---
title: Creating VMs by uploading images
---

# Creating VMs by uploading images {#virt-creating-vms-uploading-images}

You can create virtual machines (VMs) by uploading operating system images from your local machine.

You can create a Windows VM by uploading a Windows image to a PVC. Then you clone the PVC when you create the VM.

> [!IMPORTANT]
> You must install the QEMU guest agent on VMs created from operating system images that are not provided by Red Hat.
>
> You must also install VirtIO drivers on Windows VMs. Download VirtIO drivers only from official Red Hat sources. For more information, see "Additional resources".

## Creating a VM from an uploaded image by using the web console {#virt-creating-vm-uploaded-image-web_virt-creating-vms-uploading-images}

You can create a virtual machine (VM) from an uploaded operating system image by using the OpenShift Container Platform web console.

**Prerequisites**

- You must have an `IMG`, `ISO`, or `QCOW2` image file.

**Procedure**

1. Navigate to **Virtualization** → **Catalog** in the web console.
2. Click a template tile without an available boot source.
3. Click **Customize VirtualMachine**.
4. On the **Customize template parameters** page, expand **Storage** and select **Upload (Upload a new file to a PVC)** from the **Disk source** list.
5. Browse to the image on your local machine and set the disk size.
6. Click **Customize VirtualMachine**.
7. Click **Create VirtualMachine**.

### Generalizing a VM image {#virt-generalizing-linux-vm-image_virt-creating-vms-uploading-images}

You can generalize a Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) image to remove all system-specific configuration data before you use the image to create a boot source image, a preconfigured snapshot of a virtual machine (VM). You can use a boot source image to deploy new VMs.

You can generalize a RHEL VM by using the `virtctl`, `guestfs`, and `virt-sysprep` tools.

**Prerequisites**

- You have a RHEL virtual machine (VM) to use as a base VM.
- You have installed the OpenShift CLI (`oc`).
- You have installed the `virtctl` tool.

**Procedure**

1. Stop the RHEL VM if it is running, by entering the following command:

   ```terminal
   $ virtctl stop <my_vm_name>
   ```
2. Optional: Clone the virtual machine to avoid losing the data from your original VM. You can then generalize the cloned VM.
3. Retrieve the `dataVolume` that stores the root filesystem for the VM by running the following command:

   ```terminal
   $ oc get vm <my_vm_name> -o jsonpath="{.spec.template.spec.volumes}{'\n'}"
   ```

   Example output:

   ```terminal
   [{"dataVolume":{"name":"<my_vm_volume>"},"name":"rootdisk"},{"cloudInitNoCloud":{...}]
   ```
4. Retrieve the persistent volume claim (PVC) that matches the listed `dataVolume` by running the followimg command:

   ```terminal
   $ oc get pvc
   ```

   Example output:

   ```terminal
   NAME            STATUS   VOLUME  CAPACITY   ACCESS MODES  STORAGECLASS     AGE
   <my_vm_volume> Bound  …
   ```

   > [!NOTE]
   > If your cluster configuration does not enable you to clone a VM, to avoid losing the data from your original VM, you can clone the VM PVC to a data volume instead. You can then use the cloned PVC to create a boot source image.
   >
   > If you are creating a boot source image by cloning a PVC, continue with the next steps, using the cloned PVC.
5. Deploy a new interactive container with `libguestfs-tools` and attach the PVC to it by running the following command:

   ```terminal
   $ virtctl guestfs <my-vm-volume> --uid 107
   ```

   This command opens a shell for you to run the next command.
6. Remove all configurations specific to your system by running the following command:

   ```terminal
   $ virt-sysprep -a disk.img
   ```
7. In the OpenShift Container Platform console, click **Virtualization** → **Catalog**.
8. Click **Add volume**.
9. In the **Add volume** window:

   1. From the **Source type** list, select **Use existing Volume**.
   2. From the **Volume project** list, select your project.
   3. From the **Volume name** list, select the correct PVC.
   4. In the **Volume name** field, enter a name for the new boot source image.
   5. From the **Preference** list, select the RHEL version you are using.
   6. From the **Default Instance Type** list, select the instance type with the correct CPU and memory requirements for the version of RHEL you selected previously.
   7. Heterogeneous clusters only: From the **Architecture** list, select the architecture that corresponds with the selected volume.
   8. Click **Save**.

