Instant Clone API Methods

The vSphere Web Services API offers several methods that implement different parts of the instant clone operation. By dividing the functionality into separate methods, the API provides flexibility in the timing and customization of the operation.
You can think of the instant clone operation as having three divisions: preparation, cloning, and customization.
Preparation includes these options:
Creating a clone of the source virtual machine requires a single method call. The
VirtualMachine.InstantClone_Task
method takes a parameter of type
InstantCloneSpec
, which enables you to give the clone a new name and configuration values. By using the key-value pairs in the
config
array, you can specify that the virtual NICs of the clone will start in a disconnected state, which avoids network conflicts with the source virtual machine. The
location
property of
InstantCloneSpec
is ignored.
Customization of a clone virtual machine takes place after the
InstantClone_Task
method completes. To customize, you invoke methods of the
VirtualMachineGuestCustomizationManager
managed object, as well as optional steps for application-dependent customization. For more information, see Guest Network Customization for Instant Clone Virtual Machines.