7.0

Prerequisites
n Prepare your system and install the Auto Deploy Server. For more information, see Prepare
Your System for vSphere Auto Deploy.
n Verify that the folder you select is in a data center or in a cluster. You cannot assign the host to
a standalone top-level folder.
Procedure
1 In a PowerCLI session, run the Connect-VIServer cmdlet to connect to the vCenter Server
system that vSphere Auto Deploy is registered with.
Connect-VIServer ipv4_or_ipv6_address
The cmdlet might return a server certificate warning. In a production environment, make
sure no server certificate warnings result. In a development environment, you can ignore the
warning.
2 Define a rule in which hosts with certain attributes, for example a range of IP addresses, are
assigned to a folder or a cluster.
New-DeployRule -Name testrule3 -Item "my folder" -Pattern "vendor=Acme,Zven",
"ipv4=192.XXX.1.10-192.XXX.1.20"
This example passes in the folder by name. You can instead pass in a folder, cluster, or
data center object that you retrieve with the Get-Folder, Get-Cluster, or Get-Datacenter
cmdlet.
3 Add the rule to the rule set.
Add-DeployRule testrule3
By default, the working rule set becomes the active rule set, and any changes to the rule set
become active when you add a rule. If you use the NoActivate parameter, the working rule
set does not become the active rule set.
What to do next
n Assign a host already provisioned with vSphere Auto Deploy to the new folder or cluster
location by performing test and repair compliance operation. See Test and Repair Rule
Compliance .
n Power on unprovisioned hosts to add them to the specified vCenter Server location.
Configure a Stateless System by Running a Custom Script
You can use vSphere Auto Deploy to configure one or more hosts by associating custom scripts
with a vSphere Auto Deploy rule.
The scripts run in alphabetical order after the initial ESXi boot workflow of the host.
VMware ESXi Installation and Setup
VMware, Inc. 135