Using VMware vCloud Connector: Part 5

In part four we:

• Took an existing templated VM from our local Private vSphere Cloud
• Exported and shipped the templated VM out to a Cloudhelix VDC
• Added the VM template into a catalogue within a demo VDC at Cloudhelix
• Deployed a VM from the new template
• Booted up the new VM
• Customised the guest Operating System
• Bounced the VM ready for use

So that was reasonably cool, this is even cooler..

Here we demonstrate another feature of vCloud Connector. We use it to synchronize templates from a Private VMware vSphere Cloud into a Cloudhelix Virtual Datacantre (VDC) Catalogue automatically.

That’s a pretty funky feature?—?you don’t even need to export from one to the other you just lob a VM template into the right folder and hey presto?—?four times a day it’s there for use in your whizzy Cloudhelix Virtual Datacentre.

You may have stumbled across the VMware knowledge base article KB 2041911 although it’s a bit sparse in detail and doesn’t quite explain the mechanics, here goes:

• Create a folder within your VMware Private vSphere Cloud
• Move an existing VM template into the newly created folder
• Within the vCloud Connector in the VI Client, reload your connected Private vSphere Cloud
• Right Click and Publish to the content library
• Navigate to the Content Library
• Highlight the folder and subscribe to the content
• Run through the wizard

The video below details demonstrates the above process, we then deploy a VM from the catalogue in a similar fashion to an exported VM as in Part 4