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Lifecycle Manager Administration Guide
vCenter Lifecycle Manager 1.0.2

This document supports the version of each product listed and
supports all subsequent versions until the document is replaced
by a new edition. To check for more recent editions of this
document, see http://www.vmware.com/support/pubs.

EN-000234-01

Lifecycle Manager Administration Guide

You can find the most up-to-date technical documentation on the VMware Web site at:
http://www.vmware.com/support/
The VMware Web site also provides the latest product updates.
If you have comments about this documentation, submit your feedback to:
docfeedback@vmware.com

Copyright © 2009 VMware, Inc. All rights reserved. This product is protected by U.S. and international copyright and
intellectual property laws. VMware products are covered by one or more patents listed at
http://www.vmware.com/go/patents.
VMware is a registered trademark or trademark of VMware, Inc. in the United States and/or other jurisdictions. All other marks
and names mentioned herein may be trademarks of their respective companies.

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Palo Alto, CA 94304
www.vmware.com

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Contents

Updated Information 5
About This Book

1 Understanding LCM 9
The Lifecycle Manager Process 9
Lifecycle Manager Terminology 11
Role‐Based User Interface 11
LCM Administrator 11
Lifecycle Manager Architecture 12
LCM Compatibility with vCenter 12
Lifecycle Manager Components 13

2 Installing LCM 15
Installing and Configuring vCenter Orchestrator 15
Control Orchestrator Access 15
Installation Requirements 16
Supported Browsers 17
Install Lifecycle Manager 17
Configure Plug‐ins 17
Configure Database Options 17
Configure VMware Infrastructure Options 18

3 Migrating from LCM 1.0.1 to LCM 1.0.2 19
Back Up Database Tables 19
Migrating LCM 1.0.1 Configuration to LCM 1.0.2 19
Export the LCM 1.0.1 Configuration 19
Install LCM 1.0.2 20
Import the LCM 1.0.1 Configuration into LCM 1.0.2 20

4 Configuring LCM 21
Check Configuration Readiness 21
Initial Configuration of Lifecycle Manager 22
Configure the LCM Webview 22
Set Approval Requirements 23
Configure Archiving Settings 23
Change Authorization Groups 23
Roles and Tasks 24
Change the Base Name for Virtual Machines 24
Enable Email Notifications 25
Configure Email Notification Content 25
Configure Currency and Date Formats 26

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Lifecycle Manager Administration Guide

Customizing the User Interface 26
Create a Custom Style Sheet 26
Modify an RDP Template 27
Change the Application Logo 27
Change a Navigation Element 27
Add a Custom Element 28

5 Setting Up the Virtual Machine Environment 29
Configuring the Infrastructure for Requested Virtual Machines
Register or Create a Resource Pool 30
Register a Datastore 30
Register or Create a Virtual Machine Folder 30
Configure Network Options 31
Create a Template Profile 32
Create a Domain 33
Create a Customization Template 33
Relink Unlinked Elements 33
Configure Criteria for Requested Virtual Machines 34

6 Using LCM 35
LCM Administrator’s Interface 35
Request a Virtual Machine 36
Modify the Decommissioning Time 38
Display Requested Virtual Machines 38
Modify Request Options 39
Check the Power State of a Virtual Machine 39
Power a Virtual Machine On and Off 39
Connecting to a Virtual Machine 40
Open a Virtual Machine in a Web Browser 40
Use Remote Desktop to Connect to a Virtual Machine
Create or Revert to a Snapshot 40
Generate Reports 41
Register Virtual Machines with LCM 41
Activate Webview Debug Mode 43
Relink Tokens to Virtual Machines 43
Check Licensing Status 43
Export Logs and Application Settings 43
Troubleshoot LCM 44

Index 45

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Updated Information

This Lifecycle Manager Administration Guide is updated with each release of the product or when necessary.
This table provides the update history of the Lifecycle Manager Administration Guide.
Revision

Description

EN‐000234‐01



Added a new topic about configuring the Lifecycle Manager components in the
Orchestrator configuration interface in “Configure Plug‐ins” on page 17.



Added information about custom style sheets in “Create a Custom Style Sheet”
on page 26.



Added information about unlinked elements in “Relink Unlinked Elements” on
page 33.

EN‐000234‐00

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Initial release.

Lifecycle Manager Administration Guide

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About This Book

This book, the Lifecycle Manager Administration Guide, provides information about installing and configuring
VMware® vCenter™ Lifecycle Manager (LCM).

Intended Audience
This book is intended for administrators who are installing and configuring LCM. The information in this
guide is written for experienced system administrators who are familiar with virtual machine technology.

Document Feedback
VMware welcomes your suggestions for improving our documentation. If you have comments, send your
feedback to docfeedback@vmware.com.

Technical Support and Education Resources
The following sections describe the technical support resources available to you. To access the current version
of this book and other books, go to http://www.vmware.com/support/pubs.

Online and Telephone Support
To use online support to submit technical support requests, view your product and contract information, and
register your products, go to http://www.vmware.com/support.
Customers with appropriate support contracts should use telephone support for the fastest response on
priority 1 issues. Go to http://www.vmware.com/support/phone_support.html.

Support Offerings
To find out how VMware support offerings can help meet your business needs, go to
http://www.vmware.com/support/services.

VMware Professional Services
VMware Education Services courses offer extensive hands‐on labs, case study examples, and course materials
designed to be used as on‐the‐job reference tools. Courses are available onsite, in the classroom, and live
online. For onsite pilot programs and implementation best practices, VMware Consulting Services provides
offerings to help you assess, plan, build, and manage your virtual environment. To access information about
education classes, certification programs, and consulting services, go to http://www.vmware.com/services.

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Lifecycle Manager Administration Guide

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Understanding LCM

VMware vCenter Lifecycle Manager (LCM) helps you manage the creation of virtual machines. Using LCM,
you can perform the following tasks:


Handle and process virtual machine requests in a Web user interface.



Automatically place servers based on their location, organization, environment, service level, or
performance levels. When a solution is found for a set of criteria, the machine is automatically deployed.



Enforce automatic deployment and configuration to reduce errors and speed up provisioning processes.



Track lifecycle information for requested machines. Tracking helps maintain on‐time archiving and
deletion of end‐of‐life servers and avoids server sprawl.

This chapter includes the following topics:


“The Lifecycle Manager Process” on page 9



“Lifecycle Manager Terminology” on page 11



“Role‐Based User Interface” on page 11



“LCM Administrator” on page 11



“Lifecycle Manager Architecture” on page 12

The Lifecycle Manager Process
LCM automates the process of creating virtual machines and removing them from service at the appropriate
time. Figure 1‐1 provides an overview of the process and the tasks completed by each role.

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Lifecycle Manager Administration Guide

Figure 1-1. Stages in the Lifecycle of a Virtual Machine under LCM
request
virtual machine
no approval —
automatic
placement

no approval —
placement exception
or conflict

approval
required

placement exception
or conflict —
manual placement

approve

create
virtual machine

life extension
or VM
customization

use
virtual machine
no approval

approve

end of life

set up

user decided to
decommission
manually

decommission
archive or delete
configuration dependent

archive

delete

best practice path
other possible path
other possible path with approval deactivated

The way that LCM handles requests to create virtual machines depends on how the LCM Administrator has
configured the approval process. If approval is required, an email notification is sent to the LCM Approver.
If approval is not required, and there is no conflict with the request, the virtual machine is created. If there is
a conflict, an LCM IT Staff user receives an email notification that a virtual machine is waiting to be created.
After a virtual machine has been created, it can be used until the decommissioning date. Five days before the
decommissioning date, an email notice is sent to the user who requested the virtual machine if email
notifications are enabled. The requester can do one of the following:


Request to extend the life of the machine.
If the extension is not approved, the virtual machine is decommissioned and is archived or deleted.
The LCM Administrator determines whether decommissioned virtual machines are archived.



