Automated Windows Server virtual machine templates in vSphere with Hashicorp Packer

Building automated Windows Server vSphere templates is a great way to take away the burden of having to build your vSphere templates by hand. Using Hashicorp Packer, we can fully automate the build process of Windows Server and Linux vSphere templates and keep the templates fresh with the latest updates and other applications. The video takes a detail look at what is needed to use Packer to perform machine image automation, where to download Packer, how to configure your Packer files for the automated build process, and demonstrates how to actually run the build.



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Downloading Hashicorp Packer - 0:57
Create the files Packer needs for the automated Windows Server vSphere template - 1:53
Looking at the Packer variables file - 3:12
Looking at the Windows Server 2022 build file - 4:38
Installing VMware Tools automatically during the Packer Build - 6:20
Running the Packer build command - 7:15
Monitoring progress of the Packer build process using the Remote Console - 8:10
Running the automated build of Windows Server 2022 - Windows Updates are getting installed - 8:31
The Packer build of Windows Server 2022 completely successfully - 9:00
Final thoughts on fully automated Windows Server templates using Hashicorp Packer - 9:25

Take a look at my written writeup of the Packer build of Windows Server 2022 here:


You can clone down my Github repository files for Packer builds, including Windows Server 2022 here:

[Berkto]

Thank you for your work and awesome blog ! :)

[stannousT]

Thank you for the wonderful video. Can this work with ESXi or have to be VSphere? Thanks again.

[fbifido]

Can you do a video on packer for Hyper-V with the same Windows Server 2022 ??

[phybroptyx]

Have you had any success with this method for Windows Server 2016/2012R2? Each time I go through the steps, the VM is created, boots, but indicates that there are no images available. The curious thing is that you see 4 images (Std/Data w/Desktop Experience and Std/Data Core) when you create a VM manually and use the exact same ISOs. Not sure if anyone else has experienced this.

[fbifido]

1. Can you also delete VM ?
2. How would you deploy & remove a fully virtualize home lab (server core):
a) dc, ad, dns, dhcp, adcs
b) file/print server
c) sql server
d) windows admin center
e) etc....

[pbu]

any solution if the vSphere environment does not have DHCP enabled, currently the build is halted at "==> vsphere-iso: Waiting for IP..."

[kharmastreams]

I've tried using your files and for some reason I never get longer than waiting for WinRM to become available

[TayschrennSedai]

Why not use sccm at that point? Doesn't everyone prefer hiring a FTE for their home lab?

[Nimitz_oceo]

You didn’t show how you connected packer to your vsphere

[coreyman]

how would i not use plain text password for the vsphere creds?

[dogesking]

Doesn’t work on vSphere Free Licence though, so it isn’t that homelab friendly

[nottad]

I was excited about watching this because we have a strong need as our VM templates constantly get out of date. Then boom I lost interest as I always do when a product requires an admin password to be stored in clear text in a file. Is there any way to truly secure that part of the process? It will never fly in our environment. Great video though.