On the Components page you can:
- Add components such as templates, VMs, virtual services (vApps) and custom components to the vCenter service. The maximum number of components in a service is 15.
- Set the configuration parameters for each added component. The configuration of the components is performed on separate, tabbed component subpages.
Adding Components
You can add the following types of components to a vCenter service:
If you upgraded from release 5.2 or earlier, you can choose whether to use the Blueprint model (recommended) or the Legacy model:
- With Blueprint model, you customize the Component form within the service catalog entry itself; the Form Designer is used only to customize the Service form. Component forms customized in the Form Designer are ignored for Blueprint service catalog entries.
- If you continue to use the Legacy model, form customization works as it did previously. See Adding a Service to the Catalog with the Legacy Model for details on the rest of the wizard when using the legacy model. Note that the Legacy model is deprecated and will be removed in a future release.
Add VM or virtual service components
To add VM or virtual service components to the service:
- Click Add and select VM Template, Image or AMI or Virtual Service.
- In the dialog that appears, select an available component.
Use the tree or enter text in the search field to narrow the component list. The search field searches the Name and Guest OS properties for VMs, and the Name property for virtual services.
All components in a Service Catalog entry must belong to the same cloud account.
- Optional: To display VMs in the component list as well as templates, enable Allow VMs in Catalog.
- Optional: Use the Name field to customize the display name for this component in the Service Catalog.
This is the component name that a user sees when completing a service request form.
- Click Add to Service to add a component to the service.
Note that you can add multiple components to a service. Repeat the steps above for each additional component you want to add to the service.
When you have finished adding components, click Close to return to the wizard.
You can then do the following:
- You can now set the configuration of any added components in the Component Configuration pages
- You can also can customize the service configurations of defined in the other pages in the wizard:
- You can also click Finish and continue editing the service catalog entry later if you wish.
If you want to replace a template with a newer version, see Replacing a Template in the Service Catalog.
Add OVA/OVF components
In Commander you can create service catalog entries that allow users to request VMs or vApps that are described by Open Virtual Format (OVF) and Open Virtual Appliance (OVA) templates. OVFs and OVAs are open-standard file formats for packaging and distributing virtual machines or applications. Using OVF/OVAs provides quick and reliable provisioning of services or applications.
When a user requests a service that uses an OVA/OVF template, at deploy time, Commander will download the virtual machine image from the URL specified by the component and then export it to vCenter. Only OVF and OVA templates that describe a single VM or vApp are supported.
When an auto-deployment is used for the service request, but there is no explicit deployment destination, a destination with the highest rating will be chosen. See vCenter: Configure destinations for automated deployment for more information.
To add an OVF/OVA component to the service:
- Click Add and select OVA/OVF Template.
- In the Add OVA/OVF Template dialog, in the URL field, enter one of the following:
- A URL to a valid, publicly accessible OVA/OVF template. The URL can begin with "http://" and "https://".
- A URL to an OVA/OVF template was downloaded to an accessible local network directory. The URL should begin with "file://".
- Click OK.
The component is automatically named, but you can customize the name later through the Infrastructure tab of the component subpage that's added to the service.
When you have finished adding components, click Close to return to the wizard.
You can then do the following:
- Set the configuration of any added components in the Component Configuration pages. For OVA/OVF components, on the following subpages, you may be required to provide configuration information:
- Infrastructure: Sets default infrastructure information.
- Resources: Sets the default storage tier and network mapping.
- Parameters: Sets any configuration parameters those described in the descriptor file.
- EULA: If the OVA/OVF has an end-user license agreement (EULA), you must review and accept the agreement to use the template.
- Attributes: Assigns metadata to the component with custom attributes and groups.
- Form: Customizes the form users see when they request this specific component.
- You can also can customize the service configurations of defined in the other pages in the wizard:
- You can also click Finish and continue editing the service catalog entry later if you wish.
- Set the configuration of any added components in the Component Configuration pages. For OVA/OVF components, on the following subpages, you may be required to provide configuration information:
Add Custom Components
Custom components include both non-virtual assets (such as a phone) and tasks that modify existing assets (such as the installation of a database instance on an existing server). Creating custom component types allows you to add the same custom component to multiple Service Catalog entries, as well as centrally manage the cost of these components.
To add a custom component type to the service:
- Do one of the following:
- To add a new custom component type, click Add > New Component Type, then provide a name (up to 64 characters), an optional description and the annual cost.
- To add an existing custom component type, click Add and select the component type from the drop-down menu.
If more than five custom component types already exist, you must select Custom Type from the drop-down menu, and in the Select Custom Component Type dialog, select a component from the list.
- Click Add to Service to add the component to the service.
