VM /ETC

When Microsoft released Server 2008 the Windows Automated Installation Kit (WAIK) was introduced and Sysprep could no longer be used for deploying new servers. This meant that VMware needed to modify vCenter to allow for deploying new VMs from a Server 2008 template. The virtualization community quickly found a work around for the process on vCenter 2.5 and ESX 3.x.

When vSphere was released, it was announced that VMware included the necessary .xml file to customize Server 2008 with vCenter 4, thus meaning that VM customization and 2008 Customization Specifications could be used out of the box without any manual modifications (i.e. adding Sysprep files to the designated vCenter directories). For a walk through of the vSphere Server 2008 deploy from template process with screen shots check out: How to Deploy a Windows 2008 Server From a Template with vSphere

However, in my experience so far creating Server 2008 templates and deploying new VMs the process doesn’t work quite right every time. When I’ve deployed a new Server 2008 VM from the template I’ve experienced an incomplete boot on the new VM. Windows prompts from the install DVD and suggests a recovery is needed. I’ve experienced this recently with 64 bit Server 2008, but I can’t recall if my previous issue was ever on a 32 bit server or not.

Fortunately the same work around for VI 3.5 still works for vSphere as well. Check out the link above for more details, but the basic process is as follows:

1. Build your Server 2008 VM until it’s ready to become a template
2. Before changing it to a template change the operating system type in the “Edit Settings” window to Vista 64 bit
3. Turn the VM into a template
4. Create a customization specification, and / or deploy and customize the new VM.
5. Before booting the new VM change the OS type back to Windows Server 2008

updated 081509 – I had the steps above slightly mixed. Fixed the steps so the OS type change occurs before the VM is converted to template

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