6.5.1

Table Of Contents
Create a template to deploy multiple virtual machines from. A template is a master copy of a virtual
machine that you can use to create and provision virtual machines. Use templates to save time. If you
have a virtual machine that you will clone frequently, make that virtual machine a template. See Deploy a
Virtual Machine from a Template.
Cloning a virtual machine can save time if you are deploying many similar virtual machines. You can
create, configure, and install software on a single virtual machine. You can clone it multiple times, rather
than creating and configuring each virtual machine individually. See Clone a Virtual Machine.
Cloning a virtual machine to a template preserves a master copy of the virtual machine so that you can
create additional templates. For example, you can create one template, modify the original virtual
machine by installing additional software in the guest operating system, and create another template. See
Clone a Virtual Machine to a Template in the vSphere Web Client.
Create a Virtual Machine Without a Template or Clone
You can create a single virtual machine if no virtual machines in your environment meet your needs, for
example of a particular operating system or hardware configuration. When you create a virtual machine
without a template or clone, you can configure the virtual hardware, including processors, hard disks, and
memory.
During the creation process, a default disk is configured for the virtual machine. You can remove this disk
and add a new hard disk, select an existing disk, or add an RDM disk on the Customize hardware page of
the wizard.
Prerequisites
Verify that you have the following privileges:
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Virtual machine .Inventory.Create new on the destination folder or data center.
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Virtual machine.Configuration.Add new disk on the destination folder or data center, if you are
adding a new disk.
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Virtual machine.Configuration.Add existing disk on the destination folder or data center, if you are
adding an existing disk.
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Virtual machine.Configuration.Raw device on the destination folder or data center, if you are using
an RDM or SCSI pass-through device.
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Virtual machine.Configuration.Host USB device on the destination folder or data center, if you are
attaching a virtual USB device backed by a host USB device.
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Virtual machine.Configuration.Advanced on the destination folder or data center, if you are
configuring advanced virtual machine settings.
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Virtual machine.Configuration.Swapfile placement on the destination folder or data center, if you
are configuring swap file placement.
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Virtual machine.Configuration.Disk change tracking on the destination folder or data center, if you
are enabling change tracking on the virtual machine's disks.
vSphere Virtual Machine Administration
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