✅ Support for VMWare Customization Properties that are Embedded in OVFs

Headline:
Support for VMWare Customization Properties that are Embedded in OVFs


Description:
VMWare has started to embed Customization Properties in their xml-based OVF formats. When tools like vCenter and vRealize Automation see these, they act accordingly. In the one case we just encountered (Cisco CSR1000v), vCenter prompts you for a “Configuration” (Flavor, like Small, Med, Large, each with CPU and Memory), and then pops up a screen that had umpteen properties you could set. I guess once deployed, the CSR1000v read these properties (i.e. Routername, Management interface info, etc) and “self configures” so that one doesn’t need to go to the console and configure it manually via the CLI.

I brought this up initially as a Discussion, which can be found here:


Example/Use case(s):
I already have working logic to do this via scripts in Tasks/Workflows. It deploys the VM perfectly, and I have a follow-up Powershell/PowerCLI task that moves the VM into the desired folder. What my logic cannot do (at this point at least), is “associate” the deployed VM back to Morpheus. You have to go into Compute, find the deployed VM, and do a “Convert to Managed” on it, which is clumsy and klugic (unless maybe I can automate that which I may attempt if I have the time). But - even if you can fish the VM back with Convert-to-Managed, you still probably need to delete that deployment job, as it would have no value displaying on the GUI at that point.

So this feature that I have developed a workaround for, could certainly use a little improvement and enhancement in order to be easy to use and crisp in the GUI. I think that if these specs are going to be used by an increasing number of vendors on their OVAs they publish, we need to ingrain support for that into Morpheus.


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