To edit a lab template, add a template, or remove a lab template, select the primary lab template and use the Edit Lab Templates tab.

Some lab templates are hundreds of gigabytes in the size and it can take time for a lab to deploy. To create a better user experience, VMware Lab Platform uses the Prepop feature. The Prepop feature deploys an instance of a lab ahead of a user demand and leaves it running. As a result, when a user requests an instance of that lab, VMware Lab Platform connects the user to an already running copy in a matter of seconds, and then queues up another deployment of a prepopulated lab template for the future.

As you set up your lab templates, be aware of the following guidelines.

  • All lab templates must have an identical structure. As a result, any lab template that you add becomes part of a collection of a lab templates.

  • There is no difference between a primary and an additional lab template after the primary lab template enforces an identical structure.

  • If you add the lab templates, then the deployment pool aggregates the lab template values such as Refill At and Fill Up.

    Note:

    If you include the same lab template in multiple deployment pools and later edit the values of the shared lab template, then each deployment pool that shares the lab template recalculates the aggregate values.

  • You cannot remove all lab templates from a deployment pool when there is one or more entitlements for labs that use the pool.

  • You cannot change all the templates in a pool with a single edit when there is an entitlement for a lab that uses the pool. That is, you cannot remove all existing templates and then add new ones. You can, however, make two edits: First, add the new templates to the pool, next, remove the old templates (you cannot do this action in a single edit).

  • To view the status of cloud tasks, use the Cloud Management > Cloud Tasks option. All active tasks, queued tasks, failed tasks, and held tasks are listed on the page. You can purge or remove running tasks from the queue.

Lab Template options

Use the Cloud Management > Edit Lab Template form to edit the lab template you chose (the primary lab template) or to add or remove templates.

Option

Description

+ Add Lab Templates

Displays a list of available lab templates. You can add a lab template to the deployment pool in addition to the primary lab template.

Remove All Lab Templates

You can also delete lab templates from the deployment pool.

VM Equality Check

When selected, this option will check the CPU, memory, and disk configurations of the VMs and also check the number of VMs and naming conventions.

Enabled

Activates or deactivates the lab template. For example, if there are two templates and one template is deactivated, then the deactivated template does not get any prepopulated (prepops) lab templates.

Cloud Org VDC

Displays the status (activated or deactivated) of the Cloud Org or Cloud Org virtual data center (VDC).
Cloud Catalog

Displays the cloud catalog information. A cloud catalog typically stores lab templates, which are preconfigured and include virtual machines, operating systems, and associated configurations. Storing lab templates in catalogs allow you to easily reuse lab templates for any deployment.

Refill At

Sets value for the least number of available prepops. If the number of available prepops goes below the Refill At value, then the system deploys prepops (refills) until the refill value is met.

Fill Up

Sets value to reach (fill up) for the number of prepops to be deployed.

Prepops

Sets the current number of prepops available for the lab template. If you adjust this number, it will add/remove prepops from the lab template. A warning message appears if a deployment pool is deactivated. A deactivated deployment pool cannot deploy prepops.

Available

Displays the available lab templates.

Pools Using

Displays the number of deployment pools using the lab templates.

Show or hide the statistics display

To activate or deactivate the display of lab template-related statistics, use the gear icon drop-down menu on the Lab Template page.

Average Prepop Deploy Time is the average deploy time for prepops, in seconds, based on a seven-day rolling time. A value of 0.0 means that the system does not currently have an average deploy time available.