Note that you can add multiple components to a service. Repeat the steps above for each additional component you want to add to the service.
When you have finished adding components, click Close to return to the wizard.
You can then do the following:
- Set the configuration of any added components in the Component Configuration pages
- Customize the service configurations of defined in the other pages in the wizard:
- Click Finish and continue editing the service catalog entry later if you wish.
Component Configuration pages
When you add a component to the service, a subpage for each component is added that allows you to customize the components' configurations.
The specific tabs that are offered depends on the component type that you're adding. The tabs that may be displayed include:
Infrastructure tab
Set default infrastructure options for this specific component.
Field | Description |
|---|---|
Name | The name that will be displayed for the component in the Service Catalog and as the label for the Component section of the Request New Service form. A user sees the component name when viewing service details and when completing a service request form. Choose a distinctive component name to help requesters fill out the form. |
Description | Optional: Customize the description for this component that will appear in the Service Catalog. A user sees the component description when viewing service details and when completing a service request form. |
Deployed Name | Specify the name for deployed instances of this component. Select Use default naming format to use the default naming convention, or specify a customized deployed name. Click Configure global text replacement rules to shorten your component names. See also Set up text replacement rules for service names. |
Customization Spec | Customization specs allow Commander to modify source images during deployment, greatly reducing the number of templates you must maintain to deliver a variety of services based on the same OS. If the component is a Windows or Linux template with a customization specification, you can select a different specification for the template by selecting one from the drop-down menu. This specification becomes available during deployment of a VM. You can also assign a customization spec through a completion workflow with a Customize VM step. To avoid collisions, only choose one of these methods. If the Dynamic Resource Scheduling (DRS) automation level for a cluster is set to Fully automated and VM-level DRS control is allowed, Commander temporarily disables DRS during guest OS customization for new VMs deployed into the cluster. Disabling DRS means that vSphere won't migrate a newly provisioned VM before customization is complete. A Commander event is generated when DRS is disabled, and again when it's re-enabled. |
Annual Cost | The preconfigured annual cost is displayed. You can change it in the Manage Custom Component Types dialog. |
Completion Workflow | Completion workflows allow you to specify actions to be carried out after deployment. If you have set up one or more component-level completion workflows, you can select one from the drop-down menu. You can click Add Workflow to create a new workflow. You can click Edit Workflow to edit the workflow that's currently selected in the drop-down list. Note that when you edit the workflow using this link, you're editing the workflow for all of the components or services it's assigned to. While it's possible to create completion workflows for all component types, they are especially recommended for all custom components. If no completion workflow is assigned, a custom component moves immediately to the Completed state once approved, but a completion workflow allows provisioning steps to be carried out before the component moves to Completed. The completion workflow for a database instance, for example, could include a script to create the database. |
(Not available for OVA/OVF templates) | Choose Linked Clones to deploy the VM component as a linked clone. Otherwise, select Standalone VMs. A linked clone is created from a snapshot of the parent. Because the linked clone relies heavily on the parent snapshot, the parent or snapshot location should be on a very fast SAN (SSD), especially if multiple linked clones are created from the same parent. The linked clone consists of the snapshot plus the metadata and the delta between the snapshot and the deployed image. Commander always uses the most recent snapshot to create the linked clone. If the component is a template without a snapshot, you can't select Linked Clones. You must first convert the template to a VM, create a snapshot, and then convert the VM back to a template. If the component is a VM without a snapshot, Commander creates a snapshot during deployment. |
Resources tab
Set default resource values for this specific VM or template.
The original source template or source VM settings are displayed in a box on the right for your reference. You can click the Use source template settings link to discard all changes (or, for a VM component, click Use source VM settings).
Field | Description |
|---|---|
Set the default number of CPUs for this specific component. | |
Set the default memory requirements for this specific component. | |
Set the default storage requirements for this specific component. For existing disks, or disks that you add, you can change the disk size and storage tier. Enable the Locked option to stop Service Portal users from modifying a hard disk in a service request. The disk format is taken either from the source template or from the provisioning destination. The settings in the provisioning destination override the template settings, so if you want to use the template settings, make sure to select Same format as source on the Disk Format page of the Automated Deployment Placement wizard. You must ensure that datastores are available to back all storage tiers in use. It's not possible to: resize IDE disks, delete the base disk, or decrease the base disk size. | |
Set the default networking information for this specific component. Select a network zone for each adapter from the drop-down menu. Add adapters by clicking the Add Adapter link, and then set the required network zone. Notes:
| |
Set the storage tier for all VMs in the virtual service. You must ensure that datastores are available to back all storage tiers in use. |
Parameters tab
Set the configuration parameters required for an OVA/OVF component. The configuration parameters that are displayed depend upon the descriptor file of the OVA/OVF template that's used. This tab is only displayed if the descriptor file contains at least one property.
