Creating VM templates

Copying an existing machine, and turning a finished build into a reusable template.

Cloning copies a machine once. Converting to a template turns a finished build into something you can deploy again and again. Both are on the Actions menu of the machine.

Both actions run at the tenant level, so impersonate the tenant administrator before you start.

How to clone a machine

• Power the machine off so the copy is consistent

• Click Actions then Clone VM

• Enter a Name for the copy

• Choose the Virtual Data Center the copy should land in

• Choose the Storage Policy for the copy

• Click Apply and watch Recent Tasks for progress

How to convert a machine to a template

• Finish the build first. Patch the operating system, install the QEMU guest agent and any standard software, then generalise the image

• Power the machine off

• Click Actions then Convert to Template

• Confirm. The machine becomes a template and can no longer be powered on, so clone it first if you still need the original running

• The template then appears under New Virtual Machine, From Template in that tenant

Things worth knowing

• A clone uses the same amount of storage as the original, so check the Virtual Data Center has room

• Rename the clone and change its IP address before you power it on, otherwise it will clash with the original

• Both actions return Error loading content if you run them from your reseller account instead of the tenant