VMware vSphere 6.5 New Image builder GUI

In the previous versions of vSphere, AutoDeploy & Image builder were available via PowerCLI. With the latest release both have been added in vCenter and can be used from vCenter Web Client GUI.

For the lab purpose I’ll be using ESXi-6.5 HPE Custom image and inject older NIC & HBA driver in the image to make it work on Gen7 hardware.

• To start using Image builder & AutoDeploy we’ll have to start the service & can change the startup type

• Re-login to web client for AutoDeploy plugin to be activate

d and visible on Home page

• Import a software depot to start using the image builder

• Import offline bundle of VIBs which you want to inject in the custom image

• Now a create new Software Depot & create a New Image Profile

• Select the depot and VIBs to build your custom image

• Now select the other VIBs from the original image excluding the bundle which I have added explicitly

• Click Finish to build the image

• Now my custom image is ready which has older drivers included in it

• We can Edit, Delete, Clone, Compare & Export this image

vSphere 6.5 Simply BEST :)