server 2012 vmware guest customization

S

shnelson

Limp Gawd
Joined
Feb 10, 2012
Messages
145
Has anyone been able to successfully deploy a server 2012 template & use the vmware guest customization?

I am having inconsistent results with it. Using EFI firmware as recommended, it seems as if the customization only works when it feels like it. I have gotten it to work using the e1000e adapter, made a change to the template (within the OS), shut it down/converted to template & the next time I deployed it didn't work.

I'm trying to join it to a domain & give it an ip address using the customization wizard. 2008 did not present me with this challenge, getting seriously frustrated!
 
5.1

I was able to get it to work again by uninstalling the NIC from within the OS, powering down the VM & removing it from hardware settings, then adding it back & immediately converting to template.

Makes me wonder if I can do the same with VMXNET3 adapter and get that to work.
 
Known issue: Once it comes up from the initial clone, reboot the guest - customization will kick off on the ensuing reboot (the first boot windows accepts the customize command, but sets it to "pend for next reboot") >_<
 
Has anyone seen any improvement on this problem? I had a hell of a time at my old job and I'm in charge of moving my new shop to 5.x and 2012 here this fall so I'm dreading dealing with this all over again.
 
I can also confirm that this only works with ESXi 5.1. We seem to have about a 50% success rate with this - sometimes it doesn't reboot, something it gets stuck in a loop where everytime the server boots it shows "Starting VMWare Guest Customization...", and on a few occasions we have had it where the machine gets deployed from template, but is pointing the the template's .vmdk.

Argh....We have decided to just close the machines and use our old process as it appears to be more reliable.
 
We have decided to not deploy an new production servers with win 2012 until vmware fixes the ridiculous amount of issues we have seen. Some of our boxes are stable, and some blue screen after logging in, and etc etc.

5.1 u1
 
Well hell. I was hoping by now they would have updated that. I was using 5.1u1 before and hoped 4 months would allow them to pull their heads out of their asses. Maybe they're all busy trying to make SSO not be utter shite.
 
For a multi-domain company with linked vCenters, SSO can be quite nice.

But if you just have 1 domain, it essentially adds 200% to the already complicated vCenter install/server
 
This is not boding well for me making a 2k12 template for my environment. Although I'm still on 5.0U2. Not sure if these issues exist there.
 
Hawkbox said:
Well hell. I was hoping by now they would have updated that. I was using 5.1u1 before and hoped 4 months would allow them to pull their heads out of their asses. Maybe they're all busy trying to make SSO not be utter shite.
Click to expand...

Haven't seen any major problems on my end since 5.1?

Can't wait to answer the second part of that.

Mikeyyb said:
I can also confirm that this only works with ESXi 5.1. We seem to have about a 50% success rate with this - sometimes it doesn't reboot, something it gets stuck in a loop where everytime the server boots it shows "Starting VMWare Guest Customization...", and on a few occasions we have had it where the machine gets deployed from template, but is pointing the the template's .vmdk.

Argh....We have decided to just close the machines and use our old process as it appears to be more reliable.
Click to expand...

Weird - I've stopped having problems, but I'll double check all my templates. Since moving to 5.1 it's been working fine on my end, especially with U1. Which U1 build are you on, GA/A/B?
 
QHalo said:
This is not boding well for me making a 2k12 template for my environment. Although I'm still on 5.0U2. Not sure if these issues exist there.
Click to expand...

Can't remember the status of 2k12 on 5.0, but I ~think~ it's in there.
 
I remember having this issue but since my cousin set up MDT and WDS for me I've just been using that. Super slick and customizable. But it's a little hard to learn and manage.
 
I haven't had many issues with 2k12 running on vmware. I have templates the only thing you need to install is vmxnet 3 adapter intel e1000 doesn't work.
 
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