Host Profiles is a tool for creating host configuration profiles that you can use for automated host configuration and configuration compliance check.
This is a great way to have consistent configuration across all your hosts, and by having consistent configuration you avoid having many possible problems with other technologies like HA, vMotion, FT, DRS, etc.
Workflow for creating Host Profile
- Configure reference ESXi host.
- Create Host Profile by extracting configuration from reference ESXi host.
- Attach hosts/clusters to a Host Profile
- Check ESXi host compliance with Host Profile
Creating Host Profile
1. Login to vCenter Server using the vSphere Web Client.
2. Navigate from Home to Rules and Profiles – Host Profiles.
3. Start wizard for extracting Host Profile by clicking Extract Profile from a Host.
5. Choose your reference ESXi host.
6. Enter Host Profile “Name” and “Description”.
7. Review your selected settings and finish wizard.
Attach hosts or clusters to a Host Profile
1. Login to vCenter Server using the vSphere Web Client.
2. Navigate from Home to Rules and Profiles – Host Profiles.
3. Select created Host Profile.
4. Start wizard for Attaching/Detaching Hosts and Clusters by clicking Attach/Detach Hosts and clusters to a host profile.
5. Attach hosts/clusters to host profile by selecting one or more hosts/clusters and clicking Attach.
6. Modify host answer file by entering host specific values: Host name, Management Network IP address, etc.
7. Finish wizard.
Check Host Profile Compliance
1. Login to vCenter Server using the vSphere Web Client.
2. Navigate from Home to Rules and Profiles – Host Profiles.
3. Select created Host Profile and start Host Profile compliance check by clicking Check host profile compliance of associated entities.
4. After Host Profile Compliance check is finished, check the total number of Compliant Hosts, Not Compliant Hosts and Unknown State Hosts are in the Objects tab.
Status indications:
- Compliant Hosts – host settings are compliant with attached Host Profile.
- Not Compliant Host – host settings are not in compliance with attached Host Profile.
- Solution: remediate the host.
- Unknown State Hosts – host settings compliance could not be verified with Host Profile.
- Solution: remediate the host.
5. Remediate a ESXi Host.
Note: before proceeding with remediation process, put host in maintenance mode.
1. Navigate to the Host Profile.
2. Select the Monitor tab – Compliance.
3. Select Host and start remediation wizard by clicking Remediate host based on its host profile.
4. Enter values for properties like Host name, Management Network IP address, etc.
5. Review remediation tasks that will be executed on the hosts, and complete the wizard.
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