New Training: vSphere Content Libraries

In this 10-video skill, CBT Nuggets trainer Keith Barker walks you through additional options for deploying VMs, including the use of content libraries. Watch this new VMware training.

Watch the full course: VMware Certified Professional

This training includes:

• 10 videos

• 1 hour of training

You’ll learn these topics in this skill:

• Intro to Content Libraries

• Content Library Overview

• Create a Local Library

• Adding Content from Inventory

• Adding Content from Local Computer

• Exporting & Importing OVFs

• Publishing and Subscribing

• Creating VMs from Library

• Hands on Lab: Content Libraries

• Lab Walkthrough

What is a Content Library in vSphere?

The virtualized environment is a boon for businesses. It allows organizations to fully utilize physical computer hardware to provide more services within a business without increasing TCO (total cost of ownership). A virtualized environment is also easier to manage and deploy, too. So, it's common for organizations to create new virtualized servers for both small and large tasks. Creating a new virtual machine still incurs some overhead and operational time from IT professionals, though. One of the ways that IT admins can reduce the time to deployment for new virtual machines is by utilizing content libraries in vSphere.

Content libraries are like a personal repository for virtual machine environments. These content libraries can hold VM images, virtual machine templates, and ISO files. This repository can be utilized in multiple ways.

For instance, if a business needs to commonly spin up and tear down a virtual machine to perform specific tasks, they can store a virtual machine template in their content library. That template can be a few-click operation for deploying a virtual machine while reducing the time it takes to configure it.

Likewise, if a business deploys all virtual machines with a specific version of Linux, they can keep the ISO for that Linux Distribution in their content library, too. This ensures it is always accessible to create new virtual machines with.