vRA Additional Disks

With SovLabs Property Toolkit for vRealize Automation (vRA), dynamically add vRA Disks with custom properties.

Using VMware’s vRealize Automation’s Approval Policies, we are able to add additional disks on a VM.

Compatibility

Highlights

• Manage Active vRA Approval Policies with SovLabs Property Toolkit
• Add Disks (0-15) with SovLabs Property Toolkit
• Use vRA Machine Properties to dynamically add additional disks

Known Behavior

vRA Approval Policies (native)

• Multiple vRA Approval Policies with the same name can exist
• Once the Status field is set to Active and the Approval Policy is saved, the user will not be able to edit the policy
  • In order to edit the Approval Policy, will have to Copy/Clone
• SovLabs offers Manage Property Toolkit Approval Policies

vRA Machine Properties

• Able to obtain vRA Custom Properties from:
  • vRA Business Group
  • vRA Property Groups
  • vRA Deployment for the vRA Blueprint
  • Machines on the vRA Blueprint
• Unable to obtain vRA Custom Properties from:
  • vRA Reservation
  • vRA Compute Resource
  • vRA Endpoint
• If utilizing SovLabs Property Toolkit (e.g. SovLabs_CreateProperties_ and/or SVL_), vRA machine properties are rendered 3 times

vRA Additional Disks

• If the user has an Approval Policy with a SovLabs Property Toolkit level but the expected vRA custom property is not defined:
  • The vRA Additional Disks will not get set
  • The Approval Policy will approve the machine request
• Please be certain to have Disks defined in sequence order (otherwise disks will not be added)
  • Correct: 1, 2, 3 …
  • Incorrect: 1, 5 …
• Cloned Machine Build: Unable to change/modify already defined Disks on the template
• Create Machine build: Able to set Disk 0+ with this feature
• Changing the volumeId does not change the order of the disks, however, the property will show in “Custom Properties” in the Storage tab for the disk. Disk ordering is determined by VirtualMachine.Disk#
• By default, Name is set to Hard Disk # and the name shows in vCenter
• VirtualMachine.Disk# properties do not get added in the Properties tab for a Machine. Some of the disk properties will get added to the Custom Properties for the Disk

Prerequisites

1. (Optional) Customers can have and use existing vRA Approval Policies to add additional disks.
2. An Approval Policy with Type: Service Catalog - Catalog Item Request - Virtual Machine
3. Successful vRA Blueprint - please note the total capacity/maximum storage that can support the additional disk(s)
4. (Optional) vRA Storage Reservation Policy/Policies set up
5. All properties necessary to affect the vRA Network Profile Names set at the 1) vRA Business Group, 2) vRA Property Groups and/or 3) vRA Deployment for the vRA Blueprint, 4) vRA Machine Properties, 5) SovLabs_CreateProperties_ and/or 6) SVL_

Setup

1. Use the Manage Property Toolkit Approval Policies - SovLabs Modules vRA Catalog Request to create or update an Approval Policy with Policy Type: Service Catalog - Catalog Item Request - Virtual Machine
2. Attach the Approval Policy to the vRA Blueprint(s) in order to affect the vRA Network Profile Names
   • Administration > Catalog Management > Entitlements
   • Click {tenant}
   • Click Items & Approvals
     • Click +Entitled Items
       • Select the desired vRA Blueprints
       • Apply this policy to selected items: Select desired Approval Policy created/updated with the SovLabs Property Toolkit level
       • Click Ok
     • Click Finish

Usage

Set the following custom properties (vRA Business Group, vRA Property Groups, vRA Deployment for the vRA Blueprint, vRA Machine Properties)

*NOTE: SovLabs_VM_Disk#-Size, (where # is a number 0-15), must increment sequentially for each desired vRA Additional Disk. For Cloned Machine Builds, start at the next disk number.

*NOTE: Can use SovLabs_CreateProperties_ and SVL_ to set the Name/Value to add additional disks(s)

VMware Documentation for Disks

1. Documentation for setting Disk Active, Label, Letter, FS and FileSystem: Click here
2. Documentation for setting other Disk Properties: Click here

Manage Property Toolkit Approval Policies - SovLabs Modules

Perform the below in vRA > Catalog > Manage Property Toolkit Approval Policies - SovLabs Modules

Create

Create vRA Approval Policies with Policy Type: Service Catalog - Catalog Item Request - Virtual Machine

• Creates a vRA Approval Policy with Policy Type: Service Catalog - Catalog Item Request - Virtual Machine
• Creates a SovLabs Property Toolkit level in the Pre Approval Phase
  • The level is set at Order 1
  • The level has all necessary Disk properties, 0-15, Custom Properties that enables the vRA Disk to be dynamically added
  • The level calls the vRA EBS: Property Toolkit Pre Approval Policy - Catalog Item Request - Virtual Machine
    • The level automatically approves this level
• This option is recommended for customers who do not rely on vRA Approval Policies but would like to update vRA Network Profile Names

View

View vRA Approval Policies with Policy Type: Service Catalog - Catalog Item Request - Virtual Machine

• View selected vRA Approval Policies
  • Details field will list all Pre Approval levels for the Approval Policy
  • Submitting the form will not make any changes to the Approval Policy

Update

Update vRA Approval Policies with Policy Type: Service Catalog - Catalog Item Request - Virtual Machine

• Updates selected vRA Approval Policies, regardless of state/status (e.g. Active/Inactive)
• Add a SovLabs Property Toolkit level in the Pre Approval Phase
  • The level is set at Order 1
  • The level has all necessary Disk properties, 0-15, Custom Properties that enables the vRA Disk to be dynamically added
  • The level calls the vRA EBS: Property Toolkit Pre Approval Policy - Catalog Item Request - Virtual Machine
    • The level automatically approves this level
  • If the SovLabs Property Toolkit level already exists, it will skip adding it to the Approval Policy. The Details field will notate the skip.
  • Remove a SovLabs Property Toolkit level in the Pre Approval Phase
    • The SovLabs Property Toolkit level in the Pre Approval Phase is removed
    • All subsequent levels are shifted up a level (e.g. Level 2 becomes Level 1)
    • If the SovLabs Property Toolkit level is the only level that exists, it will skip removing it from the Approval Policy. The Details field will notate the skip.
      • At least 1 level must exist for an Active Approval Policy
    • If the SovLabs Property Toolkit level does not exist, it will skip removing it from the Approval Policy. The Details field will notate the skip.
      • The Remove action only removes a SovLabs Property Toolkit level

Delete

Delete vRA Approval Policies with Policy Type: Service Catalog - Catalog Item Request - Virtual Machine

• Deletes a vRA Approval Policy
• Confirm checkbox must be checked in order to submit form since this is a destructive action and cannot be undone