I am trying to get Hashicorp packer to work in my vSphere 7.0.3 environment using https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mO0oeCAjeO8. Packer will create the virtual machine and power it on. At this point I see the cursor flashing in the upper left corner and no indication that it is attempting a PXE boot. To troubleshoot a I created a virtual machine by hand using the same specifications and it does attempt to boot from PXE. This does result in an attempt to boot from PXE -- it doesn't get a lease but that is for another topic.
This is the not working virtual machine (does not attempt PXE boot).
.encoding = "UTF-8"
bios.bootOrder = "hdd,cdrom,cdrom"
bios.hddOrder = "scsi0:0"
cleanShutdown = "FALSE"
config.version = "8"
disk.EnableUUID = "TRUE"
displayName = "template-windows-server-2016-dc-amd64-20220629T233339Z"
ethernet0.addressType = "vpx"
ethernet0.dvs.connectionId = "355781333"
ethernet0.dvs.portgroupId = "dvportgroup-34"
ethernet0.dvs.portId = "5"
ethernet0.dvs.switchId = "50 22 40 24 aa 2f 6c 98-4c c0 9e 1d ae 5e 02 b3"
ethernet0.generatedAddress = "00:50:56:a2:e5:bd"
ethernet0.pciSlotNumber = "192"
ethernet0.present = "TRUE"
ethernet0.uptCompatibility = "TRUE"
ethernet0.virtualDev = "vmxnet3"
floppy0.fileName = "packer-tmp-created-floppy.flp"
floppy0.fileType = "file"
guestOS = "windows9srv-64"
hpet0.present = "TRUE"
ide0:0.deviceType = "cdrom-image"
ide0:0.fileName = "/vmfs/volumes/1b7e8349-638833b6/ISOs/Windows_Server_2016_Datacenter_EVAL_en-us_14393_refresh.ISO"
ide0:0.present = "TRUE"
ide0:1.deviceType = "cdrom-image"
ide0:1.fileName = "/vmfs/volumes/1b7e8349-638833b6/ISOs/VMware-tools-windows-12.0.5-19716617.iso"
ide0:1.present = "TRUE"
memSize = "4096"
migrate.hostLog = "template-windows-server-2016-dc-amd64-20220629T233339Z-29f4d365.hlog"
monitor.phys_bits_used = "45"
numa.autosize.cookie = "20012"
numa.autosize.vcpu.maxPerVirtualNode = "2"
numvcpus = "2"
nvram = "template-windows-server-2016-dc-amd64-20220629T233339Z.nvram"
pciBridge0.pciSlotNumber = "17"
pciBridge0.present = "TRUE"
pciBridge4.functions = "8"
pciBridge4.pciSlotNumber = "21"
pciBridge4.present = "TRUE"
pciBridge4.virtualDev = "pcieRootPort"
pciBridge5.functions = "8"
pciBridge5.pciSlotNumber = "22"
pciBridge5.present = "TRUE"
pciBridge5.virtualDev = "pcieRootPort"
pciBridge6.functions = "8"
pciBridge6.pciSlotNumber = "23"
pciBridge6.present = "TRUE"
pciBridge6.virtualDev = "pcieRootPort"
pciBridge7.functions = "8"
pciBridge7.pciSlotNumber = "24"
pciBridge7.present = "TRUE"
pciBridge7.virtualDev = "pcieRootPort"
sched.cpu.min = "0"
sched.cpu.shares = "normal"
sched.cpu.units = "mhz"
sched.mem.min = "4096"
sched.mem.minSize = "4096"
sched.mem.pin = "TRUE"
sched.mem.shares = "normal"
sched.swap.derivedName = "/vmfs/volumes/1b7e8349-638833b6/template-windows-server-2016-dc-amd64-20220629T233339Z/template-windows-server-2016-dc-amd64-20220629T233339Z-3fd0f527.vswp"
scsi0:0.deviceType = "scsi-hardDisk"
scsi0:0.fileName = "template-windows-server-2016-dc-amd64-20220629T233339Z.vmdk"
scsi0:0.present = "TRUE"
scsi0:0.redo = ""
scsi0.pciSlotNumber = "160"
scsi0.present = "TRUE"
scsi0.sasWWID = "50 05 05 69 99 9b 69 a0"
scsi0.virtualDev = "pvscsi"
softPowerOff = "FALSE"
svga.present = "TRUE"
uuid.bios = "42 22 b2 99 99 9b 69 a1-c1 51 be f6 98 ad 16 5a"
uuid.location = "56 4d be 63 30 18 5c 55-50 d3 2a b3 a8 a3 dd db"
vc.uuid = "50 22 0f 4e 12 8b 6b dc-8f ca 94 02 37 03 f2 37"
virtualHW.version = "17"
viv.moid = "efc59e26-45f3-4b1c-b2a2-3a148f98b5c6:vm-1037:5zANglf76M4IGY/mcW0UozjuPWYguY2CjdnLWsFGLLM="
vm.createDate = "1656545619474568"
vm.genid = "-8104448032673068936"
vm.genidX = "-7353278632540554227"
vmci0.id = "-1733487014"
vmci0.present = "TRUE"
vmotion.checkpointFBSize = "4194304"
vmotion.checkpointSVGAPrimarySize = "4194304"
vmotion.svga.graphicsMemoryKB = "4096"
vmotion.svga.mobMaxSize = "4194304"
This is the working virtual machine (does attempt PXE boot).
