Select a host, cluster, or resource pool to run the virtual machine in.

2. Click Next.

To reach this page:

Next button on the Name and Location page of the New Virtual Machine Wizard

1. Select the specific host within the cluster on which you want to store the virtual machine.

2. Click Next.



Choose a datastore large enough to hold the virtual machine and all of its virtual disk files.

Conditions

To select a datastore


Adding an Inventory Object : Creating a Virtual Machine : Choosing the Guest Operating System

Choosing the Guest Operating System On the Guest Operating System page, you specify the type of operating system you intend to install on this virtual machine. After the virtual machine is created, you can change the guest operating system setting at any time (Changing the Guest Operating System Type).

Choosing the guest operating system on this page does not install the selected operating system. The wizard uses this information to select appropriate default values, such as the amount of memory needed. After the virtual machine is created, you must install the guest operating system by using the appropriate installation media. For information about installing the guest operating system, see the Guest Operating System Installation Guide and the Basic System Administration guide (choose Help > Manuals).

To choose the guest operating system

If you select Other, a text field appears where you can enter a display name for your

To reach this page:

File > New > Virtual Machine > Next on the previous page of the New Virtual Machine wizard


Inventory virtual machine object > right-click > Clone > Next button from previous page



Scheduled Tasks button > New icon > Deploy a virtual machine > Next button from previous page


Host > Local Operations > Create Virtual Machine Virtual Machine > Inventory > Create

Related Topics: Creating a Virtual Machine Deploying a Virtual Machine from a Template Cloning a Virtual Machine Converting a Template to a Virtual Machine Creating a Scheduled Task

1. Select a datastore to store the virtual machine files in.

2. Click Next.

1. Under Guest Operating System, select the operating system family.



guest operating system. You can use the Configuration Parameters dialog box to change the name of the operating system after the virtual machine is created (Virtual Machine Properties dialog box > Options tab > Advanced > General > Configuration Parameters). See Modifying Configuration Parameters.

Conditions


Adding an Inventory Object : Creating a Virtual Machine : Configuring Virtual Processors

Configuring Virtual Processors The CPUs page does not appear if the host has only one single-core processor or if the guest operating system—for example, NetWare and Windows NT 4.0—does not support Symmetric Multiprocessing (SMP).

If you licensed the VMware Virtual SMP™ feature for your ESX Server host, a virtual machine can have multiple virtual CPUs within the following limits:

Caution: Guest operating systems that support SMP might require reinstallation if the number of processors or CPUs changes. For more information about using SMP with specific operating systems, consult the VMware Knowledge Base.

Conditions

2. Select the version from the drop-down menu.

3. Click Next.

To reach this page:

File > New > Virtual Machine > Next on the previous page of the New Virtual Machine Wizard





• A virtual machine cannot have more CPUs than the actual number of logical CPUs on the host—that is, the number of physical processor cores if hyperthreading is disabled, or two times the number of physical processor cores if hyperthreading is enabled.

• Not every guest operating system supports Virtual SMP.

To reach this page:




Host > Local Operations > Create Virtual Machine Virtual Machine > Inventory > Create Virtual Machine > Configuration > Change



To configure the number of virtual processors


Adding an Inventory Object : Creating a Virtual Machine : Configuring the Virtual Machine’s Memory

Configuring the Virtual Machine’s Memory On the Memory page, you specify the memory size of the virtual machine. Minimum memory size is 4MB. The memory size must be a multiple of 4MB. Recommended, recommended minimum, and recommended maximum sizes are based on the guest operating system. These amounts are indicated by colored triangles along the slider. Depending on the host and its current load, a recommended maximum for best performance value might be shown as well. The recommended maximum value is based on the current load on the host, and indicates the largest memory setting that will not cause lower performance because of overcommitting the host memory.

After the virtual machine is created, you can change the memory settings at any time (Configuring Memory Settings for a Virtual Machine).

Conditions

To select the memory size

You can also drag the slider or select the number using the up and down arrows.


Adding an Inventory Object : Creating a Virtual Machine : Choosing Network Connections

Choosing Network Connections

CPU Count


1. Select the number of virtual processors in the virtual machine from the drop-down menu.

2. Click Next.

To reach this page:




Host > Local Operations > Create Virtual Machine Virtual Machine > Inventory > Create Virtual Machine > Configuration > Memory


1. Click any of the colored arrows to set the memory size.

2. Click Next.



This page enables you to specify the number of NICs and the networks to connect them to.

If there are no virtual machine networks on the host you have selected, you cannot add a NIC at this point. Finish creating the virtual machine, create a network on the host, and edit the virtual machine to add a NIC.

For more information on creating a virtual machine network on a host, see Adding a Virtual Switch.

For more information on adding a NIC to a virtual machine, see Adding an Ethernet Adapter (NIC).

