VMware vSphere SDKs and Tools 8.0

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Initiate Raw Data cloud-init Customization with the vSphere Web Services API
Last Updated December 16, 2024

Use the following steps to initiate customization with raw cloud-init data by using the vSphere Web Services API.
  1. Build a customization specification of type
    CustomizationSpec
    . Set the following properties in the spec:
    1. The
      globalIPSettings
       property must be present but need not contain its optional child properties. If the child properties are present, they will be ignored during the method call.
    2. The
      identity
       property must be present and must have type
      CloudinitPrep
      .
      • The child property
        identity.metadata
         is required. It contains the entire text of the metadata file, less any final new line character.
      • The child property
        identity.userdata
         is optional. If present, it contains the entire text of the userdata file, less any final new line character.
    Example:
    CloudinitPrep cloudinit = new CloudinitPrep();
cloudinit.setMetadata(metadataText);
cloudinit.setUserdata(userdataText);
CustomizationGlobalIPSettings ipSettings = new CustomizationGlobalIPSettings();
CustomizationSpec custSpec = new CustomizationSpec();
custSpec.setIdentity(cloudinit);
custSpec.setGlobalIPSettings(ipSettings);
    The
    nicSettingsMap
     property, if present, will be ignored for raw data customization. The cloud-init tool accepts network customization only from the
    identity.metadata
     property.
  2. Invoke the method
    VirtualMachine.CustomizeVM_Task
    , passing the
    customizationSpec
     as parameter. The method returns a Task object that you can use to monitor completion of the customization steps.
    Example:
    ManagedObjectReference custTask = service.CustomizeVM_Task(vmRef, custSpec);
  3. Power on the virtual machine. As it boots, cloud-init applies the metadata configuration settings to the guest operating system. After the guest finishes booting and before it opens a shell window, cloud-init applies the userdata configuration.

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