Annotation values in template are not copied to VM on creation?

[emcginnis]

I've created a custom attribute for VMs and set the value of that annotation in a template.  When I create a VM from that template, it does not have the value I specified, just a blank value.

How can I have the template value retained?

Thanks,

-Evan-

[chriswahl]

The cause is due to where the data is stored, and how. Annotations are part of the vCenter Database and tied to the individual VM itself. Notes, on the other hand, are stored directly in the VMX file and follow around the newly deployed VM.

So you can either use the notes field to have the data follow the new VM, or use a PowerCLI script to generate the new VM from the template and then copy the annotation.

[emcginnis]

Thanks for your help.

This won't quite get me what I want, which is to have values follow the template to the VM I create.   There doesn't seem to be a way to edit a note in a template, just annotations, and as those aren't copied to the VM upon creation, I'm not left with very much to work with.

This would be a really handy feature, and is exactly how things work in Citrix.

-Evan-

[DSTAVERT]

I don't know this to work. It is only an "I wonder if". Try using an OVF rather than a template.