PowerShell script to create a vSphere VM with 8 HDDs and 2 SSDs suitable for testing ZFS on Linux

create_zol_vm.ps1

# Stops the client whining about certs
Set-PowerCLIConfiguration -InvalidCertificateAction ignore

# Edit these values to suit your environment
Connect-VIServer -server vcenter.dev.acme.com -User root -Password *******************

# VM host we will create the VM on
$VS5_Host = "10.10.10.2"
# Name of VM we want to create
$vmName1 = "ZOL_CentOS"
# How many vCPUs in the VM
$vm_cpu = 2
# How much RAM in the VM (in MB)
$vmRAM = 4096
# The public network the VM will talk on
$public_network_name = "VMs"
# The datastore that the boot drive (EXT4) will reside on
$osstore = "RAID0"
# Size of the boot drive (in GB)
$osstore_size_GB = 8
# The datastore that the 8 HDDS will be created in
$hddstore = "RAID0"
# Size of the HDDs (in GB)
$hddstore_size_GB = 10
# The datastore that the 2 SSDs (for ZIL and L2ARC) will be created in
$ssdstore = "SSD"
# Size of the SSDs (in GB)
$ssdstore_size_GB = 8

# NEEDS A CD AND AN ATTACHED ISO

# Don't edit below the line
#===============================================================================

# Create the basic VM
$VM1 = new-vm `
-Host "$VS5_Host" `
-Name $vmName1 `
-Datastore (get-datastore "$osstore") `
-Location "ZOL" `
-GuestID rhel6_64Guest `
-MemoryMB $vmRAM `
-DiskMB $osstore_size_MB `
-NetworkName "$public_network_name" `
-DiskStorageFormat "Thin" `
-Version "v8" `
-NumCpu $vm_cpu `
-Confirm:$false

# Create first HDD on HBA #2
$New_Disk1 = New-HardDisk -vm($VM1) -CapacityGB $hddstore_size_GB -StorageFormat Thin -datastore "$hddstore"
$New_SCSI_1_1 = $New_Disk1 | New-ScsiController -Type VirtualLsiLogicSAS -Confirm:$false

# Add 7 more HDDs on HBA #2
 foreach ($id in 1,2,3,4,5,6,8) {
	$New_Disk1 = New-HardDisk -vm($VM1) -CapacityGB $hddstore_size_GB -StorageFormat Thin -datastore "$hddstore"
	set-harddisk -Confirm:$false -harddisk $New_Disk1 -controller $New_SCSI_1_1
 }

# Create first SSD on HBA #3
$New_Disk1 = New-HardDisk -vm($VM1) -CapacityGB $ssdstore_size_GB -StorageFormat Thin -datastore "$ssdstore"
$New_SCSI_1_1 = $New_Disk1 | New-ScsiController -Type VirtualLsiLogicSAS -Confirm:$false

# Add one more SSD on HBA #3
$New_Disk1 = New-HardDisk -vm($VM1) -CapacityGB $ssdstore_size_GB -StorageFormat Thin -datastore "$ssdstore"
set-harddisk -Confirm:$false -harddisk $New_Disk1 -controller $New_SCSI_1_1

# http://blogs.microsoft.co.il/scriptfanatic/2009/08/27/force-a-vm-to-enter-bios-setup-screen-on-next-reboot/
filter Set-VMBIOSSetup 
{ 
   param( 
        [switch]$Disable, 
        [switch]$PassThru 
   )
   if($_ -is [VMware.VimAutomation.Types.VirtualMachine]) 
    { 
       trap { throw $_ }        
       $vmbo = New-Object VMware.Vim.VirtualMachineBootOptions 
       $vmbo.EnterBIOSSetup = $true 
       if($Disable) 
        { 
           $vmbo.EnterBIOSSetup = $false 
        } 
       $vmcs = New-Object VMware.Vim.VirtualMachineConfigSpec 
       $vmcs.BootOptions = $vmbo 
        ($_ | Get-View).ReconfigVM($vmcs) 
       if($PassThru) 
        { 
           Get-VM $_ 
        } 
    } 
   else 
    { 
       Write-Error "Wrong object type. Only virtual machine objects are allowed."
    } 
}

# Set VM to boot from BIOS on first boot so that we can disable the floppy/serial/parallel ports etc.
Get-VM $vmName1 | Set-VMBIOSSetup -PassThru

# Set any additional VM params that are useful
# Based on: https://github.com/rabbitofdeath/vm-powershell/blob/master/vsphere5_hardening.ps1
$ExtraOptions = @{
	# Creates /dev/disk/by-id in Linux
	"disk.EnableUUID"="true";
	# Disable virtual disk shrinking
	"isolation.tools.diskShrink.disable"="true";
	"isolation.tools.diskWiper.disable"="true";
	# 5.0 Prevent device removal-connection-modification of devices
	"isolation.tools.setOption.disable"="true";
	"isolation.device.connectable.disable"="true";
	"isolation.device.edit.disable"="true";
	# Disable copy/paste operations to/from VM
	"isolation.tools.copy.disable"="true";
	"isolation.tools.paste.disable"="true";
	"isolation.tools.dnd.disable"="false";
	"isolation.tools.setGUIOptions.enable"="false";
	# Disable VMCI
	"vmci0.unrestricted"="false";
	# Log Management
	"tools.setInfo.sizeLimit"="1048576";
	"log.keepOld"="10";
	"log.rotateSize"="100000";
	# Limit console connections - choose how many consoles are allowed
	#"RemoteDisplay.maxConnections"="1";
	"RemoteDisplay.maxConnections"="2";
	# 5.0 Disable serial port
	"serial0.present"="false";
	# 5.0 Disable parallel port
	"parallel0.present"="false";
	# 5.0 Disable USB
	"usb.present"="false";
	# Disable VIX Messaging from VM
	"isolation.tools.vixMessage.disable"="true"; # ESXi 5.x+
	"guest.command.enabled"="false"; # ESXi 4.x
	# Disable logging
	#"logging"="false";	
	# 5.0 Disable HGFS file transfers [automated VMTools Upgrade]
	"isolation.tools.hgfsServerSet.disable"="false";
	# Disable tools auto-install; must be manually initiated.
	"isolation.tools.autoInstall.disable"="false";
	# 5.0 Disable VM Monitor Control - VM not aware of hypervisor
	#"isolation.monitor.control.disable"="true";
	# 5.0 Do not send host information to guests
	"tools.guestlib.enableHostInfo"="false";
}

# build our configspec using the hashtable from above.
$vmConfigSpec = New-Object VMware.Vim.VirtualMachineConfigSpec

# note we have to call the GetEnumerator before we can iterate through
Foreach ($Option in $ExtraOptions.GetEnumerator()) {
    $OptionValue = New-Object VMware.Vim.optionvalue
    $OptionValue.Key = $Option.Key
    $OptionValue.Value = $Option.Value
    $vmConfigSpec.extraconfig += $OptionValue
}
# Change our VM settings
$vmview=get-vm $vmName1 | get-view
$vmview.ReconfigVM_Task($vmConfigSpec)