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 requested VMs.

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 exists 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 on that VM.

VM Outside of UT-VMG (OVF)

If you have a VM outside of UT-VMG that you would like to use as the basis for a new template, the UT-VMG team can do that too. The quickest way will be to provide an OVF of the VM. Once the support team has that OVF, they can begin the process of importing the VM into the environment and creating a template based on it.

Types of Templates

Clone vs. Unique VM Provisioning

Clone

• Easiest and fastest to implement
• Simply clones the VM provided for the template
• 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 on the original VM provided for the template
• Requires 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 would like added to your group, please contact the support team via email (a ticket will be created).

Request a Custom Template

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