.encoding = "UTF-8"
bios.bootDelay = "2000"
cleanShutdown = "FALSE"
config.version = "8"
cpuid.coresPerSocket = "2"
disk.EnableUUID = "TRUE"
displayName = "Win2016eva2"
ethernet0.addressType = "vpx"
ethernet0.dvs.connectionId = "1461852914"
ethernet0.dvs.portgroupId = "dvportgroup-34"
ethernet0.dvs.portId = "6"
ethernet0.dvs.switchId = "50 22 40 24 aa 2f 6c 98-4c c0 9e 1d ae 5e 02 b3"
ethernet0.generatedAddress = "00:50:56:a2:a7:00"
ethernet0.pciSlotNumber = "192"
ethernet0.present = "TRUE"
ethernet0.shares = "normal"
ethernet0.virtualDev = "vmxnet3"
floppy0.present = "FALSE"
ftcpt.ftEncryptionMode = "ftEncryptionOpportunistic"
guestOS = "windows9srv-64"
hpet0.present = "TRUE"
memSize = "4096"
migrate.encryptionMode = "opportunistic"
migrate.hostLog = "Win2016eva2-6ebca4ea.hlog"
monitor.phys_bits_used = "45"
numa.autosize.cookie = "20022"
numa.autosize.vcpu.maxPerVirtualNode = "2"
numvcpus = "2"
nvram = "Win2016eva2.nvram"
pciBridge0.pciSlotNumber = "17"
pciBridge0.present = "TRUE"
pciBridge4.functions = "8"
pciBridge4.pciSlotNumber = "21"
pciBridge4.present = "TRUE"
pciBridge4.virtualDev = "pcieRootPort"
pciBridge5.functions = "8"
pciBridge5.pciSlotNumber = "22"
pciBridge5.present = "TRUE"
pciBridge5.virtualDev = "pcieRootPort"
pciBridge6.functions = "8"
pciBridge6.pciSlotNumber = "23"
pciBridge6.present = "TRUE"
pciBridge6.virtualDev = "pcieRootPort"
pciBridge7.functions = "8"
pciBridge7.pciSlotNumber = "24"
pciBridge7.present = "TRUE"
pciBridge7.virtualDev = "pcieRootPort"
powerType.powerOff = "default"
powerType.reset = "default"
powerType.suspend = "default"
sata0:0.clientDevice = "TRUE"
sata0:0.deviceType = "cdrom-raw"
sata0:0.fileName = "emptyBackingString"
sata0:0.present = "TRUE"
sata0:0.startConnected = "FALSE"
sata0.pciSlotNumber = "32"
sata0.present = "TRUE"
sched.cpu.affinity = "all"
sched.cpu.latencySensitivity = "normal"
sched.cpu.min = "0"
sched.cpu.shares = "normal"
sched.cpu.units = "mhz"
sched.mem.min = "0"
sched.mem.minSize = "0"
sched.mem.shares = "normal"
sched.scsi0:0.shares = "normal"
sched.scsi0:0.throughputCap = "off"
sched.swap.derivedName = "/vmfs/volumes/1b7e8349-638833b6/Win2016eva2/Win2016eva2-d5b05b58.vswp"
scsi0:0.deviceType = "scsi-hardDisk"
scsi0:0.fileName = "Win2016eva2.vmdk"
scsi0:0.present = "TRUE"
scsi0:0.redo = ""
scsi0.pciSlotNumber = "160"
scsi0.present = "TRUE"
scsi0.sasWWID = "50 05 05 67 bf c6 55 30"
scsi0.virtualDev = "lsisas1068"
softPowerOff = "FALSE"
svga.present = "TRUE"
svga.vramSize = "8388608"
tools.upgrade.policy = "manual"
toolScripts.afterPowerOn = "TRUE"
toolScripts.afterResume = "TRUE"
toolScripts.beforePowerOff = "TRUE"
toolScripts.beforeSuspend = "TRUE"
usb_xhci:4.deviceType = "hid"
usb_xhci:4.parent = "-1"
usb_xhci:4.port = "4"
usb_xhci:4.present = "TRUE"
usb_xhci.pciSlotNumber = "224"
usb_xhci.present = "TRUE"
uuid.bios = "42 22 e6 f7 bf c6 55 31-80 62 f2 c5 40 58 1b 45"
uuid.location = "56 4d 3a 8f c1 68 24 cf-ff 43 6f 0c e0 33 a1 23"
vc.uuid = "50 22 5d bc bc c0 f9 50-3b 81 d8 d0 80 f2 3c 85"
virtualHW.version = "17"
viv.moid = "efc59e26-45f3-4b1c-b2a2-3a148f98b5c6:vm-1038:A3BmZXIGHbZhkvx6RbCvT1GSNyWFWrMninR+kNeZ9SE="
vm.createDate = "1656548470150325"
vm.genid = "-4093377794286868747"
vm.genidX = "6960114338088655747"
vmci0.id = "1079515973"
vmci0.present = "TRUE"
vmotion.checkpointFBSize = "8388608"
vmotion.checkpointSVGAPrimarySize = "8388608"
vmotion.svga.graphicsMemoryKB = "8192"
vmotion.svga.mobMaxSize = "8388608"
Before heading over to Hashicorp to follow-up on packer does anyone know why the packer virtual machine is not attempting the PXE boot?