Manually decommission the virtual machine.

The LCM Administrator can choose to delete the virtual machine request. The LCM Administrator is the only
role that can remove information about a virtual machine. When a request is deleted, no information about the
virtual machine appears in reports, but the virtual machine is not destroyed. If a virtual machine request is
accidentally deleted, the LCM Administrator can recover the associated virtual machine.

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Chapter 1 Understanding LCM

Lifecycle Manager Terminology
LCM uses specific terminology to describe lifecycle events and attributes.
Table 1-1. Terminology
Term

Definition

Commission

Date and time to create a requested virtual machine. The commission time is submitted during
the request process.

Decommission

The requested machine reaches its end of life. A decommission date is submitted during the
request process. The decommissioned machine can be archived or deleted.

Extension

Extending the life of a virtual machine that is to be decommissioned. If approval is required, the
request for extension must be approved before the owner of the virtual machine can continue to
use it.

Infrastructure

Attributes such as the network, domain, and datastore affect where the requested virtual
machine is placed in VMware Infrastructure.

Criteria

Attributes attached to a requested virtual machine that are selected during the request process,
such as location, organization, server environment, service level, and performance. The LCM
Administrator maps this information to the infrastructure.

Template Profile

The profile that is used when a requested virtual machine is cloned.

Customization
Template

The template that determines the resources that the requested virtual machine uses, such as
memory reservation, memory limit, CPU shares, and disk shares. Only the LCM IT Staff, LCM
Tech Requester, and LCM Administrator can modify the customization template.

Placing

The requested virtual machine is created or moved into the infrastructure, based on the selected
criteria and infrastructure.

Role-Based User Interface
LCM has a role‐based interface. Users are presented only the options that are relevant to a specific role.
All roles can request a virtual machine.
LCM has the following roles:


LCM Administrator – Establishes the criteria used for machine placement and determines how the
criteria convert to sizing or placement values. The LCM Administrator configures LCM and establishes
the placement of virtual machines.



LCM Requester – Can request to extend the life of a created virtual machine. Requesters can power
virtual machines on and off, as well as delegate this control to other users.



LCM Tech Requester – In addition to doing everything that the requester role can do, the tech requester
can modify customization templates.



LCM Approver – Approves virtual machine deployment and extension requests. If a machine cannot be
placed based on the provided criteria, a user with the LCM IT Staff role must manually choose the sizing
and placement of the new machine.



LCM IT Staff – Completes manual placement of approved virtual machines.

For more information on the tasks that users can perform, see the Lifecycle Manager Userʹs Guide.

LCM Administrator
The LCM Administrator is responsible for the following tasks:


Configuring LCM



Determining the infrastructure, such as the server environment



Setting up email notifications, the look and feel of the user interface, and style sheets



Specifying who can access elements, such as resource pools or datastores

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Lifecycle Manager Administration Guide

Lifecycle Manager Architecture
LCM is powered by VMware vCenter Orchestrator 4.0. Orchestrator is a development and process‐automation
platform that provides a library of extensible workflows for creating and running automated, configurable
processes to manage the VMware vCenter infrastructure. You can use Orchestrator to create custom
workflows that you can run from LCM.
Orchestrator exposes every operation in the vCenter Server API, allowing users to integrate all these
operations into their automated processes. Orchestrator also allows integration with other management and
administration solutions through its open plug‐in architecture.
For more information on Orchestrator, see http://www.vmware.com/support/pubs/orchestrator_pubs.html.

LCM Compatibility with vCenter
LCM works with vCenter 4.0 through an automatic compatibility mode. Only VirtualCenter 2.5 features are
available in compatibility mode. LCM is also compatible with VirtualCenter 2.5, update 3 and VirtualCenter 2.5,
update 4. Before you install LCM, make sure that you have vCenter 4.0 installed or the compatible version of
VirtualCenter 2.5.
Figure 1-2. Architecture of LCM and Orchestrator
browser
config
vCO
database

Lifecycle
Manager
browser
config

VMware vCenter Orchestrator

plug-ins
service
directory

VMware
Infrastructure
3.5

Lifecycle
Manager
database

networking
database

After you install LCM, you must configure the following Orchestrator plug‐ins:


VMware Infrastructure 3.5
CAUTION Because LCM supports vCenter 4.0 only in compatibility mode, you must configure the
VMware Infrastructure 3.5 plug‐in, and add your vCenter 4.0 server in it. LCM can operate only with the
vCenter instances added and configured in the VMware Infrastructure 3.5 plug‐in in the Orchestrator
configuration interface.



LCM database



Networking database



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Chapter 1 Understanding LCM

Lifecycle Manager Components
LCM requires the following components, which you configure during installation:


Service directory – Defines which users can connect to LCM and their permission levels. Only users who
are members of a directory group can log in.



Database – Stores all information that is related to LCM, such as virtual machine names, control groups,
view groups, commission and decommission dates, infrastructure elements linked with the virtual
machine request (template profile, datastore, resource pool, and so on). The information necessary to map
criteria and the infrastructure is also stored in the database.



VMware Infrastructure – Responsible for all communication with VMware vCenter. A Web service API
is used to connect to VMware Infrastructure 3.5 or vCenter 4.

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Lifecycle Manager Administration Guide

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Installing LCM

This chapter describes the prerequisites, system requirements, and steps to install vCenter Lifecycle Manager
on Windows. LCM 1.0.1 users can also migrate their existing configuration to LCM 1.0.2. (See “Migrating from
LCM 1.0.1 to LCM 1.0.2” on page 19, before proceeding with the LCM 1.0.2 installation.)
This chapter includes the following topics:


“Installing and Configuring vCenter Orchestrator” on page 15



“Control Orchestrator Access” on page 15



“Installation Requirements” on page 16



“Supported Browsers” on page 17



“Install Lifecycle Manager” on page 17



“Configure Plug‐ins” on page 17

Installing and Configuring vCenter Orchestrator
Before installing LCM, you must install and configure vCenter Orchestrator. You use the Orchestrator
configuration interface to configure the components that are related to the engine, such as the database,
network, server certificate, email, and so on. These components must be configured correctly for LCM to
function properly.
For information about installing Orchestrator and setting up the configuration options, see the vCenter
Orchestrator Installation and Configuration Guide.

Control Orchestrator Access
When using LCM, the best practice is to limit access to the Orchestrator client only to administrators. You can
also configure the Orchestrator server to refuse access to Web service requests, to prevent malicious attempts
from Web service clients to access workflows on sensitive servers.
To disable access to the Orchestrator client by non-administrators
1

Navigate to the following folder on the Orchestrator server system.
\VMware\Orchestrator\app-server\server\vmo\conf

Open the vmo.properties configuration file in a text editor and add the following line.
#Disable Orchestrator client connection
com.vmware.o11n.smart-client-disabled = true
If the vmo.properties configuration file does not contain this property, or if the property is set to false,
Orchestrator permits all users access to the Orchestrator client.