Conditions

To choose network connections

If no virtual machine port groups are configured, a warning appears, and you cannot configure any virtual network cards.

For information about port groups, see Adding a Virtual Switch.

Depending on the host version and the guest operating system, a choice of adapter types for each virtual NIC might not be available. In many cases, only one type of adapter is supported. If more than one type of adapter is supported, the recommended type for the guest operating system is selected by default.

The following adapter types might be available:

For more information about networking, see the Server Configuration Guide.

To reach this page:

Next button on the previous page of the New Virtual Machine Wizard



Host > Local Operations > Create Virtual Machine Virtual Machine > Inventory > Create Virtual Machine > Configuration > Network


1. Select the number of NICs to connect to.

2. For each NIC, use the Network drop-down menu to select one of the port groups that are configured for virtual machine use on the host.

3. For each NIC, select the adapter type.

• Vlance – Supported only on legacy virtual machines. A Vlance adapter uses the stock driver that the guest operating system provides, and does not require that VMware Tools be installed on the virtual machine. However, it provides relatively poor performance.

• Vmxnet – Supported only on legacy virtual machines. It usually provides significantly better performance than a Vlance adapter, but it requires that VMware Tools be installed on the virtual machine.

• Flexible – Supported on virtual machines created on ESX Server 3.0 or later and that run 32-bit guest operating systems. The Flexible adapter functions as a Vlance adapter if VMware Tools is not installed in the virtual machine, and as a Vmxnet driver if VMware Tools is installed in the virtual machine.

• E1000 – A virtual adapter that emulates an E1000 network card. It is the default adapter type for virtual machines created on ESX Server 3.0 or later and that run 64-bit guest operating systems.

• Enhanced Vmxnet – An upgraded version of the Vmxnet driver with enhanced performance. It requires that VMware Tools be installed on the virtual machine.

4. For each NIC, if you do not want the virtual network adapter to connect when the virtual machine is powered on, deselect the Connect at Power On check box.

5. Click Next.




Adding an Inventory Object : Creating a Virtual Machine : Selecting I/O Adapter Types

Selecting I/O Adapter Types Two ATAPI-type IDE adapters are always installed on each virtual machine. For virtual machines configured with a SCSI boot disk, a SCSI adapter is installed on the virtual machine. On this page, you choose the SCSI adapter type.

Conditions

To choose the adapter type

The default I/O adapter type for your guest operating system is already selected. Older guest operating systems default to the BusLogic adapter. The LSI Logic adapter has improved performance, works better with non-disk SCSI devices, and is included with Windows Server 2003.

You can download the LSI Logic driver from the LSI Logic Web site. See the Guest Operating System Installation Guide (choose Help > Manuals) for details about the driver and the guest operating system you plan to install on this virtual machine.


Adding an Inventory Object : Creating a Virtual Machine : Creating a Virtual Disk

Creating a Virtual Disk On the Virtual Disk Capacity page, you specify disk size or select an existing disk or map to a SAN LUN. See Selecting a Disk.

The Virtual Disk Capacity page appears only as part of the Typical configuration.

Conditions

To reach this page:




Host > Local Operations > Create Virtual Machine Virtual Machine > Inventory > Create Virtual Machine > Configuration > I/O Adapter


1. For the SCSI adapter, choose either a BusLogic or an LSI Logic SCSI adapter.

2. Click Next.

To reach this page:





To specify the size of the virtual machine’s virtual disk

The default is 4GB. The available space on the selected VMFS volume is listed. You can configure a disk from as small as 1MB to as large as 2TB (2048GB).

The virtual disk should be large enough to hold the guest operating system and all the software that you intend to install, with room for data and growth.


Adding an Inventory Object : Creating a Virtual Machine : Selecting a Disk

Selecting a Disk On the Select a Disk page, you specify the type of disk to use to store the virtual machine’s data. You can store virtual machine data on a new virtual disk, an existing virtual disk, or a mapped storage area network (SAN) logical unit number (LUN). You also can continue without specifying a disk.

This page is part of the Custom configuration.

A virtual disk comprises one or more files on the file system that appear as a single hard disk to the guest operating system. These disks are portable among hosts.

Mapping a SAN LUN gives your virtual machine direct access to that SAN, allowing you to use existing SAN commands to manage storage for the disk. For information about device mapping, see the Server Configuration Guide (choose Help > Manuals).

Conditions

To specify the type of virtual disk


Adding an Inventory Object : Creating a Virtual Machine : Choosing Disk Capacity and Location


Host > Local Operations > Create Virtual Machine Virtual Machine > Inventory > Add New Disk


1. Enter the disk size in megabytes (MB) or gigabytes (GB) in the Disk Size field.

2. Click Next.

To reach this page:




Host > Local Operations > Create Virtual Machine Virtual Machine > Inventory > Add New Disk


1. Select the virtual disk type.

2. Click Next.



Choosing Disk Capacity and Location This page enables you to select the size of the virtual disk and specify a datastore location for the disk.