**Result**

The new volume appears in the **Select volume to boot from** list. This is your new boot source image. You can use this volume to create new VMs.

## Creating a Windows VM {#virt-creating-windows-vm_virt-creating-vms-uploading-images}

You can create a Windows virtual machine (VM) by uploading a Windows image to a persistent volume claim (PVC) and then cloning the PVC when you create a VM by using the OpenShift Container Platform web console.

**Prerequisites**

- You created a Windows installation DVD or USB with the Windows Media Creation Tool. See [Create Windows 10 installation media](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10) in the Microsoft documentation.
- You created an `autounattend.xml` answer file. See [Answer files (unattend.xml)](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/manufacture/desktop/update-windows-settings-and-scripts-create-your-own-answer-file-sxs) in the Microsoft documentation.

**Procedure**

1. Upload the Windows image as a new PVC:

   1. Navigate to **Storage** → **PersistentVolumeClaims** in the web console.
   2. Click **Create PersistentVolumeClaim** → **With Data upload form**.
   3. Browse to the Windows image and select it.
   4. Enter the PVC name, select the storage class and size and then click **Upload**.

      The Windows image is uploaded to a PVC.
2. Configure a new VM by cloning the uploaded PVC:

   1. Navigate to **Virtualization** → **Catalog**.
   2. Select a Windows template tile and click **Customize VirtualMachine**.
   3. Select **Clone (clone PVC)** from the **Disk source** list.
   4. Select the PVC project, the Windows image PVC, and the disk size.
3. Apply the answer file to the VM:

   1. Click **Customize VirtualMachine parameters**.
   2. On the **Sysprep** section of the **Scripts** tab, click **Edit**.
   3. Browse to the `autounattend.xml` answer file and click **Save**.
4. Set the run strategy of the VM:

   1. Clear **Start this VirtualMachine after creation** so that the VM does not start immediately.
   2. Click **Create VirtualMachine**.
   3. On the **YAML** tab, replace `running:false` with `runStrategy: RerunOnFailure` and click **Save**.
5. Click the Options menu ![](/openshift-docs-markdown/images/kebab.png "Options menu") and select **Control** → **Start**.

   The VM boots from the `sysprep` disk containing the `autounattend.xml` answer file.

### Generalizing a Windows VM image {#virt-generalizing-windows-sysprep_virt-creating-vms-uploading-images}

You can generalize a Windows operating system image to remove all system-specific configuration data before you use the image to create a new virtual machine (VM).

Before generalizing the VM, you must ensure the `sysprep` tool cannot detect an answer file after the unattended Windows installation.

**Prerequisites**

- A running Windows VM with the QEMU guest agent installed.

**Procedure**

1. In the OpenShift Container Platform console, click **Virtualization** → **VirtualMachines**.
2. Select a Windows VM to open the **VirtualMachine details** page.
3. Click **Configuration** → **Disks**.
4. Click the Options menu ![](/openshift-docs-markdown/images/kebab.png "Options menu") beside the `sysprep` disk and select **Detach**.
5. Click **Detach**.
6. Rename `C:\Windows\Panther\unattend.xml` to avoid detection by the `sysprep` tool.
7. Start the `sysprep` program by running the following command:

   ```terminal
   %WINDIR%\System32\Sysprep\sysprep.exe /generalize /shutdown /oobe /mode:vm
   ```
8. After the `sysprep` tool completes, the Windows VM shuts down. The disk image of the VM is now available to use as an installation image for Windows VMs.

**Result**

You can now specialize the VM.

### Specializing a Windows VM image {#virt-specializing-windows-sysprep_virt-creating-vms-uploading-images}

Specializing a Windows virtual machine (VM) configures the computer-specific information from a generalized Windows image onto the VM.