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Lifecycle Manager Administration Guide

To disable access to workflows from Web service clients
1

Navigate to the following folder on the Orchestrator server system.
\VMware\Orchestrator\app-server\server\vmo\conf

Open the vmo.properties configuration file in a text editor and add the following line.
#Disable Orchestrator client connection
com.vmware.o11n.web-service-disabled = true
If the vmo.properties configuration file does not contain this property, or if the property is set to false,
Orchestrator permits access to workflows from Web services.

Installation Requirements
Because LCM runs as an Orchestrator plug‐in, the system requirements of the two products are the same. For
detailed information about Orchestrator system requirements, see the vCenter Orchestrator Installation and
Configuration Guide.
Before you install LCM on Microsoft Windows, make sure that your system meets the installation
prerequisites.
Table 2-1. Installation Prerequisites
Component

Description

VMware vCenter Orchestrator 4.0
VMware vSphere™



vCenter 4.0 in compatibility mode (default)



The Sysprep utility for the guest OS must be available in the proper
directory on the vCenter Server.

VMware ESX™

Support for ESX depends on the version of vCenter that you are using.
See the documentation for the relevant version of vCenter.

Sample ActiveDirectory groups that
correspond to LCM roles

The roles are:


LCM Administrator



LCM IT Staff



LCM Approver



LCM Tech Requester



LCM Requester

Static account for each vCenter Server that
LCM and Orchestrator can use
Appropriate permissions for the LCM
groups

Include the following permissions:



Allow the Orchestrator Administrator to deploy from vCenter
templates
RDP access in the guest operating system
Use xrdp for Linux virtual machines

LCM database

Choose one of the following:


Use the same database as Orchestrator



Use a separate database for LCM (recommended)

NOTE Because of CPU and memory usage, VMware recommends that you
host the LCM database and the Orchestrator server on different machines
on a local network with low latency.
ActiveDirectory domain
DHCP server and fixed range of IP
addresses for new virtual machines

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Chapter 2 Installing LCM

Supported Browsers
You must use one of the following browsers to connect to LCM:


Microsoft Internet Explorer 7



Mozilla Firefox 3.0.x (where x is 8 or later)

To connect to a virtual machine using a remote desktop application, you must have Remote Desktop
Protocol (RDP) client software installed on your workstation.
To connect to a virtual machine through your browser, you must use the VMware WebCenter Remote MKS
Plug‐in, which is compatible with the following browsers and operating systems:


Microsoft Internet Explorer 7 on Windows XP or Windows Server 2003



Mozilla Firefox 3 on Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, or Linux

Install Lifecycle Manager
Orchestrator must be running to install LCM.
To install LCM
1

On the General tab, click Install Application.

Click Choose and browse to select the vmo_lifecycle_1_0_2_.vmoapp file.

Click Install.

On the Licences tab, type the LCM serial number and click Apply changes.

Configure Plug-ins
You must configure the Orchestrator plug‐ins that are installed with LCM.

Configure Database Options
You must configure the options for the LCM database table and the networking database table. The LCM
database table contains virtual‐machine‐specific data that is managed by LCM, such as when the virtual
machine was created, who created it, and other specifications. The networking database table contains data
related to the management of the IP addresses.
To configure database options
1

On the VMware Lifecycle Manager and Networking tabs, select the database connection type.
Option

Description

Custom

(Recommended) Select this option to store plug‐in specific data in a database
different from the Orchestrator database.
Depending on the type of database you are connecting to, the required
information might vary. For a list of the connection parameters that you might be
required to specify, see the vCenter Orchestrator Installation and Configuration Guide.

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Same as vCO

Select this option to store plug‐in specific data in the Orchestrator database.

Built‐in

Not supported.

Click Apply changes.

Lifecycle Manager Administration Guide

Configure VMware Infrastructure Options
The VMware Infrastructure 3.5 plug‐in is responsible for all communication with VMware vCenter. A Web
service API is used to connect to VMware Infrastructure 3.5 or vCenter 4. Because LCM supports vCenter 4.0
only in compatibility mode, you must configure the VMware Infrastructure 3.5 plug‐in, and add your
vCenter 4.0 server in it. LCM can operate only with the vCenter instances added and configured in the
VMware Infrastructure 3.5 plug‐in.

Prerequisites
You must import the SSL certificates for each VMware Infrastructure or vCenter instance you define. For
information about importing SSL certificates, see the vCenter Orchestrator Installation and Configuration Guide.
To configure VMware Infrastructure 3.5
1

On the VMware Infrastructure 3.5 tab, click New VirtualCenter host.

From the Available drop‐down menu, select Enabled.

In the Host text box, enter the IP address or the DNS name of the VMware Infrastructure or vCenter host.

In the Port text box, leave the default value 443.

(Optional) Select the Secure channel check box to establish a secure connection to your VMware
Infrastructure or vCenter host.

In the Path text box, use the default value, /sdk.
This is the location of the SDK that you use to connect to your VMware Infrastructure or vCenter instance.

In User name and Password text boxes, type the credentials for Orchestrator to use to establish the
connection to VMware Infrastructure or vCenter.

Specify the method you use to manage user access on the VMware Infrastructure or vCenter host.
Option

Description

Share a unique session

Type the credentials of a user who is a VMware Infrastructure or vCenter
administrator.

Session per user

Select this option if your VMware Infrastructure or vCenter server is in an
Active Directory domain. Make sure that the user has the necessary
permissions to perform the required operations.
CAUTION Each user who logs in creates their own session to VMware
Infrastructure or vCenter. This results in higher traffic and more inquiries.

Click Apply changes.
The URL to the newly configured VMware Infrastructure or vCenter host is added to the list of defined
hosts.

Repeat these steps for each VMware Infrastructure or vCenter instance.

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Migrating from LCM 1.0.1 to LCM 1.0.2

If you are using VMware Lifecycle Manager ‐ Standard 1.0.1 (LCM 1.0.1), you can migrate to VMware vCenter
Lifecycle Manager 1.0.2 (LCM 1.0.2).
This chapter includes the following topics:


“Back Up Database Tables” on page 19



“Migrating LCM 1.0.1 Configuration to LCM 1.0.2” on page 19

Back Up Database Tables
Before migrating, VMware recommends that you back up your LCM database table and networking
database table.
The LCM database table contains virtual‐machine‐specific data that is managed by LCM, such as when the
virtual machine was created, who created it, and other specifications.
The networking database table contains data related to the management of the IP addresses.
NOTE This procedure is optional, but VMware recommends it for databases in a production environment.
The backup procedure depends on your database vendor.

Migrating LCM 1.0.1 Configuration to LCM 1.0.2
The migration is performed by running workflows in LCM 1.0.1, which is powered by Orchestrator 3.2.1, and
in LCM 1.0.2, which is powered by Orchestrator 4.0.
NOTE You must complete the export procedure in Orchestrator 3.2.1 and LCM 1.0.1 before installing
Orchestrator 4.0 and LCM 1.0.2 on the same machine. Orchestrator 4.0 overwrites the installation of
Orchestrator 3.2.1.

Export the LCM 1.0.1 Configuration
To migrate to LCM 1.0.2, you must first export your current configuration.You use Orchestrator 3.2.1 and
LCM 1.0.1 to export the configuration. You must download a migration package file, which is installed in the
Orchestrator configuration interface and executed in LCM.
To export your configuration from LCM 1.0.1
1

On the General tab, click Install Application.

Click Browse and select the lcm_migration-export_1_0_2_.vmoapp file.

