6.5.1

Understanding vSphere Auto Deploy
vSphere Auto Deploy can provision hundreds of physical hosts with ESXi software. You can specify the
image to deploy and the hosts to provision with the image. Optionally, you can specify host profiles to
apply to the hosts, a vCenter Server location (datacenter, folder or cluster), and assign a script bundle for
each host.
Introduction to vSphere Auto Deploy
When you start a physical host that is set up for vSphere Auto Deploy, vSphere Auto Deploy uses PXE
boot infrastructure in conjunction with vSphere host profiles to provision and customize that host. No state
is stored on the host itself. Instead, the vSphere Auto Deploy server manages state information for each
host.
State Information for ESXi Hosts
vSphere Auto Deploy stores the information for the ESXi hosts to be provisioned in different locations.
Information about the location of image profiles and host profiles is initially specified in the rules that map
machines to image profiles and host profiles.
Table 2‑15. vSphere Auto Deploy Stores Information for Deployment
Information Type Description Source of Information
Image state The executable software to run on an ESXi host. Image profile, created with vSphere ESXi Image
Builder.
Configuration state The configurable settings that determine how the
host is configured, for example, virtual switches and
their settings, driver settings, boot parameters, and
so on.
Host profile, created by using the host profile UI.
Often comes from a template host.
Dynamic state The runtime state that is generated by the running
software, for example, generated private keys or
runtime databases.
Host memory, lost during reboot.
Virtual machine
state
The virtual machines stored on a host and virtual
machine autostart information (subsequent boots
only).
Virtual machine information sent by vCenter Server to
vSphere Auto Deploy must be available to supply
virtual machine information to vSphere Auto Deploy.
User input State that is based on user input, for example, an IP
address that the user provides when the system
starts up, cannot automatically be included in the
host profile.
Host customization information, stored by
vCenter Server during first boot.
You can create a host profile that requires user input
for certain values.
When vSphere Auto Deploy applies a host profile that
requires user provided information, the host is placed
in maintenance mode. Use the host profile UI to
check the host profile compliance, and respond to the
prompt to customize the host.
vSphere Auto Deploy Architecture
The vSphere Auto Deploy infrastructure consists of several components.
For more information, watch the video "Auto Deploy Architecture":
vSphere Installation and Setup
VMware, Inc. 110