XenCenter

VM Template and BIOS Options

Note:

XenCenter YYYY.x.x is currently in preview and is not supported for production use. Note that any future references to production support apply only when XenCenter YYYY.x.x and XenServer 8 go from preview status to general availability.

You can use XenCenter YYYY.x.x to manage your XenServer 8 and Citrix Hypervisor 8.2 CU1 non-production environments. However, to manage your Citrix Hypervisor 8.2 CU1 production environment, use XenCenter 8.2.7. For more information, see the XenCenter 8.2.7 documentation.

You can install XenCenter 8.2.7 and XenCenter YYYY.x.x on the same system. Installing XenCenter YYYY.x.x does not overwrite your XenCenter 8.2.7 installation.

Various different VM templates are supplied with the XenServer server. These templates can be used in different ways to create VMs. Each template contains installation metadata: the information used to create a VM with a specific guest OS with the optimum storage, CPU, memory, and virtual network configuration.

For a full list of guest operating systems that XenServer supports, see Guest operating system requirements.

You can also create your own customized templates configured with the appropriate guest operating system, memory, CPU, storage, and network settings. For more information, see Creating new templates.

Select a BIOS option

XenServer VMs can be BIOS-generic or BIOS-customized:

BIOS-generic: the VM has generic XenServer BIOS strings;

BIOS-customized: VMs support customization of the BIOS in two ways, namely: Copy-Host BIOS strings and User-Defined BIOS strings.

  • Copy-Host BIOS Strings: The VM has a copy of the BIOS strings of a particular server in the pool.
  • User-Defined BIOS Strings: The user can set custom values in selected BIOS strings using CLI/API.

Note:

If a VM does not have BIOS strings set when it starts, the standard XenServer BIOS strings are inserted into it, and the VM becomes BIOS-generic.

For more information, refer to Advanced VM information.

When you create a VM using the New VM wizard, you can copy the BIOS strings from an OEM server in the same pool into the new VM. This action enables you to install Reseller Option Kit (BIOS-locked) OEM versions of Windows on the VM later, if needed. The OEM server from which you copy the BIOS strings is nominated as the home server for the new VM.

BIOS-customized VMs can be migrated, imported, and exported to servers with the same BIOS strings and to servers with different BIOS strings.

Important:

It is your responsibility to comply with any EULAs governing the use of any BIOS-locked operating systems that you install.

VM Template and BIOS Options