Click Install.

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Lifecycle Manager Administration Guide

On the Server tab, click Restart service.

Go to http://:8080/vmo.

Click Execute Export Data Workflow.

Click Submit to start the export process.

If the process fails, click Back to Step 1 to retry.

After the export process is completed successfully, click Download Exported Data to save the data.zip file.

Install LCM 1.0.2
For information about installing LCM 1.0.2, see “Installing LCM” on page 15.

Import the LCM 1.0.1 Configuration into LCM 1.0.2
After exporting the LCM 1.0.1 configuration, you can import it into LCM 1.0.2. The migration is performed
when you run LCM 1.0.2 for the first time.
NOTE You must use a new database when installing LCM 1.0.2.
To import the LCM 1.0.1 configuration into LCM 1.0.2
1

Start the Orchestrator Server.
a

Click Startup Options.

Click Start service.

Go to http://:8280/vmo/lifecycle to log in to LCM for the first time.
You need to log in with the credentials of a user who is a member of the administrator group that is
selected in Orchestrator.

Select Yes for Migrate from old LCM data and click Next.

Click Browse and select the data.zip file that you exported from LCM 1.0.1.

Click Submit to start the import process.
After the import process is completed successfully, LCM is restarted automatically.

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Configuring LCM

You must configure LCM before you can use it. The configuration involves setting up the virtual machine
naming convention, specifying groups, and selecting date and currency formats. You can also configure
role‐based attributes.
This chapter includes the following topics:


“Check Configuration Readiness” on page 21



“Initial Configuration of Lifecycle Manager” on page 22



“Configure the LCM Webview” on page 22



“Set Approval Requirements” on page 23



“Configure Archiving Settings” on page 23



“Change Authorization Groups” on page 23



“Change the Base Name for Virtual Machines” on page 24



“Enable Email Notifications” on page 25



“Configure Email Notification Content” on page 25



“Configure Currency and Date Formats” on page 26



“Customizing the User Interface” on page 26

Check Configuration Readiness
You can check whether the configuration service is ready.
To check configuration readiness
1

In Windows, select Start > Programs > Administrative Tools > Services.

Select VMware vCenter Orchestrator Configuration and open the window.
If the status is not Started, contact your Orchestrator Administrator.

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Lifecycle Manager Administration Guide

Initial Configuration of Lifecycle Manager
You must complete the initial configuration of LCM when you run LCM for the first time.
To complete the initial configuration of LCM
1

Start the Orchestrator Server.
a

Click Startup Options.

Click Start service.

Go to http://:8280/vmo/lifecycle to log in to LCM for the first time.
You need to log in with the credentials of a user who is a member of the administrator group that is
selected in Orchestrator.

Select whether you want to migrate from LCM 1.0.1 and click Next.


If you select Yes, see “Import the LCM 1.0.1 Configuration into LCM 1.0.2” on page 20.



If you select No, continue with the next step.

Edit the default virtual machine naming convention.
The default is lcm‐0001, lcm‐0002, and so on.

Choose whether to allow approvers and IT staff to manually overwrite the default name.

Select a currency from the drop‐down menu.

Select the date format that you want to use.

Accept the default setting for advanced options and click Next.
You can edit the advanced options later.

Specify which groups belong to the different roles and click Next when you are done.
You can type the first few letters of the group name and the LDAP search matches the choices, or you can
click Search to browse the LDAP inventory.

Accept the approvals, archiving, and notification defaults and click Submit.
You can change these values later. The LCM Webview is started.
CAUTION Do not change the LDAP settings in Orchestrator after submitting the configuration. This can
result in a serious error, that requires using a backup for recovery.

Log in to LCM again as the LCM Administrator.
The LCM Administrator must be a member of the LCM Administrators group that you just configured.

Configure the LCM Webview
The Web UI of an application is called a Webview. For example, the front end of LCM is a Webview. You can
configure the LCM Webview.
To edit the Webview configuration

Click the Configuration view.

In the left pane, click Edit Advanced Configuration.

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Chapter 4 Configuring LCM

Under Display, choose whether to display the details of an execution token after submitting a workflow.
You can also limit the number of elements displayed on a single page.

In the URL text box, type a Webview URL.

Click Submit.

Set Approval Requirements
Virtual machines are decommissioned on the date that the requester selected when requesting the machine.
LCM notifies the owner of the virtual machine five days before the decommissioning date with the option to
request an extension. You can specify whether approval is required when virtual machines are requested,
extended, or modified.
To specify approval requirements
1

Click the Configuration view.

Click Edit Approval Modes.

Under Creation, Extension, and Customization changes, select whether approval is required.
You can change these values later.

Click Submit.

NOTE If you enable both approvals for customization changes, an LCM Approver and an LCM IT Staff user
must approve each request for customization changes.

Configure Archiving Settings
Virtual machines can be archived instead of deleted when they are decommissioned. You can specify the
archiving settings and where to store the archive.
To configure archiving settings
1

Click the Configuration view.

Click Edit Archiving.

Under Archive Configuration, choose whether to archive by default.

Under Archive folder, in Destination Datastores, select a datastore or an array of datastores to store the
archive.
The datastore must be accessible from the ESX host running the virtual machine to be archived. The
archive is placed in the first available datastore from the array. If no datastore has sufficient space, the
archive fails.

Click Submit.

Change Authorization Groups
You can modify the types of changes that each role can make. For information about role‐to‐task mapping, see
“Roles and Tasks” on page 24.
CAUTION Changing authorization groups can be a risk for existing users.

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Lifecycle Manager Administration Guide

To edit authorization groups
1

Click the Configuration view.

Click Edit Authorization Groups.

Under Management Groups, select or type appropriate values for the groups.

Under Requester Groups, select or type appropriate values for the groups.

Click Submit.

Roles and Tasks
Table 4‐1 describes how roles are mapped to tasks. Tasks marked with an O can be performed only by the
owner of the request.
Table 4-1. Roles and Permitted Tasks
LCM
Admin

LCM IT
Staff

LCM
Approver

Create infrastructure elements

Map infrastructure elements with criteria

Configure email notifications

Generate reports

Request virtual machines

Approve virtual machine requests

Set up virtual machines

Request extensions

Approve extensions

Choose customization templates

Approve customization templates

Approve customization change requests

Decommission virtual machines

Delete a request or a token

Import existing virtual machines

LCM Tech
Requester

LCM
Requester

O
X

Change the Base Name for Virtual Machines
You can change the naming convention for a virtual machine. The default is lcm‐####.
To change the base name of your virtual machines
1

Click the Configuration view.

Click Edit Base Name.

Under VM Naming Convention, in the Name text box, type the naming convention.

Choose whether to allow a user to change a virtual machine name.
If you select Yes, either the LCM Approver or the LCM IT Staff can change the virtual machine name when
approving a request.

Click Submit.

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Chapter 4 Configuring LCM

Enable Email Notifications
LCM users can receive emails when they are required to perform an action. For example, an LCM Approver
can receive an email when required to approve or reject a virtual machine request. You can enable email
notifications.
To enable email notifications
1

Click the Configuration view.
If the Mail icon (

) does not appear next to the Configuration icon (

), email notifications are disabled.

To enable email notifications, click Edit Email Notifications in the left pane.

Under Activation, click Yes.

Type the email addresses for the LCM Administrator, LCM IT Staff, and LCM Approver roles.

Click Submit.
You can configure email notification content the next time you log in to LCM as an administrator.

