App Layering

VMware vSphere

This section describes considerations and requirements when creating layers or publishing images in vSphere.

Platform layer

A platform layer is required for creating layers or publishing images in vSphere ONLY in the following cases:

  • The operating system for your OS layer originated on a different hypervisor. If the OS originated in vSphere, you do not need a platform layer, because the vSphere settings are already configured on your OS layer.
  • 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, we recommend that you create a specific platform layer for each location.

Platform layer requirements

When publishing images to Machine creation in vSphere, 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 vSphere 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 need the App Layering agent and PowerShell Snap-in installed and running.

UEFI machines

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

  • Create a new VMware vSphere connector configuration with the Offload compositing feature enabled and UEFI selected.
  • Create a UEFI platform layer.
  • Publish UEFI images using this platform layer and your existing BIOS app layers.

If you are starting with a fresh deployment in vSphere:

  • Create your OS layer from a BIOS OS image.

    Note:

    The Create OS layer feature does not yet support UEFI machines. However, you can add a version to the OS layer with Offload Compositing and UEFI selected, as described in the next step.

  • Create a VMware vSphere connector configuration with the Offload compositing feature enabled and UEFI selected.
  • Add a UEFI version to the OS layer.
  • Create UEFI app layers.
  • Create an image template with the new connector selected, and publish the images.
VMware vSphere