Deploy VMs by using a VM template
You can create a VM template by converting a VM to a template or cloning a VM to a template for fast creation and configuration of VMs in bulk. VMs deployed using a VM template have the same OS and applications as the template.
Before deploying VMs by using a VM template, you must create a VM template. For more information, see "Create a VM template."
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To deploy an accelerated VM from a template, select a smart NIC-accelerated vSwitch and a storage pool that contains only SSDs or contains NVMe disks and SSD caches for the VM. |
Restrictions and guidelines
To deploy VMs to a UIS RBD block storage pool through a VM template, make sure the management node and the storage external network of the storage cluster to which the storage pool belongs can reach each other.
Procedure
On the top navigation bar, click VMs, and the select VM Templates from the navigation pane.
Click the Deploy VM icon
for a VM template.
Set the parameters as described in "Parameters" to deploy the VMs.
Parameters
Basic Info
Quantity: Enter the number of VMs to create.
If you enter 1, you must specify the VM alias.
If you enter a value larger than 1, you must specify the VM alias, prefix, and the start number of the VMs. If you select Generate, the system automatically generates VMs based on the alias prefix and start number in turn. If you select Configure, you must manually specify or import a VM alias.
Fast Deployment: Select VM deployment based on the base image file of the VM template as needed. To shorten the VM creation time and save server storage space, select this option.
Start Now: Set whether to start the VMs immediately after they are created.
Configure OS: Set whether to initialize the OS of VMs. This option is displayed only when your VMs are Windows or Linux VMs.
Fast—Initializes the OS and network parameters of a VM by using CAStools and does not clear the SID of the OS. CAStools is required. This mode is applicable to Windows and Linux OSs that support CAStools.
Full—Initializes the OS and user account information about a VM and clears the SID of the OS. Sysprep is required. This mode is applicable to Windows operating systems.
Host/Cluster
IP Address: IP address of the destination host.
CPU Usage: CPU usage of the destination host.
Memory Size: Memory size of the destination host.
Memory Usage: Memory usage of the destination host.
Storage Info
Target Storage File: Enter the name of the storage file. This parameter is required for a host.
Target Storage Pool: Select the storage pool for the created VMs.
Disk Format: Specify the disk format for the VMs. This parameter is available only when the Fast Deployment option is not selected.
Same Format—Same disk format as the VM template.
Qcow2—The disk format is qcow2.
Raw—The disk format is raw. This format has high I/O efficiency, but a VM using this disk format does not support internal snapshots.
Provisioning: Select a volume provisioning mode. Options include Thin, Delay Zeroed, and Zeroed.
Thin—Allocates only as much storage space as the volume requires for its initial operations when the volume is created. If the volume requires more storage space later, you can allocate as much storage space as the volume requires as long as the maximum storage size is not exceeded. To select the thin provisioning mode, you must first enable the thin provisioning mode on the system parameter configuration page.
Delay Zeroed—Allocates the specified maximum storage size to the volume when the volume is created. Data remaining on the physical device is not erased during creation, but is zeroed out on first write from the VM.
Zeroed—Allocates the specified maximum storage size to the volume when the volume is created. Data remaining on the physical device is zeroed out during creation. It might take a longer time to create volumes in this mode than to create volumes in other modes.
Network Info
Manual: Manually configure a port profile and virtual firewall for the VM. This parameter is available only when VMs are deployed in bulk.
Import: Import a configuration file to configure VM system information and network parameters. You can create a file, or download a template. Txt and CSV files are supported. This parameter is available only when VMs are deployed in bulk.
Delimiter: Select a delimiter for separating items in the VM configuration file. Options include Comma (,), Semicolon (;), Tab Key, and Space. Make sure the delimiter is the same as the delimiter in the VM image file. This parameter is available only when VMs are deployed in bulk.
Start Line: Enter the start line of the data to import from the VM image file. This parameter is available only when VMs are deployed in bulk.
vSwitch: Select a vSwitch for the VM.
Port Profile/Port Group: Select a port profile/port group. A newly deployed VM uses the most recent port profile, the VLAN and QoS settings in which might be different from those in the VM template.
Virtual Firewall: Select a virtual firewall. The incoming and outgoing data packets on the VM will be filtered based on the firewall rules.
Network Parameters: Specify IP address assignment parameters for the VM. If you select the Manual option, manually configure the IPv4 or IPv6 address, subnet mask, default gateway, primary/secondary DNS server, and IP binding. IP binding allows you to bind an IPv4 or IPv6 address to the MAC address of the VM.
System Info
Computer Name: Enter the computer name.
Belong To: Select how the VM will participate in the network. Options include Domain and Work Group. This parameter is required only for a Windows VM.
Domain/Work Group: Enter a domain or work group name. This parameter is required only for a Windows VM.
Login Account: Enter the login account of the VM OS.
Login Password: Enter the login password of the VM OS.
Confirm Password: Confirm the password.
Local Group: Select the local group to which the login account belongs. Options include Administrators, Power Users, and Users. This parameter is required only for a Windows VM.