Custom Templates in UT-VMG

What Are Custom Templates?

Custom templates are the basis for Blueprints - automation workflows within UT-VMG that are the behind the scenes provisioning process that creates the requested VM(s).

Creating Custom Templates

VM Already in UT-VMG

The easiest way to get a custom template created for your provisioning group is by using a VM that already lives in UT-VMG. Once you have your VM ready to go (meaning this is the image you want to have recreated when a VM is provisioned), the UT-VMG team will build a template based off of that VM.

VM Outside of UT-VMG (OVF)

If you have a VM outside of UT-VMG that you'd like to use as the basis for a new template, we can do that too! The quickest way will be to provide us with an OVF of the VM. Once we have that OVF, we'll begin the process of importing the VM into our environment and creating a template based off of it.

Types of Templates

Clone vs. Unique VM Provisioning

Clone

Easiest and fastest to implement

-Simply clones the VM provided for the template

*Since the template is just cloning, each VM will be identical to the VM it was created from (same name, IP, configuration, password, etc.)

Unique VM

More time consuming initially to implement/build on the UT-VMG side for the template, but takes full advantage of the automation/orchestration that UT-VMG provides.

-Leverages the power of UT-VMG's orchestrations processes to create unique VMs based off of the original VM provided for the template

*Will require the Admin/Root password of the VM being cloned. This password can be changed to a temporary password for the template creation process, then changed back later.

*With the password, the UT-VMG orchestration process can set unique attributes for every vm created (hostname, IP, random password)

Manual IP vs. Automatic

Manual IP

-IP assignment (as well as DNS) is left to the VM requester

*Standard on No OS (Bare Metal VM) templates

Automatic IP

-IP assignment (as well as DNS) is handled by the UT-VMG orchestration workflow

*Requires the Unique VM templating process described above

Available Global Templates/Blueprints

The following Global Templates are already created, and are available to be assigned to provisioning groups. If you see a template you'd like added to your group, please let us know via email (a ticket will be created).

Request a Custom Template

If you've read the above and are ready to get a Custom Template created for your UT-VMG Provisioning Group, please let us know via email (a ticket will be created) and we'll be happy to help get you setup.