You can enter a literal value for a parameter or use a variable.
- When you use variables for a parameter, you can set an available custom attribute for the parameter. This can allow users deploying the service to configure some or all parameters. To add a custom attribute for a parameter here, you must first add the custom attribute on the Attributes tab tab.
- The default values for the template are displayed on the right side of the page. If you make changes to the configuration parameters, but then want to restore the default values, click Reset to template defaults.
EULA tab
If an OVA/OVF template is used for the component, it may include an end-user license agreement (EULA) that you must accept the agreement to use the template.
If you accept the agreement here, you also implicitly accept it for all user auto-deployments.
Attributes tab
You can assign metadata to the service component with custom attributes and groups.
Custom Attributes
Set custom attributes and their default values for this specific component. On the Form tab, you can allow requesters to set values for custom attributes. If you don't specify a default value, no default is set for the component. If you add an attribute on the Form tab, the default value you set on the Attributes tab is presented to the requester as the default value.
To be able to add a custom attribute for this component on the request form, you must add the custom attribute on the Attributes tab first.
If custom attributes were defined for the source VM template, they are prepopulated here. Click 
if you don't want this attribute to apply to this service component.
Custom attributes defined for source VM templates aren't displayed for multi-cloud services.
Click Add Attributes to select from the list of existing custom attributes. In the Add Attributes dialog, Form attributes and custom attributes applicable to the current component type are displayed.
To edit existing custom attributes, click Manage Attributes. On the Custom Attributes page, you can add and edit custom attributes. Click the browser's Back button to return to the Attributes tab.
If you add list-type custom attributes that are interrelated, the attributes are displayed in the order of parent to child to grandchild (if applicable). Your selection of a default value for the parent affects the selectable values for the sublist attribute. For more information, see Create Relationships Between Attributes Used on Forms.
Groups
Set the default groups for this component. To learn about groups, including other methods for assigning groups to new services, see Manage Service Groups.
If this component is a VM or VM template, groups assigned to the source template or VM aren't prepopulated on the Attributes tab.
Click Add Groups to select one or more group types and click OK. On the Attributes tab, select a group from the relevant menu.
To add, edit, or delete groups, click Manage Groups; when finished, click your browser's Back button to return to the Attributes tab.
If you have integrated a Puppet server with Commander, Puppet environments, classes and groups are displayed on the Puppet tab for service components. Select an environment for the VM component. Once you select an environment, only those classes and groups found in that environment are available for selection.
You can select one or more default classes and groups. Ctrl-click to select multiple classes and groups.
Assign classes to nodes indirectly by assigning groups to nodes, rather than directly assigning classes to nodes. If you use the Configure Puppet workflow step to assign classes and variables to a node, Commander creates a group with the same name as the node and pins the node to the group. A parent group named "vCommander" is also created to contain these groups.
You can also allow users to select classes and/or groups on the Form tab. You can then use variables to return the requested values through a completion workflow. For more information, see Integrate Puppet with Commander.
If you have integrated one or more Chef servers or organizations with Commander, Chef information is displayed on the Chef tab for service components.
If you have added multiple Chef servers or organizations, select a server or organization from the Chef Organization menu. Otherwise, the Chef organization is displayed as a read-only value.
Select an environment from the Chef Environment menu. The roles and recipes for the selected environment are displayed.
Select one or more default roles and recipes from the Available Roles and Recipes pick-list. Ctrl-click to select multiple roles and recipes. Use the arrow buttons between the lists to move your selections into the Current Run-List. Then order the roles and recipes properly.
If you don't select default roles and recipes, no defaults are applied.
You can then use variables to return your selections through a completion workflow. For more information, see Integrate Chef with Commander.
Form tab
On this tab, you customize the form users see when they request this specific component. Adding elements to the Form tab allows requesters to change the default settings you configured on the other tabs.
If a user requests changes from the default settings configured in the service catalog, these changes are displayed in approval emails, on the approval landing page, and in the Request Details dialog.
If you leave the Form tab blank, requesters won't see a component form; they will see only the service-level form that's configured as part of a new service request. For more information, see Create New Service Requests.
If you leave the Form tab blank for all components added to the service, users won't see a component form when they request a service; they will see only the service-level form page provided by the new service request definition. For more information, see Create New Service Requests.
