Overview

 When uploading your own virtual machine templates to Softdrive, it is critical to install the required drivers and guest agents to ensure proper integration and performance within the Softdrive environment. 

Applies To

• Custom VM Templates
• Windows Templates
• Linux Templates
• Softdrive Environment

Prerequisites

•  Access to the VM or template before uploading to Softdrive 
•  Administrative privileges (local admin or sudo) 
•  Internet access or ability to mount installation media 

Procedure

1.  Configure Windows templates 
   •  Download the latest VirtIO drivers ISO from: https://fedorapeople.org/groups/virt/virtio-win/direct-downloads/stable-virtio/ 
   •  Mount the ISO in your virtual machine 
   •  Run virtio-win-guest-tools.exe 
   •  Select all drivers and ensure the QEMU Guest Agent is installed 
   •  (Optional) Preserve drivers during sysprep by adding the following to your unattend XML:
      

     1. <component name="Microsoft-Windows-PnpSysprep"
                  processorArchitecture="amd64"
                  publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35"
                  language="neutral"
                  versionScope="nonSxS"
                  xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State"
                  xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
          <PersistAllDeviceInstalls>true</PersistAllDeviceInstalls>
          <DoNotCleanUpNonPresentDevices>true</DoNotCleanUpNonPresentDevices>
        </component>
        

        XML
        
        
        
2.  Configure Linux templates 
   •  Install the QEMU Guest Agent 

     1. 
        sudo apt install qemu-guest-agent      # For Debian/Ubuntu
        sudo yum install qemu-guest-agent      # For RHEL/CentOS
        sudo systemctl enable --now qemu-guest-agent
        

        Bash



        
   •  For RHEL/CentOS, enable RPC access by modifying the configuration: 
     

     sudo sed -i "s/\(BLACKLIST_RPC.*\)/# \1/g" /etc/sysconfig/qemu-ga
     

     Bash
     
     


Expected Result

 The virtual machine template is fully prepared with required drivers and agents, ensuring compatibility and proper operation within Softdrive. 

Troubleshooting

• Verify VirtIO drivers are installed before uploading the template
• Ensure the QEMU Guest Agent service is running
• Check network and disk drivers if the VM fails to boot properly
• If issues persist, open a ticket at support@softdrive.co