Create a Linux-Based Virtual Machine Template

This scenario helps you create a Linux-based virtual machine template by using Virtual Machine Manager in System Center 2012 SP1.

Technical scenarios

Scenario description

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This scenario provides the high-level steps and links for additional information that is necessary to create a virtual machine template that you can use to deploy a virtual machine on which the guest operating system is Linux.

There are two methods to create a Linux-based virtual machine template:

• From an existing virtual machine template
• From a virtual hard disk (VHD)

The option to create a Linux-based virtual template from an existing virtual machine – is not supported.

This scenario describes how to create a Linux-based virtual machine template using these methods.

System Center 2012 components and other requirements

This scenario uses the following System Center component in addition to Windows Server 2012 operating system. The scenario assumes that this component is already installed and configured, and working correctly. It is beyond the scope of this scenario to provide basic deployment and configuration information for this component. For this information, you can refer to the individual documentation for each component.

•  System Center 2012 SP1 - VMM

How to accomplish this scenario

The high level steps to accomplish this scenario are as follows:

1. Read the Linux-specific requirements for a virtual machine, and then create a virtual machine and ensure that it meets these requirements.
2. Create and store the VHD of the virtual machine in a VMM library share.
3. Create a Linux-based virtual machine template.
4. Use that template to deploy Linux-based virtual machines.

The details of these high level steps, and links to resources that provide additional information, are described as follows:

1. Requirements for Linux-based virtual machines
   
   The Linux-based virtual machine that you use to create a Linux-based virtual machine template must meet the following two requirements:
   • Linux Integration Services (LIS) must be installed on the virtual machine
   • The VMM guest agent for Linux must be installed on the virtual machine

   To learn about the details of these requirements and about how to meet them, refer to the following topics:

   • For information about the requirements, see the topic "Requirements for Linux-Based Virtual Machines" at http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/jj860438.aspx.
   • For information about how to install the VMM agent for Linux, see the topic "How to Install the VMM Agent for Linux" at http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/jj860429.aspx
     
2. Create and store the VHD of the virtual machine in a VMM library share
   
   To use the Linux-based virtual machine for the template, you have to prepare the VHD as follows:
   
   1. Shut down the virtual machine.
   2. Copy the VHD to a VMM library share.
   3. Refresh the VMM library.
      
      
3. Create a Linux-based template
   
   Create a new template with settings for a Linux-based virtual machine. Use the operating system specialization process to configure Linux-specific settings. For background information and for detailed steps, refer to the following topics:
   
   • For background information, see the topic "Creating Profiles and Templates in VMM Overview" at http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/jj860424.aspx.
     
   • To create the virtual machine template, see the topic "How to Create a Virtual Machine Template" at http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hh427282.aspx
     

   When creating the template, in the Create VM Template Wizard ensure you make the following choices:
   

   • On the Select Source page, select the Use an existing VM template or a virtual hard disk stored in the library option.
   • On the Configure Operating System page, select the Create new Linux operating system customization settings option in the Guest OS profile list. This option displays the appropriate Linux-related operating system settings for the template.
   • Skip the Configure Applications and Configure SQL Server pages because they do not apply to Linux-based virtual machine templates.
     
     
4. Create and deploy the Linux-based virtual machine
   
   Use the Linux-based virtual machine template to deploy virtual machines that are Linux-based and that are preconfigured according to the settings in the template. Or, you can add the Linux-based virtual machine template as a machine tier in a service template. You can use service templates to define multi-tier configurations with any combination of Windows-based and Linux-based virtual machines.

• For background information, see the topic "Creating and Deploying Virtual Machines Overview" at http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hh368991.aspx.
  
• To use the template to deploy Linux-based virtual machines, see the topic "How to Create and Deploy a Virtual Machine from a Template" at http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hh882403.aspx.
  
• To add the template as a machine tier, see the topic "Creating and Deploying Services in VMM" at http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/gg675074.aspx.

Links to TechNet Library topics, Tech Center pages, blogs, forums, etc.

• Virtual Machine Manager technical documentation
  http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/gg610610.aspx
• Creating Linux-based Virtual Machine Templates with System Center 2012 SP1 – Virtual Machine Manager
  http://operatingquadrant.com/2013/01/15/creating-linux-vm-templates-with-system-center-2012-sp1-virtual-machine-manager/
• System Center: Virtual Machine Manager Engineering Team Blog 
  http://blogs.technet.com/b/scvmm/
• VMM 2012 Survival Guide
  http://social.technet.microsoft.com/wiki/contents/articles/3053.vmm-2012-survival-guide-en-us.aspx