Managing VM images

VMs come from VM images. VM images themselves can’t be directly updated. So if changes need to be made to a VM, an environment containing the VM needs to be launched, and the required changes need to be made to the VM in the workspace. 

What happens next depends on the setup complexity, and how and where the VM images are being used. 

If the VM image you want to update: 

1. Is in a template containing a single VM, use the Save as template process to create a new template containing the updated VM image.
2. Is already being used in a course, use the Save as template process to create a new template containing the updated VM image, then update the course to use the new template.
3. Is in multiple templates, use the Save as VM image process to create a new VM image, then bulk update the templates requiring the new VM image.
4. Is part of a template with multiple VM images and only a single VM image needs to be updated, use the Save as VM image process to create a new VM image, then use the Replace VM image process to replace the old VM with the new one VM image in the template, leaving the other VM images in the template intact.

If the VM image is a macOS image, there are some additional considerations to be aware of. Learn about them here: Considerations for macOS VM images.

In this article

Updating a virtual machine (via Save as template)

Updating a VM already being used in a course

Updating a virtual machine (via Save as VM image)

Bulk update templates with a new VM image

Replacing a VM image in a template

Primary and Replica VM images

Updating a virtual machine (via Save as template)

The step-by-step process is as follows:

1. From the Left Navigation menu choose Templates, and select the template containing the VM image that needs to be updated from the list
2. Launch an environment from the template. See: Creating and launching an environment
3. Within the environment workspace, make the required changes to the VM
4. Return to the environment details screen and from the Action dropdown in the Top Navigation menu, choose Save as template. See: Saving an environment as a template

The new template containing the updated VM image can now be used in courses, environments and events.

Updating a VM already being used in a course

If a VM is already being used in a course, the course uses its own copy of a template containing the VM for the course. As a result, any modifications to a template are not automatically reflected in the course.

To update the course with the new VM, the template being used in the course needs to be replaced with the new template. 

1. From the Left Navigation menu choose Courses, and select the course from the list
2. In the Configuration tab of the course, locate the Template field
3. Select the new template from the picklist, then select Save.

Updating a virtual machine (via Save as VM image)

This method is useful when a template requiring the new VM image contains multiple VMs, as it avoids the creation of unnecessary VM images.

The step-by-step process is as follows:

1. From the Left Navigation menu choose Templates, and select the template containing the VM image that needs to be updated from the list
2. Launch an environment from the template. See: Creating and launching an environment
3. Within the environment workspace, make the required changes to the VM
4. Save the VM image from the environment environment as a new template. See: Saving an environment as a template
5. Return to the environment details screen and in the VMs tab, locate the VM that was updated in the workspace. 
6. Select the arrow icon at the end of the row, then select Save as VM Image.

The new VM Image will appear in the VM Images list and can now be used in templates. 

Bulk update templates with a new VM image

If the VM image is used in several templates, these templates can be easily updated using the bulk action capability.

1. From the Left Navigation menu choose Templates, and select the templates containing the VM image that needs to be updated from the list
2. Above the list, select the Bulk actions icon , then select Replace VM image
3. In the Replace VM Image window:
   • Select the Region containing the old and new VM images 
   • Select the Original VM image to nominate the VM that needs replacing in all selected templates
   • Select the New VM image to nominate the VM to replace all original VM images in the selected templates
   • Select Replace All. 

Replacing a VM image in a template

See: Replacing a VM within a template

Primary and Replica VM images

If the Heropa capability to replicate templates across multiple regions is used, VM Images will show as being either Primary or a Replica. See: Managing templates / Multi-region templates.

All VM Images are Primary unless they have been created by using the multi-region template capability, in which case they are Replicas. 

To determine which VM Images have replicas, view the VM Images List screen. The value in the Replicas column will indicate how many replicas of the Primary exist. The replica VM Images will be listed in the Primary VM Image Details page under the Replicas tab.  

When deleting a VM Image that has replicas, you will have the option to also delete these at the same time. If you choose not to delete the replicas, they are promoted to Primary VM images.

Note: Replica VM Images can be excluded from the list by using the show / hide feature.