You can create a draft configuration for a cluster and edit the host settings in the vSphere Client.

Prerequisites

  • Verify that vCenter Server is of version 8.0 Update 2 or later and ESXi is of version 8.0 Update 1 or later for using vSphere Configuration Profiles on a cluster that you manage with a single image.
  • Verify that vCenter Server and ESXi are of version 8.0 Update 3 or later for using vSphere Configuration Profiles on a cluster that you manage with baselines.
  • Verify that you have the required license.
  • Verify that you have a draft configuration created for the cluster.
  • Verify that you have the required privileges for performing remediation. See Required Privileges for Using vSphere Configuration Profiles.

Procedure

  1. In the vSphere Client, navigate to a cluster that you manage with a single image or to a cluster that you manage with baselines.
  2. On the Configure tab, click Desired State > Configuration.
  3. On the Draft tab, navigate to the host setting that you want to edit.
  4. Edit the host setting of the draft configuration.
    Option Steps
    Configure a common setting that has no existing configuration
    1. On the Common settings tab, click Configure settings.
      The Edit dialog box appears.
      Figure 1. Configure a common setting
      You can configure a common setting that has no existing configuration.
    2. Select the common setting from the left sidebar and configure its value.

      The settings of the selected item appear on the right of the Edit dialog box.

    3. (Optional) Activate the Show advanced settings toggle, to view and edit the advanced settings.

      If there is at least one advanced setting configured, the Show advanced settings toggle is automatically activated.

    4. (Optional) Deactivate the Show unconfigured settings toggle, to view and edit only the configured settings. By default, the toggle is activated.
    5. Click Save.

    The configured settings appear under the Common settings tab.
    Edit a common setting that is already configured
    1. On the Common settings tab, navigate to the current configuration for the selected setting and select it from the tree on the left.
    2. Click Edit.

      The Edit dialog box appears.

    3. Navigate to the configured setting by clicking on the View settings links and edit the value of the setting.
    4. Click Save.
    Delete a common setting configuration
    1. On the Common settings tab, select the setting you want to delete from the list of configured settings and click Delete.
    2. Click Delete setting to confirm the deletion of the setting configuration.
    Add a host override for a configured common setting
    1. On the Host overrides tab, click the Add override drop-down menu and select an option.
      • To add a host override by filtering the available hosts in the cluster using their host names, click Add override by host name.

        The Add override for <setting_name> dialog box appears.

        Select a host and click Add override.
      • To add a host override by filtering the hosts using their BIOS UUID, click Add override by BIOS UUID.

        The Add override for <setting_name> dialog box appears.

        Enter the BIOS UUID of the host in the respective field and click Add override.

        You can use this option to add a host override for a host that is not currently part of the cluster.

    2. From the Show overrides for drop-down menu, select the host override that you created.

      The configured common setting with its value appear under the drop-down menu.

    3. Select from the options for editing.
      • To edit the current configuration of the common setting, click Edit.

        The Edit - <BIOS UUID (<host_name>)> dialog box appears.

        Figure 2. Edit a host override for a configured common setting
        You can edit a host override for a configured common setting.

        Navigate to the configured setting and change its value.

      • To apply the system default configuration which can be different from the common configuration of the setting, click Use system default and confirm your choice.

Results

The settings of the draft configuration are configured.

What to do next

You can view the changes between the current draft configuration and the desired configuration of the cluster by clicking Show changes on the Draft tab. You can run a draft pre-check to validate the draft configuration and ensure that it can be applied on all hosts in the cluster. For more information, see Run a Remediation or a Draft Pre-Check. You can also remediate the cluster against the draft configuration and make it the new desired cluster configuration. For more information, see Remediate a Cluster Against the Desired or Draft Configuration.