This article will describe the method that I use to build my Windows Server Templates in vSphere. After years of building, tweaking, disabling services, etc, I came across Packer from Hashicorp. There are several blog articles out there from people describing how they have used Packer to create a variety of images. For me, I’ve borrowed, tweaked, and modified until I have arrived at a point of being happy with what I’ve come up with.
- Automated Windows Server Deployment
- Use Packer as the automation utility
- Need to be able to deploy Windows Server 2022, 2019, or 2016
- Fresh automated install (no cloning for template creation)
- Install VMware Tools
- Install current Windows Updates
- Enable RDP
- Disable Firewall
- Install Chocolatey (package manager with over 8,500 packages)
- Use Chocolatey to install:
- Notepad ++
- MobaXterm
- 7-Zip
- Google Chrome
- BGInfo
- Adobe Reader
- Sysinternals
- LogExpert
- Deploy and Use
- Download bundle here
- Unzip to a local directory on a Windows platform
- Modify the.json file
- Log in credentials for the VCSA
- Datacenter, Cluster, Datastore, etc.
- Change iso location to correct location of iso in your vSphere environment
- Be sure to have an existing folder named “Templates” in your vSphere inventory
- Execute install
- From a command prompt on your windows machine:
- Type “packer.exe build nameoffile.json” and press Enter.
- What you should expect during deployment
- A new virtual machine will be created in your vCenter inventory
- It will have the windows iso attached.
- It will be automatically powered on.
- It will begin the Automated, Unattended installation of Windows.
- Once Windows has been installed, a number of in-guest operations will occur.
- VMware Tools installation
- Enable RDP
- Disable Network Discovery
- Windows Updates will be installed.
- Chocolately will be installed
- Applications will be installed using Chocolately
- Windows will shut down and power off the virtual machine.
- Once the virtual machine has been powered off, it will be converted to a template.
- The entire process will take about an hour. (depending on speed of infrastructure, internet download speed, and number of windows updates that need to be installed.
