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Creating Windows Virtual Machine images for use with ESXi compute clusters in HP CloudSystem

Use this field to prompt the cloud-init package to create a user account with this name. This account

will not appear in the unattended file and should not be added there.

ii. Metadata password: <Check this box>

If you check this box, then the cloud-init scripts that run at launch in the VM will look in the block of

data (‘metadata’) handed to it from the CloudSystem Nova layer for a password to assign to the

account. The metadata password is set by an interactive user in the CloudSystem Portal launch

instance dialog as ‘Admin Password’ field.

IMPORTANT: You cannot use the CloudSystem Portal to verify that the password entered by the user meets

the policy set in the Windows image. For example, if a strong password is set in the Windows OS,

the user can enter a password in the CloudSystem Portal that does not conform and no error

will occur. The password will not be set in the image.

iii. User’s local group: <Administrator>

This is the group associated to the account.

iv. Network adapter: Intel PRO/1000MT

This varies depending on the type of adapter you are using. Make sure to enter the type of network

adapter used in your configuration.

d. De-select the Run Sysprep option.

If this option is NOT selected, then you will be able to merge your own unattended file before you run Sysprep.

e. Select Finish.

f. Verify the .conf file created by the setup program.

Sample .conf file

Step 6: Run Sysprep

Sysprep prepares the image with specific Windows values that are set on boot based on the unattended files created in step 4. It

is also required by the cloud-init package in step 5. If you are not using step 4 or step 5, then you can skip this step. All image

behavior and settings configured in Step 2 will be applied to the image.

Running Sysprep

1. Take a snapshot of the VM or make a clone.

After Sysprep runs, the image is transformed into its first boot configuration. Make all of your customizations before

you proceed. Taking a snapshot of the underlying VM before this step could be useful if you need to rollback and correct

the image after a trial run.

2. Optional: Create the final unattended file.

At this point you will potentially have an unattended file created by the Cloudbase install tool in

step 5 and one you

created using SIM in step 4. If you have both, you will need to merge them into one file. If you have only one, you can

skip this step.