This page is part of the Custom configuration and appears when you choose to create a new virtual disk.

Conditions

To select the disk capacity and location

The default is 8GB. The available space on the selected VMFS volume is listed. You can configure a disk from as small as 1MB to as large as 2TB (2048GB).

The virtual disk should be large enough to hold the guest operating system and all the software that you intend to install, with room for data and growth.

For example, you need about 1GB of actual free space on the file system that contains the virtual disk to install Windows Server 2003 and applications, such as Microsoft Office, inside the virtual machine.

If you select this option, the virtual disk is stored in the same folder on the datastore as the virtual machine.

If you select this option, and then choose the datastore on which the virtual machine is stored, the disk is stored on the same datastore as the virtual machine, but not in the virtual machine folder. This might be a more appropriate selection for disks that you intend to share between virtual machines.


Adding an Inventory Object : Creating a Virtual Machine : Selecting an Existing Disk

Selecting an Existing Disk This page enables you to select an existing disk to store virtual machine data.

This page is part of the Custom configuration and appears when you have chosen to store virtual machine data on an existing disk.

To reach this page:




Host > Local Operations > Create Virtual Machine Virtual Machine > Inventory > Create Virtual Machine > Inventory > Add New Disk


1. Enter the disk size in megabytes (MB) or gigabytes (GB).

2. Specify the datastore location.

• To locate the virtual disk on the same datastore as the virtual machine, select Store with the virtual machine.

• To select a datastore in another location, select Specify a datastore, and use the Browse button to locate the datastore.

3. Click Next.



Conditions

To select a disk


Adding an Inventory Object : Creating a Virtual Machine : Selecting and Configuring a LUN

Selecting and Configuring a LUN This page enables you to select the LUN to store the virtual machine’s data in. Selecting a specific LUN is useful if you are running applications on the virtual machine that need to be aware of the physical characteristics of the storage device.

This page is part of the Custom configuration and appears when you store virtual machine data on a LUN.

When you map a LUN to a VMFS volume, VI Client creates a mapping file that points to the raw LUN. Encapsulating disk information in a file allows VI Client to lock the LUN so that only one virtual machine can write to it.

This mapping file has a .vmdk extension, but the file contains only disk information describing the mapping to the LUN on the ESX Server system; the actual data is stored on the LUN.

Using the VI Client, you cannot deploy a virtual machine from a template and store its data on a LUN. When you deploy a virtual machine from a template, you can only store its data in a virtual disk file.

Conditions

To reach this page:




Host > Local Operations > Create Virtual Machine Virtual Machine > Inventory > Create Virtual Machine > Inventory > Add Existing Disk


1. Use the Browse button to select an existing disk.

2. Click Next.

To reach this page:




Host > Local Operations > Create Virtual Machine Virtual Machine > Inventory > Create Virtual Machine > Inventory > Add New Disk

Related Topics: Creating a Virtual Machine



To configure the LUN


Adding an Inventory Object : Creating a Virtual Machine : Selecting a Datastore for the LUN

Selecting a Datastore for the LUN This page enables you to select a datastore for the LUN.

This page is part of the Custom configuration and appears when you store data directly on a SAN LUN.

Conditions

To select a datastore


Adding an Inventory Object : Creating a Virtual Machine : Selecting the Compatibility Mode

Selecting the Compatibility Mode This page enables you to select a compatibility mode.

This page is part of the Custom configuration and appears when you store data directly on a SAN LUN.

Conditions

Creating a Scheduled Task

1. From the list of target LUNs, select a LUN.

2. Click Next.

To reach this page:






1. Select a datastore onto which to map the LUN.

2. Click Next.

To reach this page:





To select the compatibility mode

For more information see:

Server Configuration Guide

Setup for Microsoft Cluster Service for details about creating disks for use with MSCS


Adding an Inventory Object : Creating a Virtual Machine : Specifying Advanced Disk Options

Specifying Advanced Disk Options This page enables you to specify advanced options. You do not normally need to change the advanced options from thier default values.

The Advanced Disk Options page is part of the Custom configuration and appears when you create a virtual disk.

Conditions




1. Select the compatibility mode for this virtual disk.

Physical Allows the guest operating system to directly access the hardware.

Physical compatibility mode is useful if you are using SAN-aware applications in the virtual machine. However, a LUN configured for physical compatibility cannot be cloned, made into a template, or migrated if the migration involves copying the disk.

Virtual Allows the virtual machine to use VMware snapshots and other advanced functions.

