vSphere Auto Deploy can assign a host to a folder or cluster. When the host boots, vSphere Auto Deploy adds it to the specified location on the vCenter Server. Hosts assigned to a cluster inherit the cluster's host profile.

Prerequisites

  • Prepare your system and install the Auto Deploy Server. For more information, see Prepare Your System for vSphere Auto Deploy.
  • Verify that the folder you select is in a data center or in a cluster. You cannot assign the host to a standalone top-level folder.

Procedure

  1. In a PowerCLI session, run the Connect-VIServer cmdlet to connect to the vCenter Server system that vSphere Auto Deploy is registered with.
    Connect-VIServer ipv4_or_ipv6_address
    The cmdlet might return a server certificate warning. In a production environment, make sure no server certificate warnings result. In a development environment, you can ignore the warning.
  2. Define a rule in which hosts with certain attributes, for example a range of IP addresses, are assigned to a folder or a cluster.
    New-DeployRule -Name testrule3 -Item "my folder"	-Pattern "vendor=Acme,Zven", "ipv4=192.XXX.1.10-192.XXX.1.20"
    This example passes in the folder by name. You can instead pass in a folder, cluster, or data center object that you retrieve with the Get-Folder, Get-Cluster, or Get-Datacenter cmdlet.
  3. Add the rule to the rule set.
    Add-DeployRule testrule3
    By default, the working rule set becomes the active rule set, and any changes to the rule set become active when you add a rule. If you use the NoActivate parameter, the working rule set does not become the active rule set.

What to do next

  • Assign a host already provisioned with vSphere Auto Deploy to the new folder or cluster location by performing test and repair compliance operation. See Test and Repair Rule Compliance.
  • Power on unprovisioned hosts to add them to the specified vCenter Server location.