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Deploy a Windows Server virtual machine

You can deploy a Windows Server virtual machine using a standard template or using an ISO image.

Using a standard template

  1. From the control panel, open the Cloud Director panel: in the top menu, click Products → Cloud powered by VMware → Cloud Director.

  2. Open the virtual data center page.

  3. Go to Compute → vApps.

  4. Click NEW → New vApp.

  5. Enter a vApp name.

  6. Click Add virtual machine.

  7. Enter Name.

  8. Enter Computer Name.

  9. In the Type field, select the type of image from which the virtual machine will be created:

    • New — from a custom image;
    • From Template — from a ready-made image from the ISO Library repository.

  10. If in the Type field you selected New, in the OS family field, select the OS family, click ADD, and upload an image with one of the OS versions in Datacenter edition.

  11. If in the Type field you selected From Template, in the Templates section, select one of the images with an OS in Standard edition:

    • Windows Server 2012 R2
    • Windows Server 2016
    • Windows Server 2019
    • Windows Server 2022

  12. Optional: to turn on the virtual machine immediately after creation, select the Power on checkbox.

  13. In the Storage Policy field, select the network disk type.

  14. Click OK.

  15. Click Create. Creating a virtual machine in the vApp container will take some time.

View administrator password

During the first OS boot, an automatic reboot and image customization occur. After the reboot, the standard authentication window will open.

  1. From the control panel, open the Cloud Director panel: in the top menu, click Products → Cloud powered by VMware → Cloud Director.
  2. Open the virtual data center page.
  3. Go to Compute → Virtual Machines.
  4. On the card of the desired virtual machine, click DETAILS.
  5. Select Guest OS Customization and click EDIT.
  6. In the Specify password field, view the password.

Using an ISO image

  1. From the control panel, open the Cloud Director panel: in the top menu, click Products → Cloud powered by VMware → Cloud Director.

  2. Open the virtual data center page.

  3. Go to Compute → Virtual Machines.

  4. Click NEW VM.

  5. Enter a virtual machine name.

  6. In the Type field, select New.

  7. In the OS family field, select Microsoft Windows.

  8. In the Operating System field, select the Microsoft Windows OS version. When creating a virtual machine with Windows Server 2019, select Windows Server 2016 in the OS type selection menu.

  9. In the Boot image field, select the OS ISO image.

  10. In the Select a Size field, select the number of CPUs and memory.

  11. In the Storage field, add the required number of disks, specify their sizes and storage policy:

    • for the Gold pool — vSSD or Fast vSSD;
    • for the Silver pool — Fast vHDD or vHDD.

  12. Optional: in the Networking field, add a network.

  13. Click OK.

  14. In the ACTIONS menu of the virtual machine, select Install VMware Tools.

  15. Click INSTALL.

  16. Optional: to use a custom pre-configured OS installation image, add it to the corresponding private repository; for details, see the Import virtual machine instructions.