Introduction

An image file is created by packaging the system configuration and app environment of an existing VM. This operation is suitable for deploying multiple VMs with the same configuration (such as on a business node or in a test environment). Images can serve as templates for new VMs, improving deployment efficiency and ensuring environment consistency.

1. Benefits: Deploying VMs from an image eliminates the need for repeated OS installation and app configuration, shortens bulk deployment time, and supports the rapid cloning of test or production nodes from existing business environments.
2. Supported versions: HCI 6.7.0 and later. Images can be created only for VMs that have disk encryption disabled and are not configured with raw disk mappings.
3. Image types: ISO images and built-in HCI images are supported. Created images can be used to deploy new VMs or be imported to other clusters.

Constraints and Restrictions

1. Configuration exclusion: Configuration of the VM's encryption card, physical disk, and shared virtual disk is not retained in the image. Only core data on the system disk and data disk are preserved.
2. Feature conflicts: Images cannot be created for VMs with disk encryption enabled, migrated across clusters, or configured with CDP policies.
3. Resource requirements: The target resource pool must have sufficient storage space (no smaller than the VM's actual disk usage) to save the image file.
4. OS consistency: The OS type selected for the image must be consistent with the VM's actual OS. Otherwise, VMs deployed from the image may fail to start.

Precautions

To prevent data leaks, clear temporary files and sensitive data (such as passwords and keys) on the VM before creating an image for the VM. Images can be created while the VM is running (SCP automatically takes a snapshot as the image source). However, it is recommended to create images during off-peak hours to avoid impacts on business services. Created image can be used across different resource pools, but the target resource pools must be connected to the image storage location. After an image is created, you can modify its name and description on the Images page without remaking the image.

Steps

Step 1.Log in to SCP and go to Resource Center > VMs.

Step 2.Find the target VM, click the more options button (···) in the Operation column, and select Create Image.

Step 3.In the Create Image dialog, check the VM name (auto-filled and not editable), specify an image name (such as Windows2019_DB_Template), describe the use of the image in Description (optional), and select an OS that is consistent with the VM's actual OS (such as Windows Server 2019 (64-bit)) in the OS drop-down list.

Result Verification

Go to Compute > Images, find the created image, and confirm that it is in available status, which indicates successful creation. To verify the availability of the image, create a new VM from the image, start the new VM, and confirm that its OS version and app configuration are consistent with the original VM.