**Prerequisites**

- You must have a generalized Windows disk image.
- You must create an `unattend.xml` answer file. See the [Microsoft documentation](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/manufacture/desktop/update-windows-settings-and-scripts-create-your-own-answer-file-sxs?view=windows-11) for details.

**Procedure**

1. In the OpenShift Container Platform console, click **Virtualization** → **Catalog**.
2. Select a Windows template and click **Customize VirtualMachine**.
3. Select **PVC (clone PVC)** from the **Disk source** list.
4. Select the PVC project and PVC name of the generalized Windows image.
5. Click **Customize VirtualMachine parameters**.
6. Click the **Scripts** tab.
7. In the **Sysprep** section, click **Edit**, browse to the `unattend.xml` answer file, and click **Save**.
8. Click **Create VirtualMachine**.

**Result**

During the initial boot, Windows uses the `unattend.xml` answer file to specialize the VM. The VM is now ready to use.

## Uploading a virtual machine image by using the CLI {#virt-uploading-image-virtctl_virt-creating-vms-uploading-images}

You can upload an operating system image by using the `virtctl` command-line tool. You can use an existing data volume or create a new data volume for the image.

**Prerequisites**

- You must have an `ISO`, `IMG`, or `QCOW2` operating system image file.
- For best performance, compress the image file by using the [virt-sparsify](https://libguestfs.org/virt-sparsify.1.html) tool or the `xz` or `gzip` utilities.
- The client machine must be configured to trust the OpenShift Container Platform router’s certificate.
- You have installed the `virtctl` CLI.
- You have installed the OpenShift CLI (`oc`).

**Procedure**

1. Upload the image by running the `virtctl image-upload` command:

   ```terminal
   $ virtctl image-upload dv <datavolume_name> \
     --size=<datavolume_size> \
     --image-path=</path/to/image>
   ```

   `<datavolume_name>`
   :   The name of the data volume.

   `<datavolume_size>`
   :   The size of the data volume. For example: `--size=500Mi`, `--size=1G`

   `</path/to/image>`
   :   The file path of the image.

   > [!NOTE]
   > - If you do not want to create a new data volume, omit the `--size` parameter and include the `--no-create` flag.
   > - When uploading a disk image to a PVC, the PVC size must be larger than the size of the uncompressed virtual disk.
   > - To allow insecure server connections when using HTTPS, use the `--insecure` parameter. When you use the `--insecure` flag, the authenticity of the upload endpoint is **not** verified.
2. Optional. To verify that a data volume was created, view all data volumes by running the following command:

   ```terminal
   $ oc get dvs
   ```

**Additional resources**
{._additional-resources}

- [Installing the QEMU guest agent](/openshift-docs-markdown/virt/managing_vms/virt-installing-qemu-guest-agent#virt-installing-qemu-guest-agent)
- [Installing VirtIO drivers on Windows VMs](/openshift-docs-markdown/virt/managing_vms/virt-install-virtio-drivers-on-windows-vms#virt-install-virtio-drivers-on-windows-vms)
- [Red Hat VirtIO drivers download page](https://access.redhat.com/downloads/content/479/virtio-win/noarch/package-latest)
- [How to check virtio-win drivers version on Windows guest](https://access.redhat.com/solutions/764103)
- [Installing and updating VirtIO drivers for Windows virtual machines](https://access.redhat.com/solutions/6957701)
- [Cloning VMs](/openshift-docs-markdown/virt/creating_vm/virt-cloning-vms#virt-cloning-vms)
- [Cloning a PVC to a data volume](/openshift-docs-markdown/virt/creating_vm/virt-creating-vms-by-cloning-pvcs#virt-cloning-pvc-to-dv-cli_virt-creating-vms-by-cloning-pvcs)
- link:https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/manufacture/desktop/sysprep--generalize--a-windows-installation\[Sysprep (Generalize) a Windows installation\]
- [Configuration pass of Windows Setup (generalize)](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/manufacture/desktop/generalize)
- [Configuration pass of Windows Setup (specialize)](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/manufacture/desktop/specialize)