Virtual compatibility mode allows the LUN to behave as if it were a virtual disk, so you can use features like disk modes (see Disk Modes for ESX Server 3.0 and greater). When you clone the disk, make a template out of it or migrate it (if the migration involves copying the disk). The contents of the LUN are copied into a virtual disk file (.vmdk).

2. Click Next.

To reach this page:



Minimum required

Host > Local Operations > Create Virtual Machine



To specify advanced disk options

If you select Independent disk mode, choose one of the following:

Persistent – Changes are immediately and permanently written to the disk.

Nonpersistent – Changes to the disk are discarded when you power off or revert to a snapshot.


Adding an Inventory Object : Creating a Virtual Machine : Completing Virtual Machine Creation

Completing Virtual Machine Creation This page enables you to review your selections and instantiate the virtual machine.

Conditions

To finish the virtual machine creation

Make any needed changes to the appropriate page.

privileges: Virtual Machine > Inventory > Create Virtual Machine > Inventory > Add New Disk


1. Select a virtual device node.

2. If you are creating or using a virtual disk, specify the disk mode.

3. Click Next.

To reach this page:



Inventory template object > right-click > Clone > Next button from previous page

Inventory template object > right-click > Convert to Virtual Machine > Next button from previous page




Related Topics: Creating a Virtual Machine Deploying a Virtual Machine from a Template Cloning a Virtual Machine Converting a Template to a Virtual Machine

1. Review the information on the Ready to Complete window.



The Virtual Machine Properties dialog box appears. See Configuring, Removing, and Adding Virtual Devices.

Before you can use your virtual machine, you must partition and format the virtual disk and install a guest operating system and VMware Tools. See the Basic System Administration guide (choose Help > Manuals). The operating system’s installation program can handle the partitioning and formatting steps for you.

For further information on creating a new virtual machine, see the Basic System Administration guide.


Adding an Inventory Object : Adding an Existing Virtual Machine or Template to Inventory

Adding an Existing Virtual Machine or Template to Inventory You can use the Datastore Browser dialog box to add an existing virtual machine or template to inventory.

To add an existing virtual machine or template to inventory

The Datastore Browser dialog box appears. The panel on the right side of the dialog box displays the file system on the datastore.

Follow the steps described in the Add Inventory wizard.


Adding an Inventory Object : Editing Custom Attributes and Annotations for a Virtual Machine or Host

Editing Custom Attributes and Annotations for a Virtual Machine or Host You can use custom attributes to associate your own information with the resources in VirtualCenter. After you create the attributes, set their values on each virtual machine or managed host, as appropriate. The values are stored with VirtualCenter. You can then use the new attributes to filter information about your virtual machines and managed hosts. If

2. Select one of the following options to finish virtual machine configuration:

• If you are satisfied with the configuration, click Finish.

• To edit the virtual machine configuration further, select Edit the virtual machine settings before completion and click Next.

1. Click the arrow next to the Inventory button in the navigation bar and choose Hosts and Clusters.

2. Select the host and click the Configuration tab.

3. Click Storage (SCSI, SAN, and NFS).

4. In the Storage list, right-click the datastore to perform an action on or view, and choose Browse Datastore.

5. Enter the search criteria on the Search tab or navigate the datastore’s hierarchy in the Folders tab.

6. To add a virtual machine or template to the inventory (that is, register a virtual machine or template), navigate to the virtual machine or template, right-click and choose Add Inventory.



you no longer need the custom attribute, remove it. A custom attribute is always a string.

You can also add annotations to a virtual machine to add a description or other comments about the virtual machine or host.

You can set custom attributes for a virtual machine or host from the object’s Summary tab. You can also define Global attributes, which are not specific to a particular type of managed object. For more information on defining Global attributes, see Setting Custom Attributes.

Conditions

To edit custom attributes and annotations for a virtual machine or host

After you define an attribute on a single virtual machine or host, it is available to all objects of that type in the inventory. However, the value you specify is applied only to the selected object.



VirtualCenter Server or ESX Server host Note. You can add annotations when connected to either VirtualCenter Server or to any host, but you can only define attributes when connected to VirtualCenter Server.


Global > Manage Custom Properties Global > Set Custom Properties


Inventory virtual machine object > Summary tab > Edit Inventory host object > Summary tab > Edit

1. Select the virtual machine or host in the inventory.

2. Click the Summary tab for the virtual machine or host.

3. In the Annotations box, click the Edit link.

4. To add an attribute:

a. Click Add.

b. In the Name text box, type the name of the attribute.

c. In the Type drop-down list, select the attribute type.

d. In the Value text box, type the value to give to the attribute for the selected object.

e. Click OK.

5. To edit the value of an attribute that is already defined, double-click the Value field for that attribute and enter the new value.

6. To add annotations, enter text in the Notes text box.

7. Click OK to save your changes.