Configure Email Notification Content
If you have email configured in Orchestrator, you can configure the content of LCM email notifications. To set
up email options in Orchestrator, see the vCenter Orchestrator Installation and Configuration Guide.
To configure the content of an email notification
1

Click the Configuration view.

Click the Mail icon (

A list of actions for which you can set up notifications appears. You can also activate or deactivate all
notifications.
4

Click a notification (

) in the left pane.

The details about the notification appear in the right pane.
5

Click Edit.

For each notification, specify whether to enable it, who the recipients are, what appears in the Subject
field, and a default email body text.
You can use the following variables in the email body:


#vmName ‐ Virtual machine name



#decommissionDate ‐ Date that the request is set to be decommissioned



#error ‐ Error message



#requester ‐ Name of the requester



#ipAddress ‐ IP address of the virtual machine, if the request is available and the virtual machine is
powered on



#webviewUrl ‐ URL of the LCM Webview

These variables are changed to their corresponding values when the email is generated.
7

Click Submit.

Repeat these steps for each email notification that you want to create.

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Configure Currency and Date Formats
You can configure the currency and date formats.The price of a virtual machine is estimated in the currency
that you select.
To configure currency and date formats
1

Click the Configuration view.

Click Edit Format (Currency, Date).

Select a currency format.

Select a date format.

Click Submit.

Customizing the User Interface
You can customize certain elements of the user interface. For example, you can add buttons to link to a
particular workflow, or you can add your company logo.

Create a Custom Style Sheet
You can create a new custom style sheet. After you create a custom style sheet, you can modify it. With custom
style sheets, you can change the look and feel of the UI.
To create a custom style sheet
1

Click the Configuration view.

Click the Custom Element icon (

Click New.

From the Location drop‐down menu, select Custom style sheet and click Next.

Upload a custom style sheet to modify or create a new custom style sheet.

Click Submit.

Click Reset Cache to apply the changes.

To modify a custom style sheet

Click the Configuration view.

Click the Custom Element icon (

Click the Custom style sheet (

).
) that you want to modify to display its contents.



To modify the content of the custom style sheet, click Edit.



To upload a different style sheet, click Upload.



To download the existing style sheet, click Download.



To remove the existing style sheet, click Remove.

Click Submit.

Click Reset Cache to apply the changes.

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Chapter 4 Configuring LCM

Modify an RDP Template
You can modify the RDP template that is used to connect to a virtual machine. This changes the RDP settings
when the LCM UI starts an RDP session from the Catalog view. For example, you can modify the screen and
audio settings for RDP sessions.
To modify an RDP template
1

Click the Configuration view.

Click the Custom Element icon (

Click Rdp template (



To modify the content of the RDP template, click Edit.



To upload a different RDP template, click Upload.



To download the existing RDP template, click Download.



To revert to the default RDP template, click Reinitialize.

Click Submit.

Click Reset Cache to apply the changes.

Change the Application Logo
You can replace the VMware logo with your own to make the interface look more like your corporate intranet.
To change the application logo
1

Click the Configuration view.

Click the Custom Element icon (

Click Application logo (



To upload a new logo, click Upload.



To download the existing logo, click Download.



To revert to the default logo, click Reinitialize.

Click Reset Cache to apply the changes.

Change a Navigation Element
You can add a link to the navigation bar in the LCM UI. This link can point to a custom URL.
To modify a navigation element
1

Click the Configuration view.

Click the Custom Element icon (

Click Navigation Items (



Click Edit to modify the label of the link and the URL.



Click Reinitialize to remove the link from the navigation bar.

Click Submit.

Click Reset Cache to apply the changes.

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Add a Custom Element
You can add custom elements such as additional buttons that are linked to workflows. You can use standard
workflows or use custom workflows created in the Orchestrator Client. For information about developing
workflows, see the vCenter Orchestrator Developer’s Guide.
To add a new custom element
1

Click the Configuration view.

Click the Custom Element icon (

Click New.

From the Location drop‐down menu, select a custom element and click Next.

Type the information needed to point to the custom elements to add.

Click Submit.

Click Reset Cache to apply the changes.

NOTE Members of the LCM Requester and LCM Tech Requester groups have permissions to run workflows
only from the Applications\Lifecycle manager\User workflow category. If youʹre adding a custom
element pointing to a custom workflow, you can use the Applications\Lifecycle manager\User\Custom
workflow category for storing the workflows. If you want members of the LCM Requester and LCM Tech
Requester groups to have permissions to run workflows from other categories, you must perform the
following steps to give them permissions.
To give all users permissions to run workflows stored in a custom category

Select Start > Programs > vCenter Orchestrator > vCenter Orchestrator Client.

Click the Web views view.

Right‐click VMware Lifecycle Manager and select Unpublish.

Right‐click VMware Lifecycle Manager and select Edit.

On the Attributes tab, select the userAllowedWorkflowPaths attribute.

Click the entry in the Value column and add the category where the workflows are stored.

Click Save and close.

Right‐click VMware Lifecycle Manager and select Publish.

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Setting Up the Virtual Machine
Environment

Before users can request virtual machines, the LCM Administrator must configure the infrastructure and
criteria.
This chapter includes the following topics:


“Configuring the Infrastructure for Requested Virtual Machines” on page 29



“Configure Criteria for Requested Virtual Machines” on page 34

Configuring the Infrastructure for Requested Virtual Machines
To set up the infrastructure for a requested virtual machine, you define the following elements:


Resource Pool – You can use an existing resource pool in vCenter or create a new one.



Datastore – You can choose which datastore to use. The datastore must exist.



Virtual Machine Folder – You can categorize items in vCenter folders, based on different organizations.



Network – You can associate a new network instance with vCenter or your ESX host.



Template Profile – You can create a template profile for virtual machines. An example of a template
profile is a virtual machine running Windows XP.



Domain – You can specify the domain or workgroup that the requested virtual machine can join.



Customization Template – You can create a customization template that defines the computer resources
available to the virtual machine. LCM uses the template to apply the correct levels of the resources.

If multiple infrastructure elements are mapped to the same criterion, LCM does not know which element to
use and notifies the IT Staff that an element must be selected on the Placement view.

Automatic Placement
When a virtual machine request is approved, the system tries to place the virtual machine automatically.
If automatic placement is possible, the virtual machine is created and the state of the request changes to
Available. If the automatic placement fails, the state of the request changes to Waiting for Placement, and a
user with the LCM IT Staff role must place the virtual machine manually. During automatic placement, one of
the following events can occur:


If one path is found, the virtual machine is placed.



If an exception occurs, the automatic placement fails. Information about the exception is displayed.
The LCM IT Staff user can use the information to manually place the virtual machine and overwrite the
initial criteria.



If a conflict occurs, for example, if several solutions are found, or if the datastore is full, automatic
placement fails. Information about the conflict and solution is displayed. The LCM IT Staff user can enter
the new placement and overwrite the initial criteria.

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Lifecycle Manager Administration Guide

Register or Create a Resource Pool
You can use an existing resource pool for requested virtual machines or create a new one. LCM automatically
maps the request to the resource pool. If you map more than one resource pool to the server environment, the
LCM IT Staff user can select which one to use.
To register a resource pool
1

Click the Infrastructure view.
The Resource Pool view opens as a default view.

Click Register.

Type the name of the resource pool that you want to register.

Choose whether you want to automatically register all child resource pools and click Submit.

Select the criteria options and click Submit.

