Creating a VM

This guide describes how to create a virtual machine (VM) from a template in VMware Cloud Director.

Note

All data in this documentation is example data.

Prerequisite: you are already logged in to VMware Cloud Director and have a reachable network. If no network exists yet, first follow the guide Setting Up the Network (Network, NAT, Firewall).

Creating a new VM

Using a template

1. In the main menu, click the Data Center in which you want to create the VM.

2. Under Compute, click the Virtual Machines tab.

3. Click NEW.

4. Give the machine a name. This also sets an identical computer name, which can be changed if needed.

5. For Type, choose From Template.

6. Under Power on, decide whether the machine should be powered on immediately after creation or created in a powered-off state.

7. Choose one of the templates from the list, for more information on the available templates and their specifics, see the templates documentation.

   

8. Choose the desired Storage Policy.

9. Configure the Network Interface:

   • Enable Connected.

   • Choose the network you created earlier.

   • For the IP mode, you have the following options: Static IP-Pool (automatic assignment from a pool defined in the network), Static Manual (specify an IP address yourself from the network’s IP range), DHCP (if a DHCP server is configured on the Edge Gateway for the network), or None (no assignment by VMware Cloud Director).

     

   Note

   The specified IP address is not always automatically configured in the guest operating system, this depends on the chosen template.

10. Optionally, under Custom Properties you can specify further options, depending on the template, used for cloud-init configuration (see Templates).

11. If necessary, accept the EULA (depends on the chosen template).

12. Click OK.

13. Your new virtual machine is now created and, if selected earlier, starts immediately.

14. Depending on the chosen template, cloud-init continues configuring the guest operating system. Otherwise, make the settings yourself via the VM Console within the VM.

You have now successfully created a VM in the nEC and are ready to further optimize and use it for your specific requirements.

Data portability

Various options are available for exporting your data, documented in the VMware Cloud Director documentation.

Securely overwriting and deleting content

To securely delete all volumes of a VM, the ShredOS x86_64 - Disk Eraser is a good option, it offers a variety of deletion methods, including DoD-standard wiping.

Usage is simple: administrators first mount the ISO file via VMware Cloud Director into the desired VM. After booting, they select the desired overwrite mode and start the deletion process. Before using the tool, backups should be created and it should be ensured that no important data is accidentally deleted.

For securely deleting individual volumes on Windows, the tool Eraser is a good choice.