6.5.1

Table Of Contents
Clone a Template to a Template in the
vSphere Web Client
After you create a template, you can clone it to a template. Templates are master copies of virtual
machines that let you create ready-for-use virtual machines. You can make changes to the template, such
as installing additional software in the guest operating system, while preserving the state of the original
template.
Prerequisites
Verify that you have the following privileges:
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Virtual machine .Provisioning.Clone template on the source template.
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Virtual machine .Inventory.Create from existing on the folder where the template is created.
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Datastore.Allocate space on all datastores where the template is created.
Procedure
1 Start the Clone a Template to a Template Task
To make changes to a template and preserve the state of the original template, you clone the
template to a template.
2 Select a Template to Clone in the vSphere Web Client
If you started the New Virtual Machine wizard from an inventory object other than a template, you
select a template to clone.
3 Select a Name and Location for the Template
When you deploy a template to the vCenter Server inventory, you provide a unique name for it. The
unique name distinguishes it from existing templates in the virtual machine folder or datacenter. The
name can contain up to 80 characters. You can select a datacenter or folder location for the
template, depending on your organizational needs.
4 Select a Resource for a Virtual Machine Template
When you deploy a virtual machine template, select a host or cluster resource for the template. The
template must be registered with an ESXi host. The host handles all requests for the template and
must be running when you create a virtual machine from the template.
5 Select a Datastore for the Virtual Machine Template
Each virtual machine or virtual machine template requires a folder or directory for its virtual disks
and files. When you create a virtual machine or template to deploy to the vCenter Server inventory,
select a datastore or datastore cluster for the virtual machine's configuration and other files and all of
the virtual disks. Each datastore can have a different size, speed, availability, and other properties.
6 Finish Virtual Machine Template Creation
Before you deploy the template, you can review the template settings.
vSphere Virtual Machine Administration
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