To create a resource pool
1

Click the Infrastructure view.

Click Create.

Type or select the name of the parent in the new resource pool.

Type the name of the new resource pool and click Next.

Type or select the CPU allocation information and click Next.

Type or select the memory allocation information and click Submit.

Select the criteria options and click Submit.

Register a Datastore
You must use an existing datastore for the requested virtual machines. LCM cannot create a datastore. You
must select a resource pool before you can select a datastore.
To register a datastore
1

Click the Infrastructure view.

Click the Datastore icon (

Click Register.

Select a datastore from the vCenter or ESX host that you want to register and click Submit.

Select the criteria options and click Submit.

Register or Create a Virtual Machine Folder
You can register an existing folder or create a new one.
To register a virtual machine folder

Click the Infrastructure view.

Click the Virtual Machine Folder icon (

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Chapter 5 Setting Up the Virtual Machine Environment

Click Register.

Type or search for the name of the virtual machine folder that you want to register.

Choose whether you want to automatically register all child virtual machine folders and click Submit.

Select the criteria options and click Submit.

To create a virtual machine folder
1

Click the Infrastructure view.

Click the Virtual Machine Folder icon (

Click Create.

Type or search for the name of the parent folder.

Type the name of the new folder and click Submit.

Select the criteria options and click Submit.

Configure Network Options
LCM automatically maps the request to the network. If you map more than one network to the server
environment, the LCM IT Staff user can select which one to use.
To register a network
1

Click the Infrastructure view.

Click the Network icon (

Click Register.

Type or search for a network and click Next.

Type the network domain name and click Next.

On the IP Configuration view, under Network, type the information and click Submit.

If you select No for Use DHCP, you must create an IP address for ranges or subnets.
8

Select the criteria options and click Submit.

To create an IP address range
1

Click the Infrastructure view.

Click the Network icon (

Click a network.

Click Create Range.

Type a description.

Type the first and final IP addresses in your range

Each time the virtual machine is provisioned, LCM pulls an IP address from the defined range. You can
set up multiple ranges for each network.
8

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Click Submit.

Lifecycle Manager Administration Guide

To create subnets that are associated with a network
1

Click the Infrastructure view.

Click the Network icon (

Click a network.

Click Create Subnet.

Type the information in the text boxes.

Click Submit.

Create a Template Profile
You can create a template profile. You can select an operating system, and specify the estimated cost for a
virtual machine.
To create a template profile
1

Click the Infrastructure view.

Click the Template Profile icon (

Click Create.

Type the information in the text boxes and click Next.



Display name – Name of the template profile



Description – Description of the template profile



State – State of the template profile



Template to clone – Source template from vCenter or ESX host



Ongoing monthly cost (currency) – Monthly cost of creating future virtual machines



Initial setup cost (currency) – Cost associated with setting up each virtual machine that uses this template

Use the currency entries to charge back through template profiles.
6

If you are using a Windows template, enter information about the operating system.


Full Name – Your name.



Organization name – Name of your organization (for example, vmware).



Local administrator password – If the template that you are registering has a local administrator
password set, the password you enter here is ignored. If the template you registered does not have a
local administrator password, the one you enter here is applied.



Time zone – Time zone in which the virtual machine is located.



Windows license key – Type the key, even if the template uses a volume license key.



Server licensing mode – Select either perServer or perSeat.



Number of licenses – Minimum number of licenses per server is 5.

Click Submit.

Select the criteria options and click Submit.

NOTE For a list of guest operating systems that support image customization, see the VMware Infrastructure
Compatibility Matrixes.

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Chapter 5 Setting Up the Virtual Machine Environment

Create a Domain
You can join a domain or a workgroup.
To create a domain
1

Click the Infrastructure view.

Click the Domain icon (

Click Create.

Choose whether to join a domain or a workgroup.



If you selected Yes, type the necessary information.



If you selected No, type a workgroup name.

If you joined a domain, select a network or an array of networks.
The networks are defined on the Network view.

Click Submit.

Select the criteria options and click Submit.

Create a Customization Template
A customization template defines the computer resources available to the virtual machine.
To create a customization template
1

Click the Infrastructure view.

Click the Customization Template icon (

Click Create.

Type a template name and click Next.

This is the name that the requester sees, so create an easily identifiable name.
6

Select the memory information and click Next.

Select the CPU information and click Next.

Select the disk shares and click Submit.

Select the criteria options and click Submit.

Relink Unlinked Elements
You can relink unlinked infrastructure elements automatically or manually. Elements become unlinked if they
have been removed from vCenter, or if their ESX host has been removed from vCenter.
To relink unlinked elements
1

Click the Infrastructure view.

Click the Unlinked Elements icon (

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Click Relink All to relink all unlinked elements automatically.

To relink an unlinked element manually:
a

Click an element in the left pane.

Click Relink in the right pane.

Under Action on unlinked element select Relink.

Select the element and click Submit.

Configure Criteria for Requested Virtual Machines
When users request virtual machines, they can specify criteria such as the location, organization, server
environment, service level and performance. For example, a user can request a virtual machine and select a
location called Palo Alto, Administrative as the Organization, Production as the server environment, select a
comprehensive service level, and high performance. As an LCM Administrator, you can modify these criteria,
for example, if the needs of the company change or resources change.
You can rename or delete existing elements or reconfigure mapping options. If you reconfigure these options,
you are modifying the elements that comprise the criteria for a virtual machine. To create a criterion, at least
one criterion of a type must currently exist. You can edit the mapping option for any element.
To rename criteria elements
1

Click the Criteria view.

Click an element and click Edit.

Modify the name and description.

Click Submit.

To reconfigure mapping objects
1

Click the Criteria view.

Click an element and click Edit Objects for Mapping.

Modify the mapping objects.

Click Submit.

To delete an element

Click the Criteria view.

Click an element and click Delete.

Click Submit.

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Using LCM

After you have configured Lifecycle Manager, you can perform day‐to‐day administration tasks, such as
approving virtual machine requests, importing virtual machines, decommissioning virtual machines, and so
on. Some tasks, such as requesting a virtual machine, can be performed by all LCM user roles. Most tasks,
however, can only be performed by the LCM Administrator.
This chapter includes the following topics:


“LCM Administrator’s Interface” on page 35



“Request a Virtual Machine” on page 36



“Display Requested Virtual Machines” on page 38



“Modify Request Options” on page 39



“Check the Power State of a Virtual Machine” on page 39



“Power a Virtual Machine On and Off” on page 39



“Connecting to a Virtual Machine” on page 40



“Create or Revert to a Snapshot” on page 40



“Generate Reports” on page 41



“Register Virtual Machines with LCM” on page 41



“Activate Webview Debug Mode” on page 43



“Relink Tokens to Virtual Machines” on page 43



“Check Licensing Status” on page 43



“Export Logs and Application Settings” on page 43



“Troubleshoot LCM” on page 44

LCM Administrator’s Interface
When you log in as the administrator, the LCM interface contains the following views:

Catalog
This view displays a list of the virtual machines managed by LCM. Virtual machines can be filtered by a
number of criteria. For more information see “Display Requested Virtual Machines” on page 38.

Requests
Virtual machine requests are made in this view. It also contains a list of pending requests, which can be filtered
by their state. For more information see “Request a Virtual Machine” on page 36.

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Approvals
This view displays virtual machine requests waiting for approval. Requests can be filtered by their state. Tasks
in this view are typically performed by the LCM Approver role. For more information about using this view,
see the Lifecycle Manager Userʹs Guide.

