Enabling guest customization if it is greyed out

Products

• VMware vCenter Server

Issue/Introduction

This article describes how to enable guest customizations when the option does not appear to be available.

This article also describes:

• The permissions required to allow a user to deploy a virtual machine from a template when a user (in a group) is added to VirtualCenter/vCenter Server.
• How to customize using an existing customization specifications.

Environment

VMware VirtualCenter 2.0.x
VMware vCenter Server 5.0.x
VMware vCenter Server 4.1.x
VMware VirtualCenter 2.5.x
VMware vCenter Server 4.0.x

Resolution

To enable a user or group to deploy from a template using an existing customization specification:

1. On the vCenter Server, ensure that the user(s) belong to the group to which you want to add the permissions.
   
   For example, you may have a group named adm_tmpl_grp. In this group, you have user1, user2, etc.
   
   
2. Using the vSphere Client, log in to vCenter Server with an account that has Datacenter Administrator privileges.
3. Create two new roles.
   1. Click Admin.
   2. Click the Roles tab.
   3. Configure the roles as follows:
      • Name Role1 TmplAdminCust
      • Name Role2 TempltAdminAccess
        
4. Provide these permissions for Role1:
   • Virtual Machine
     • Provisioning
       • Read Customization Specifications
       • Modify Customization Specifications
5. Provide these permissions for Role2:
   
   • Datastore
     • Browse Datastore
     • Allocate Space (for vSphere 4.0)
       
   • Virtual Machine
     • Inventory
       • Create
     • Interaction (Select all options)
     • Configuration
       • Add new disk
     • Provisioning
       • Customize
       • Deploy Template
         
   • Resource
     • Assign Virtual Machine to Resource Pool
       
6. Go back to the Inventory Host and Clusters tab and click the top level folder.
7. Click the Permissions tab.
8. Right-click and click Add Permission.
9. Add the group <> and select the TmplAdminCust role.
10. Deselect Propagate to child objects and click OK.
11. Right-click the Data center to which you want to assign permissions.
12. Click the Permissions tab.
13. Right-click and click Add permission.
14. Select the role TmpltAdminAccess and add the group <> to it.
15. Ensure Propagate is selected.
16. Click OK.
17. Log in to the vSphere Client using an account from the group created and test that the access rights are correct.
    
    
    Note: In ESXi 5.x versions, permissions have to be applied at the vCenter Server Permission Level.

Additional Information

For translated versions of this article, see:

• Español:
  
• Português:
  
• 日本語: ゲスト カスタマイズが灰色で表示している場合の有効化 (2080842)
  
• 简体中文: 启用客户机自定义（如果灰显） (2086177)