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Some time ago, discussing how absurd VMware vSphere 6.vii Update 1 is, I briefly mentioned content libraries. That article was but an overview, so I decided not to become into details, proverb that some features need their own posts. In today's article, I'd like to share my hands-on feel with content libraries and assistance you to determine whether this feature can make your life any easier.

Why one needs content libraries?

VMware vSphere Content Library allows sharing VM and vApp templates, ISO images, and other files between hosts.

Content library is a great tool when one needs to create a VM or vApp container rapidly. You basically can do these tasks with unified templates, which save y'all a lot of time and effort and enable to standardize the environment.

How to create a content library?

You can open a content library correct in Bill of fare of VMware vSphere Client.

Here's how y'all add together the library.

Specify the content library proper noun. You tin besides add notes if needed. If multiple vCenter Server instances share the same PSC, select the necessary one from the vCenter Server dropdown list and printing Side by side.

Side by side, select the content library type. There are 2 options bachelor: local content library and subscribed one.

• Local libraries are kept on the specific host and can be shared over the network, allowing users on different hosts to admission them.
• Subscribed libraries originate from the external ones. It is also possible to admission local libraries as subscribed ones if you want them to be used in the read-only mode. Subscribed libraries can be updated both manually and automatically. One more time: Users tin access the library contents in the read-only mode (i.east., there'due south no way to edit or delete files).

Then, select a storage location for the library contents.

Review the content library settings and press Finish.

How I fill in the library?

In this affiliate, I'd like to talk more about how you lot add content to the library.

Importing

By importing, yous can upload the necessary files. In that location's a restriction though: file name should exist shorter than 90 characters. Otherwise, the path together with the file proper noun will exceed the file system limits.

Now, let's encounter how importing tin can be done.

Open the Deportment bill of fare and click Import Item.

Now, you lot tin specify the file location. It can be a URL or some local file.

URL

Paste the URL in the appropriate field. Note that information technology should finish with the file proper noun, e.g., https://lab-instance.com/example-TXT.txt; otherwise, an empty file will be created. Interestingly, regardless of the URL y'all specify, y'all volition be asked to accept site certificates once you press Import.

Local file

Here's how you lot upload local files (e.g., *.ovf). While choosing a local file location, other VM template files will also be displayed. You must upload them besides.

Cloning

Yous can clone a specific VM to the template. Right-click on the VM, printing Clone and select Clone as Template to Library.

While cloning, yous will exist asked to select the template type, i.e., VM Template or OVF. The latter contains a agglomeration of files associated with VM elements.

VM template

While cloning a VM to the template, you lot need to either rename the file or enter a unlike location.

Afterward, select the library where you are going to clone the VM. Notation that you won't be able to publish the library after you lot clone the VM to information technology.

Select the destination compute resource adjacent.

Now, select the storage for temp files.

Review the settings and printing Finish.

OVF template

Cloning a VM to an OVF template looks a bit easier.

At the get-go pace of the Clone Virtual Machine To Template magician, you volition be asked to either create a new template or update an existing 1. You can either preserve MAC address on NIC or do some extra configuration.

Likewise, by cloning to OVF, you lot can re-create a VM to any library, be it published or not.

Review the settings and press Finish.

How to utilise the library?

Now, I'k going to share my hands-on experience with VMware vSphere Content Libraries. I desire to demonstrate both potent and weak sides of this feature. Today, I played effectually with the solution deployed in two configurations. I hope that this approach makes the pros and cons of content libraries more pronounced.

Setup ane

This is a very uncomplicated setup that is close to what 1 can run across in real environments.

There are 3 ESXi hosts (1 vCenter Server instance per host). The content library is created from that very vCenter Server instance that is used for managing information technology. Of class, if there'southward HTTP(S) traffic allowed between vCenter Server instances, the library can exist managed from other hosts. You lot need to fill in the library with contents and publish it. On other hosts, you need to subscribe to this library.

This scheme comes in handy when different vCenter Server instances need to have access to specific VM configurations.

Setup 2

A configuration similar this is typical for big It environments.

At that place are multiple vCenter Server instances per PSC in i domain.

In environments like that, y'all frequently see a bunch of vCenter Server instances in the Host and Cluster tab… Merely, you can manage Content Library from whatever vCenter Server instance connected to that PSC (once some fine-tuning is washed)!

Y'all can install VMs from the content library on any host that is continued to the "principal" vCenter Server example (i.east., the library is assigned to it). Hither's how you grant access to the library to other hosts.

Let'south say, you need to make an ISO image bachelor for other hosts in the domain. Just publish that library! Click Edit Settings to begin that process.

By setting the countersign, you can enable user authentication for access to this content library.

Next, subscribe to that library on other hosts. Select the vCenter Server example associated with it.

Enter the subscription URL and specify when you want to download the content.

Afterwards, add together the storage location for the library contents.

Sync the items.

Expect until the synchronization is over.

Note that if the host isn't subscribed to the library, some file types (e.g., ISO) won't be available for information technology even if that host is in the cluster.

What'due south the catch?

There are some drawbacks of content libraries. First, you cannot set the size for one library. This may pb you to a situation where you may run out of host storage adequately easy when the public library bloats up all of a sudden. Second, information technology is a fleck hard to work with ISO files in the library. Third, there are file proper noun limitations. Well, it is a serious drawback considering when an empty file is created… THERE ARE NO Fault MESSAGES IN TASK CONSOLE. When yous add the file with a very long name from the local PC, you'll encounter an error, but there is no reason what could go wrong mentioned in that message! 4th, the Content Library HTML5 interface withal has some flaws. For example, if you click the library name (it'south clickable)… nothing happens!

Decision

This all being said, content libraries are actually helpful when yous bargain with the complex IT environments where you accept hosts connected to multiple vCenter Server instances connected to 1 PSC. For small-scale environments, VMware vSphere Content Libraries seem useless to me.

Source: https://www.vmwareblog.org/vmware-vsphere-content-libraries-nutshell-use-not/

Posted by: baileybarriver.blogspot.com

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