Placement
This view displays virtual machine requests waiting for placement. Requests can be filtered by their state.
Tasks in this view are typically performed by the LCM IT Staff role. For more information about using this
view, see the Lifecycle Manager Userʹs Guide.

Reports
Reports are generated in this view. For more information see “Generate Reports” on page 41.

Infrastructure
The infrastructure is determined in this view. For more information see “Configuring the Infrastructure for
Requested Virtual Machines” on page 29.

Criteria
Virtual machine criteria options are modified in this view. For more information see “Configure Criteria for
Requested Virtual Machines” on page 34.

Configuration
Configuration options are modified in this view. For more information see “Configuring LCM” on page 21.

Administration
Administration tasks are completed in this view. For more information see “Register Virtual Machines with
LCM” on page 41, “Activate Webview Debug Mode” on page 43, “Relink Tokens to Virtual Machines” on
page 43, “Check Licensing Status” on page 43 and “Export Logs and Application Settings” on page 43.

Request a Virtual Machine
To commission a virtual machine, you must submit a request. You can request a specific start date or accept
the first available date.
To request a virtual machine
1

Click Request.

(Optional) To specify a commissioning date, select Yes for Set commissioning date? and select a date.
If you do not specify a commissioning date, the virtual machine is created at the first available opportunity
after approval.

(Optional) To specify a decommissioning date, select Yes for Set decommissioning date? and select a date.
Select a date for decommissioning the virtual machine. By default, virtual machines are decommissioned
at midnight. For changing the decommissioning time see “Modify the Decommissioning Time” on
page 38.
If you do not specify a decommissioning date, the virtual machine remains in service until it is
decommissioned manually.

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Chapter 6 Using LCM

(Optional) Specify who can control the virtual machine request.
If you do not specify a user or group, only you have control.

From the Virtual machine control by drop‐down menu, select Group or User.

Type the name of the user or group, or search for a list of available group or user names and
descriptions.

Type the email address for the user or group if email notifications are enabled.

(Optional) Specify who can connect to and view the virtual machine when it is running.
If you do not specify a user or group, only you can view the virtual machine.
a

From the Virtual machine view by drop‐down menu, select Group or User.

Type the name of the user or group, or search for a list of available group or user names and
descriptions.

Type the email address for the user or group if email notifications are enabled.

Click Next.

Select settings for the Location, Organization, Server Environment, Service Level, and Performance
options.

Type the requester email and click Next.

Select the Server type.

(Optional) To start the virtual machine as soon as it is provisioned, select Yes for Start virtual machine.

Select the Customization Template.

(Optional) To modify the customization template, select Yes for Would you like to customize the
attributes of this template? and change the attribute values as needed. For the attribute values, see
Table 6‐1, “Customization Template Attributes”.

Click Next.

Type comments about the virtual machine, which are viewed in the approval process.

Click Submit.

The virtual machine is deleted on the decommissioning date. You cannot get it back, unless LCM is configured
to archive the virtual machines.
Table 6-1. Customization Template Attributes
Attribute

Values

Memory reservation (MB)

minimum is 0 (default is 256)

Memory limit/size (MB)

range is ‐1 to 1024; must be a multiple of 4 (default is 1024)
Selecting ‐1 maintains the same memory as the vCenter template.

Memory share

low, normal, or high (default is normal)

CPU reservation (MHz)

minimum is 0 (default is 200)

CPU limit (MHz)

minimum is ‐1 (default is 2000)
Selecting ‐1 maintains the same CPU number as the vCenter template.

CPU count

1, 2, or 4 (default is 1)

CPU shares

low, normal, or high (default is normal)

Disk shares

low, normal, or high (default is normal)

For additional information on virtual machine resource allocation, see the VMware Infrastructure 3
Resource Management Guide.

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Lifecycle Manager Administration Guide

Modify the Decommissioning Time
You can change the decommissioning time in the Orchestrator Client.
To change the decommissioning time
1

Select Start > Programs > vCenter Orchestrator> vCenter Orchestrator Client.

Click the Policies view.

Right‐click the Lifecycle Scheduler policy and select Stop policy.

Right‐click the Lifecycle Scheduler policy and select Edit.

Click the Scripting tab in the right pane.

Select Midnight ‐ Delete VMs.

On the General view underneath, type the new decommissioning time.

Click Save and close.

Right‐click the Lifecycle Scheduler policy and select Start policy.
The new decommissioning time is now applied.

Display Requested Virtual Machines
You can display the requested virtual machines according to their status, such as available or rejected.
To display requested machines

Click the Catalog view.

Select a filter from the drop‐down menu.

Filter

Description

All

Displays all the requested virtual machines created by users.

Creating

Displays the virtual machines that are being created.

Available VM

Displays the available virtual machines created by users.

Rejected

Displays all the rejected virtual machines that were created by users.

Decommissioned

Displays all the decommissioned virtual machines that were created by users.

Canceled

Displays all the canceled virtual machines that were created by users.

Errors

Displays all the virtual machines that were created by users with errors.

Waiting For Approval

Displays all the requested virtual machines created by users that are waiting for approval.

Waiting For Placement

Displays all the requested virtual machines created by users that are waiting to be
correctly placed.

End Of Life

Displays the requested virtual machines that are decommissioned, archived, rejected, or
canceled by users.

All Except End Of Life

Displays the requested virtual machines that are not decommissioned, archived, rejected,
or canceled by users.

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Chapter 6 Using LCM

Modify Request Options
You can change the attributes of a virtual machine request.
To modify the request options
1

Click the Catalog view.

Select a requested virtual machine in the left pane.

Select an option from the right pane.


Decommission – Decommission the virtual machine.



Extension – Request an extension for the virtual machine.



Change Request – Modify request resources.



Edit – Modify provisioning and decommissioning dates.



Change State – Move virtual machine requests across different processes in the lifecycle. Used by
VMware support to help with troubleshooting.
CAUTION Changing a state can move the request to an undesirable state.



Change Rights – Change which groups or users can access, control, or view virtual machines.



Delete Request – Delete the request and all associated reports and other elements. This does not
destroy the virtual machine. To destroy the virtual machine, select a virtual machine that is in an
available state, and click the Decommission button.

Check the Power State of a Virtual Machine
You can check whether a virtual machine is powered on or off or suspended.
To check the power state of a virtual machine
1

Click the Catalog view.
The icon to the left of the virtual machine indicates its power state.


A green triangle indicates that the virtual machine is powered on.



A red square indicates that the virtual machine is powered off.



Two parallel yellow bars indicate that the virtual machine is suspended.

Power a Virtual Machine On and Off
You can power on and off, or suspend any virtual machine.
To power a virtual machine on or off
1

Click Catalog to view a list of the virtual machines.

Click a virtual machine name in the catalog list.

In the right pane, click Commands.

Click Power on or Shut down.

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To suspend a virtual machine
1

Click Catalog to view a list of the virtual machines.

Click a virtual machine name in the catalog list.

In the right pane, click Commands.

Click Suspend.

Connecting to a Virtual Machine
You can connect to a virtual machine from your Web browser or using an RDP client application.

Open a Virtual Machine in a Web Browser
From your Web browser, you can connect to a virtual machine running any guest operating system. To connect
via your browser, you must have the VMware WebCenter Remote MKS Plug‐in installed in your browser.
To open a virtual machine in a Web browser
1

Click the Catalog view and click the virtual machine name in the catalog list.

