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Using the new vSphere Guest OS Customization with cloud-init in vSphere 7.0 Update 3

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In vSphere 7.0 Update 3, the vSphere Guest Operating System (OS) Customization Engine has added native support for using cloud-init, which is an industry standard for customizing Linux-based operating systems. This additional GuestOS customization option is currently only available when using the vSphere API, either vSphere SOAP API or vSphere REST API and is not available for consumption when using the vSphere UI.

As part of a recent project, I was exploring some of the customization options and since I had not played with this specific API before, I figured this would be a good exercise. I quickly found that it was not very user intuitive in getting started, especially with the lack of end-to-end examples since this can only be consumed using the vSphere API. I also came across a number of different VMware KBs (here, here and here) that outlined various requirements and constraints when using cloud-init which also added to the confusion.

The high level requirements for using the new vSphere Guest OS Customization with cloud-init is the following:

  • vSphere 7.0. Update 3 or later (vCenter and ESXi)
  • VMware Tools running 11.3 or later
  • cloud-init running 21.1 or later

Note: Although VMware PhotonOS does support cloud-init natively, it is not a supported operating system when using the new vSphere GuestOS Customization with cloud-init due to how cloud-init has been integrated. For customers that require customization via cloud-init with PhotonOS, should continue using either the seed ISO option or the GuestInfo OVF option.

In this blog post, I will explore the complete end-to-end workflow from preparing a GuestOS for customization to applying the actual vSphere customization spec using the new cloud-init option. In addition, I have also created a simple PowerShell script which demonstrates the use of the vSphere REST API on constructing the required specification for using the new cloud-init option and this should hopefully help folks understand how the underlying API works with a working example.

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How to forcefully disconnect a vSphere VM Console session?

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The vSphere Virtual Machine Console UI is an extremely useful interface for interacting with a VM, especially for initial configurations and/or debugging and troubleshooting purposes, such as an issue with networking. The VM console is analogous to connecting a physical keyboard and monitor to a computer, you remember the good ol' days right? 😀

Unlike the physical world, where you can only have a single person interacting with the computer, the vSphere VM Console can allow multiple users to view and interact with the VM. It is also not uncommon for customers to limit the number of simultaneous VM Console sessions, especially for security and/or for privacy purposes.


One potential down side with limiting the VM Console session to one is that another user may not be able to connect until the other session has concluded and/or has expired due to lack of activity. This recently came up as a question from a customer asking if there was a way to forcefully disconnect an existing VM Console connection?

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ESXi on Intel NUC 12 Extreme (Dragon Canyon)

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As teased back in January, Intel has been working on a new Intel NUC ...

Today, Intel has officially launched one of their new 12th generation Intel NUCs called the Intel NUC 12 Extreme formally code named Dragon Canyon. Some may also notice that the Intel NUC 12 Extreme looks very similiar to last years Intel NUC 11 Extreme (Beast Canyon), but there are definitely a number of differences both internally and externally.

Here is your first look at the new Intel NUC 12 Extreme and what it means for those interested in using it for a VMware Homelab.

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