VMware vSphere

November 19, 2019

Contributed by:

E C

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:

An OS Layer
Machine creation for vSphere resource information: The Machine Creation info listed in this Machine creation for vSphere connector configuration topic.
vSphere resource information: The vSphere info listed in vSphere connector configuration.
Access to the Machine Creation software to install on the 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.

The official version of this content is in English. Some of the Cloud Software Group documentation content is machine translated for your convenience only. Cloud Software Group has no control over machine-translated content, which may contain errors, inaccuracies or unsuitable language. No warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied, is made as to the accuracy, reliability, suitability, or correctness of any translations made from the English original into any other language, or that your Cloud Software Group product or service conforms to any machine translated content, and any warranty provided under the applicable end user license agreement or terms of service, or any other agreement with Cloud Software Group, that the product or service conforms with any documentation shall not apply to the extent that such documentation has been machine translated. Cloud Software Group will not be held responsible for any damage or issues that may arise from using machine-translated content.

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VMware vSphere

November 19, 2019

Contributed by:

E C

November 19, 2019

Contributed by:

E C

VMware vSphere

Platform layer

Platform layer requirements

When to install VMware vSphere tools on the platform layer

UEFI machines

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