Form Element | Description |
|---|---|
Header | Adds heading text to the form. |
Text | Adds explanatory text to the form. |
Allows the requester to enter a value, such as a note or a password. Important: If users will enter a password on the request form, enable Hide User Input. When this option is enabled:
| |
Dynamic List | Allows the requester to select options from lists that are updated in real time from an external source. If the lists can depend on other form elements, the selection of one form element can dictate the available choices for another list. For more information, see Add Dynamic Lists to Forms. |
Allows the requester to upload files during the service request process. Uploaded files are added to the VM's local directory as configured in the completion workflow using the Copy Uploaded File workflow step. This allows for more flexibility when scripting unattended installations and additional VM configurations. The file upload functionality can be used with Chef or Puppet for enhanced VM deployment and orchestration. For more information about integrating with Chef or Puppet, see Integrate Chef with Commander or Integrate Puppet with Commander. | |
Allows the requester to specify or change CPU count requirements for a VM component. You can limit the number of CPUs that users can request by entering a comma-separated list of values (for example, 1,2,4). | |
Allows the requester to specify or change memory requirements for a VM component. You can limit the amount of memory that users can request. | |
Allows the requester to specify or change storage requirements for a VM or virtual service component. The selectable storage tier labels can be customized. You must ensure that datastores are available to back all storage tiers in use. Limit Selections: The Storage form element works together with the Destination form element that is configured on the service request form (see Service Request Form Elements). The Limit Selections option controls the interaction of these two elements. For example, let's say you have two destinations — the datastores on the first are assigned to storage tier 1, and the datastores on the second are all assigned to storage tier 2. Your request form contains both the Destination and Storage elements.
Virtual services: We recommend enabling Display Storage Tier on virtual service component forms, so that the requester can choose a storage tier for each virtual service component. (The same storage tier will be used for all VMs in a virtual service.) Requesters won't be able to add extra disks. If Storage Tier isn't included on the service request form, virtual service automated deployment will choose the cheapest available configured storage that can satisfy the request. Allowed Actions: Specify whether the requester can Add disks, Change disks, and Remove disks. If you specify that the user can change existing disks, specify the Maximum Disk Size. If you specify that the user can both add and change disks, specify the Maximum Disk Size and Maximum Extra Disks. | |
Network | Allows the requester to change or add network adapters for a VM component by choosing a network zone. The initial number of network adapters shown on the form matches the number of NICs on the source template. When this element is on the form:
Selectable Zones: Choose one or more network zones that users may select. Allowed Actions: Select the actions that requesters can perform with respect to network selection:
|
Allows the requester to change the display name of a VM component. The Maximum Length field allows you to change the maximum number of characters if required (default: 50). See also About VM and Virtual Service Naming. | |
Allows the requester to specify custom attribute values for a component. If you added custom attributes on the Attributes tab, or if custom attributes were assigned to the source template or VM, these attributes appear under Attributes. Click a custom attribute to add it to the form. If the attribute is a list-type attribute and configured to apply only to forms, you can enable Select Multiple to allow users to select multiple values for this attribute. For more information, see Form custom attributes. If you add a custom attribute to acomponent through the Form tab and add the same attribute to the service form (see Create New Service Requests), the value specified on the service form takes precedence. | |
Allows the requester to specify Puppet classes for a VM component. This form element appears only if a Puppet server is integrated with Commander. If a Puppet environment was selected on the Puppet tab, only classes found in the specified environment can be selected on the form. See Integrate Puppet with Commander for details. Assign classes to nodes indirectly by assigning groups to nodes, rather than directly assigning classes to nodes. If you use the Configure Puppet workflow step to assign classes and variables to a node, Commander creates a group with the same name as the node and pins the node to the group. A parent group named "Commander" is also created to contain these groups. | |
Allows the requester to specify Puppet groups for a VM component. This form element appears only if a Puppet server is integrated with Commander. If a Puppet environment was selected on the Puppet tab, only groups found in the specified environment can be selected on the form. See Integrate Puppet with Commander for details. | |
Allows the requester to configure a Chef run-list for a VM component. This form element appears only if a Chef server is integrated with Commander. See Integrate Chef with Commander for details. The Chef Run-List form element can't co-exist with either the Chef Recipes or the Chef Roles form element. | |
Allows the requester to specify Chef recipes for a VM component. This form element appears only if a Chef server is integrated with Commander. See Integrate Chef with Commander for details. The Chef Run-List form element can't co-exist with either the Chef Recipes or the Chef Roles form element. | |
Allows the requester to specify Chef roles for a VM component. This form element appears only if a Chef server is integrated with Commander. See Integrate Chef with Commander for details. The Chef Run-List form element can't co-exist with either the Chef Recipes or the Chef Roles form element. |
What's next
When you have finished, click Next to go to the Deployment page in the wizard.