After you prepare the DHCP server, you must start the vSphere Auto Deploy vCenter Server service and configure the TFTP server. You must download a TFTP Boot ZIP file from your vSphere Auto Deploy server. The customized FTP server serves the boot images that vSphere Auto Deploy provides.

Procedure

  1. Use the vSphere Web Client to connect to the vCenter Server system that manages the vSphere Auto Deploy server.
  2. When the Certificate warning appears, continue to the vCenter Server system.
  3. Start the vSphere Auto Deploy service.
    1. On the vSphere Web Client Home page, click Administration.
    2. Under System Configuration click Services.
    3. Select Auto Deploy, click the Actions menu, and select Start.

      On Windows, the vSphere Auto Deploy service can be disabled. You can enable the service by changing the vSphere Auto Deploy service startup type.

  4. In the inventory, navigate to the vCenter Server system.
  5. On the Manage tab, select Settings, and click Auto Deploy.
  6. Click the Download TFTP Boot Zip link to download the TFTP configuration file.
  7. Save the file Deploy-tftp.zip to the TFTP_Root directory that you created when you installed the TFTP Server, and unzip the file.

What to do next

Add a software depot to your inventory and use an image profile from the depot to create a rule for host provisioning.