In App Layering
In Citrix App Layering
In All products
Product Documentation
In App Layering
In Citrix App Layering
In All products
View PDF

Machine Creation for vSphere

November 22, 2019
Contributed by:  E

This article explains considerations and requirements when publishing layered images to machine creation, and building your layers in vSphere.

Platform layer

You need a platform layer for publishing images in machine creation running in vSphere.

  • If you have been using BIOS machines and you want to start using UEFI machines, a new version of the platform layer is required.
  • If you want to publish images to a new location in vSphere, it is recommended that you create a specific platform layer for the new location.

Platform layer requirements

When publishing images to a Horizon View environment, you need the following resources to create the platform layer:

When to install VMware vSphere tools on the platform layer

If the OS was created on a different hypervisor than vSphere, install the VMware vSphere software on the platform layer, along with App Layering tools and App Layering agent (if the agent is required). You need:

  • Access to the VMware hypervisor software installer

  • App Layering Agent and PowerShell Snap-in, if using a Script as part of the connector configuration: As part of the connector configuration, if you include a script to run on the newly published layered image, you will need the App Layering agent and PowerShell Snap-in installed and running.

Connectors

You need these connector configurations to create layers and publish layered images to machine creation:

  • Machine Creation for vSphere connector configuration(s): Supplies the appliance with the credentials it needs to publish layered images to a specific machine creation location.

  • VMware vSphere connector configuration: Gives the appliance the credentials to create layers and publish images in a specific vSphere location.

UEFI machines

This section explains how to switch from using BIOS machines to UEFI machines.

To configure UEFI for your deployment, you must select a UEFI-configured virtual machine template from your vCenter server. This template is required for UEFI machines or VMware Cloud, but is optional otherwise. Select the template in the connector configuration that you use to create or add a version to the platform layer.

To start using UEFI if your existing machines are BIOS

To start using UEFI machines in Machine Creation when your existing machines are BIOS:

  1. Create a new Machine Creation in vSphere connector configuration with the Offload compositing feature enabled.
  2. Select a virtual machine template with UEFI configured.
  3. Create a platform layer or add a version to your existing one, and select the connector configuration that has UEFI enabled.
  4. Publish UEFI images using this platform layer, and select a connector configuration that has UEFI enabled.

You can publish images using the new UEFI-enabled platform layer and connector configuration with your existing OS and app layers.

You can keep revising your OS and app layers using a BIOS connector configuration.

To start using UEFI in a fresh deployment

The Create OS layer feature does not yet support UEFI machines. However, you can add a version to the OS layer with a connector configuration that has Offload Compositing and UEFI enabled.

  1. Create your OS layer on a BIOS machine.
  2. Create a VMware vSphere connector configuration with the Offload compositing feature enabled.
  3. In the connector configuration, select a virtual machine template with UEFI configured.
  4. Add a UEFI-enabled version to the OS layer.
  5. Create UEFI-enabled app layers using the same VMware vSphere connector configuration.
  6. Create and publish images using an image template with the following things selected:
    • Your UEFI-enabled OS version.
    • A platform layer with Machine Creation software installed.
    • A UEFI-enabled Machine creation for vSphere connector configuration.
    • Your app layers.

Machine Creation for vSphere

November 22, 2019
Contributed by:  E

In this article

Edit this article