In the right pane, click Commands.

Click Open console.
The virtual machine’s desktop appears in a new browser window.

Use Remote Desktop to Connect to a Virtual Machine
You can open a Windows virtual machine using an RDP client application. The client software must be
installed on your computer.
To open a virtual machine in a remote desktop
1

Click the Catalog view and click a virtual machine name in the catalog list.

In the right pane, click Commands.

Click Connect.
Your RDP application opens and the virtual machine’s desktop appears in the RDP client.

Create or Revert to a Snapshot
A snapshot captures the states of a virtual machine’s hard drives. You can use the snapshot to return to the
saved state. A snapshot does not capture the virtual machineʹs memory and power state.
To create a snapshot of a virtual machine

Click the Catalog view and click a virtual machine name in the catalog list.

In the right pane, click Commands.

Click Snapshot.

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Chapter 6 Using LCM

To revert to a snapshot
1

Click the Catalog view and click a virtual machine name in the catalog list.

In the right pane, click Commands.

Click Revert to snapshot.
The virtual machine returns to the state it was in when the snapshot was taken.

Generate Reports
You can generate reports for various LCM events. For example, reports can display approved and rejected
requests, decommissioned virtual machines, error events, and so on.
To generate a report
1

Click the Reports view.

Select the type of report.

(Optional) Define the report period.

Click Submit.
The report appears in the right pane. You can save the report as an .xml file.

Register Virtual Machines with LCM
You can register existing virtual machines with LCM so that they can be more efficiently managed. You can
register a virtual machine manually or import multiple machines from a resource pool or a virtual machine
folder.
To register a virtual machine manually
1

Click the Administration view.

Click Import Virtual Machine.

Type or search for the name of the virtual machine that you want to import.

Type a comment and click Next.

Specify whether you want to set a decommissioning date.

(Optional) Specify who can control or view the virtual machine. If you do not specify a user or group, only
you have control.

Click Next.

Specify whether you want to link with criteria.
If you select Yes, select entries for Location, Organization, Server Environment, Service Level, and
Performance.

Type the contact email and click Next.

Specify whether you want to use the virtual machine name as the request name.

(Optional) Specify monthly and setup costs.

Click Submit.

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Lifecycle Manager Administration Guide

To import virtual machines from a resource pool
1

Click the Administration view.

Click Import Virtual Machine from Resource Pool.

Select one or more resource pools of the virtual machines that you want to import.

Type a comment and click Next.

Specify whether you want to set a decommissioning date.

(Optional) Specify who can control or view the virtual machine. If you do not specify a user or group, only
you have control.

Click Next.

Specify whether you want to link with criteria.
If you select Yes, select entries for Location, Organization, Server Environment, Service Level, and
Performance. Also, specify whether you want to link the same criteria for all virtual machines or different
criteria for each machine. If you select the same criteria for all machines, you must enter the criteria.
Otherwise, the workflow prompts you to enter the criteria.

Type the contact email and click Next.

Specify whether you want to use the virtual machine name as the request name.

(Optional) Specify monthly and setup costs.

Click Submit.

To import virtual machines from a virtual machine folder
1

Click the Administration view.

Click Import Virtual Machines from VM folder.

Select one or more virtual machine folders that you want to import.

Type a comment and click Next.

Specify whether you want to set a decommissioning date.

(Optional) Specify who can control or view the virtual machine. If you do not specify a user or group, only
you have control.

Click Next.

Specify if you want to link this virtual machine to criteria.
If you select Yes, specify whether you want to link the same criteria for all virtual machines or different
criteria for each machine. If you select the same criteria for all machines, you must enter the criteria.
Otherwise, the workflow prompts you to enter the criteria.

Type the contact email and click Next.

Specify whether you want to use the virtual machine name as the request name.

(Optional) Specify monthly and setup costs.

Click Submit.

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Chapter 6 Using LCM

Activate Webview Debug Mode
You can switch the Webview debug mode on and off.
To activate webview debug mode
1

Click the Administration view.

Click Activate webview debug mode.

Select Yes.

Click Submit.

Relink Tokens to Virtual Machines
If a provisioning request was available with a virtual machine but the virtual machine was unregistered in
vCenter, the token loses its link to the virtual machine. The workflow can only connect to the virtual machine
after it is registered again. You can try to relink the tokens.
To relink a request that lost the link with its virtual machine
1

Click the Administration view.

Click Relink Requests That Lost the Link With its Virtual Machine.

Select whether you want to proceed.

Click Submit.

Check Licensing Status
You can review the licensing status of LCM.
To check the licensing status
1

Click the Administration view.

Click Licensing status.

Select whether you want to proceed.

Click Submit.

Export Logs and Application Settings
You can export logs and application settings for analysis purposes.
To export logs and application settings
1

Click the Administration view.

Click the Export icon (

Click Export Logs and Application Settings.

A log file that you can download is automatically generated.

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Lifecycle Manager Administration Guide

Troubleshoot LCM
If you encounter problems, you can try these procedures to troubleshoot the situation.
To restart the Orchestrator server
1

Select Start > Programs > Administrative Tools > Services.

Select VMware vCenter Orchestrator Server.

Right‐click and select Restart.

To restart the Web configuration server
1

Select Start > Programs > Administrative Tools > Services.

Select VMware vCenter Orchestrator Configuration.

Right‐click and select Restart.

To view log files
Navigate to \app-server\server\vmo\log.
To force plug-in reinstallation
For information about reinstalling plug‐ins, see the vCenter Orchestrator Administration Guide.

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Index

A
administrator tasks 11
approval modes 23
architecture 12
archive settings 23
authorization groups 23

B
base name 24

C
checking power state 39
commands
Connect 40
Open console 40
Power on 39
Revert to snapshot 41
Snapshot 40
Suspend 40
configuring Webviews 22
connecting to virtual machines 40
CPU usage 37
creating reports 41
creating snapshots 40
criteria 34
customization templates, modifying 37

D
database usage 13
date and currency format 26
disk shares 37

E
email notification type 25
exporting logs and application settings 43

G
generating reports 41

I
importing a virtual machine 41
initial configuration 22
installing LCM 17
Windows prerequisites 16

L
LCM Administrator 11
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LCM Approver 11
LCM IT Staff 11
LCM Requester 11
LCM Tech Requester 11
lifecycle process overview 10

M
mapping roles and tasks 24
memory usage 37
migrating from LCM 1.0.1 19
modifying customization templates 37

O
Orchestrator 12
custom categories 28
installing and configuring 15

P
power state, checking 39
powering on virtual machines 39

R
RDP client
opening virtual machines 40
system requirements 17
reports, generating 41
requesting virtual machines 36–37
resource allocation 37
reverting to snapshots 41
roles 11

S
Service Directory 13
snapshots
creating 40
reverting 41
suspending virtual machines 40

T
templates, modifying 37

V
vCenter compatibility 12
virtual machines
checking power state 39
connecting 40
opening in RDP client 40

Lifecycle Manager Administration Guide

opening in Web browser 40
powering on 39
requesting 36–37
resource allocation 37
snapshot 40
suspending 40
VMware WebCenter Remote MKS Plug-in 17, 40

W
Web browsers
opening virtual machines 40
supported 17
Webview debugging 43

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Creator                         : VMware, Inc.
Description                     : Describes how to install and configure LCM 1.0.2
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Subject                         : Describes how to install and configure LCM 1.0.2

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