I have a need to add virtual SCSI controllers and virtual disks to those controllers at time of deployment for CloneWorkflow based blueprints and being able to specify the SPBM (Storage Policy Based Management) to those virtual disks.
While doing my research I noticed that some of our blueprints where virtual disks were added would have "machine.properties" properties like so:
VirtualMachine.Disk0.DeviceID : SCSI (0:0)
VirtualMachine.Disk0.ExternalID : <id>
VirtualMachine.Disk0.IsClone : true
VirtualMachine.Disk0.IsFixed : False
VirtualMachine.Disk0.Label : Hard disk 1
VirtualMachine.Disk0.Name : Hard disk 1
VirtualMachine.Disk0.Size : 100
VirtualMachine.Disk0.Storage : <storage name>
VirtualMachine.Disk0.Storage.Cluster.ExternalReferenceId : <storage id>
VirtualMachine.Disk0.Storage.Cluster.Name : <name of storage>
VirtualMachine.Disk1.DeviceID : SCSI (0:1)
VirtualMachine.Disk1.ExternalID : <id>
VirtualMachine.Disk1.IsClone : false
VirtualMachine.Disk1.IsFixed : False
VirtualMachine.Disk1.Label : Hard disk 2
VirtualMachine.Disk1.Letter : /dev/sdb
VirtualMachine.Disk1.Name : Hard disk 2
VirtualMachine.Disk1.Size : 2
VirtualMachine.Disk1.Storage : <storage name>
VirtualMachine.Disk1.Storage.Cluster.ExternalReferenceId : <storage id>
The blueprint editor does not allow you to specify the virtual SCSI controller, hence all additional virtual disks are bound the the first/default controller in the template.
(1) Is it possible to change the value of "VirtualMachine.DiskN.DeviceID" to specify a virtual SCSI controller other than zero, e.g. (1:0), and have that controller created automatically? Obviously there would need to be additional properties to specify the type of controller, etc.
(2) If yes then what was the approach? Was it a matter of adding the properties to the blueprint? Part of the reason for asking is that the documentation on this family of properties (Custom Properties V) doesn't mention "VirtualMachine.DiskN.DeviceID". Is there another source of information for "VirtualMachine.DiskN.DeviceID"?
(3) Is there an easy/more direct way of specifying the vSphere SPBM policy or is custom coding the only solution? The "VirtualMachine.DiskN.Storage*" properties (Custom Properties V) refer to vRA storage reservation policies not vSphere SPBM.
(4) Also, the documentation doesn't explain "VirtualMachine.DiskN.Size" other than as a reference for the explanation of "VirtualMachine.Admin.TotalDiskUsage". Any other sources of information for this property?
Thanks in advance.