Windows auto-login for 'Administrator' occurs after Aria Automation deployment with static IP

Products

• VCF Operations/Automation (formerly VMware Aria Suite)

Issue/Introduction

When provisioning a Windows virtual machine from a template via VMware Aria Automation, the following behaviours are observed:

• The deployed VM does not request the local Administrator password post-deployment.
• The local 'Administrator' account is automatically logged in upon accessing the remote console.
• This occurs even when the remoteAccess and cloudConfig properties are defined in the Aria Automation blueprint.

Environment

• Aria Automation 8.x
• external IPAM provider (e.g.: Infoblox)
• Deployment: Microsoft Windows VM on vSphere

Cause

This behavior is typically caused by a race condition between two initialization processes:

1. Aria Automation Sysprep: When a static IP is assigned in the blueprint, Aria Automation triggers a Guest Customization (Sysprep) to apply network and identity configurations.
2. Cloudbase-Init: If the template includes cloudbase-init, it initiates its own customization process during the initial boot.

The conflict between these processes can result in the local Administrator password being unset.

Resolution

To resolve this issue and ensure the Administrator password is correctly applied, implement one of the following workarounds:

 

Workaround 1: Registry Reset via Cloud Template

Modify the cloud template to clear the cloudbase-Init state and force a re-run of the customization plugins after the network-triggered Sysprep completes.

powershell.exe -Command 'Remove-Item -Recurse "HKLM:\Software\Cloudbase Solutions\Cloudbase-Init"'

 

Workaround 2: Use a Different Local User

Modify the cloud template blueprint to use a different local administrative account instead of the default 'Administrator'.

• Update the remoteAccess property and cloudbase-init configuration to specify a custom username and password. This can help determine if the behavior is isolated to the built-in account profile.

 

Workaround 3: Use Dynamic IP Assignment

Adjust the cloud template to utilize dynamic IP assignment to avoid triggering the specific Sysprep race condition associated with static IP customization.

 

Workaround 4: Remove Cloudbase-Init from Template

Deploy the Windows VM using a template that does not have cloudbase-init installed.

• Utilize a vSphere Customization Specification to handle the OS customization and network settings natively through vCenter, bypassing the need for cloudbase-init during the specialization phase.

Additional Information

Windows fails during Aria Automation deployments and auto login 'administrator password' for Windows Server 2019/2022/2025

Windows Administrator password in template is reset when deployed with static ip in Aria Automation