6.0

Using host profiles is only supported for VMware vSphere 4.0 hosts or later. This feature is not supported
for VMware Infrastructure 3.5 or earlier hosts. If you have VMware Infrastructure 3.5 or earlier hosts
managed by your vCenter Server 4.0 or later, the following problems can occur if you try to use host profiles
for those hosts:
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You cannot create a host profile that uses a VMware Infrastructure 3.5 or earlier host as a reference host.
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You cannot apply a host profile to any VMware Infrastructure 3.5 or earlier hosts. The compliance check
fails.
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While you can attach a host profile to a mixed cluster that contains VMware Infrastructure 3.5 or earlier
hosts, the compliance check for those earlier hosts fails.
As a licensed feature of vSphere, host profiles are only available when the appropriate licensing is in place.
If you see errors, ensure that you have the appropriate vSphere licensing for your hosts.
If you want the host profile to use directory services for authentication, the reference host needs to be
configured to use a directory service. See the vSphere Security documentation.
Hosts Provisioned with vSphere
®
Auto Deploy
For hosts provisioned with vSphere Auto Deploy, vCenter Server owns the entire host configuration, which
is captured in a host profile. In most cases, the host profile information is sufficient to store all configuration
information. Sometimes the user is prompted for input when the host provisioned with Auto Deploy boots.
The answer file mechanism manages those cases. See the vSphere Installation and Setup documentation.
Access Host Profiles View
The Host Profiles main view lists all available profiles. Administrators can also use the Host Profiles main
view to perform operations on host profiles and configure profiles.
The Host Profiles main view should be used by experienced administrators who wish to perform host
profile operations and configure advanced options and policies. Most operations such as creating new
profiles, attaching entities, and applying profiles can be performed from the Hosts and Clusters view.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
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Select View > Management > Host Profiles.
Any existing profiles are listed on the left side in the profiles list. When a profile is selected from the profile
list, the details of that profile are displayed on the right side.
Creating a Host Profile
You create a new host profile by using the designated reference host's configuration.
A host profile can be created from:
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Host Profile main view
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host's context menu
vSphere Administration with the vSphere Client
212 VMware, Inc.