Cisco Secure Workload Software Appliance Deployment Guide

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VMware vSphere configuration settings

Updated: October 31, 2025

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Overview

Understand the VMware vSphere configuration settings for deploying the Secure Workload Software Appliance.

Each VMware vSphere deployment can have different requirements, constraints, and best practices depending on your setup. The Secure Workload installer does not change any configuration in the vSphere deployment.

Recommendations for VMware vSphere configuration.

  • Enable the VMware vSphere Distributed Resource Scheduler (DRS), vSphere high availability (HA) for host failure, and vMotion on the cluster where Secure Workload will be deployed. This will help provide availability and performance for instances in the Secure Workload cluster.

  • Ensure datastores are highly available and durable so that they store data redundantly and resist hardware failure.

VMware vSphere Permissions

We recommend creating a dedicated user account for the Secure Workload installer and assigning only the minimum required permissions needed for installation.

The following permissions are commonly assigned for Secure Workload installation:

  • Content library

  • Datastore

  • Folder/create folder

  • Network\assign network

  • Resource and tasks

  • Virtual Machine

  • dvPort Group

  • vApp

  • vSphere Tagging (Labeling)

VMware vSphere Objects and Permissions

Table 1. Objects and Permissions

vSphere Objects

Permissions

Content Library

Add or delete library item

Datastore

  • Allocate space

  • Browse datastore

  • Configure datastore

  • Low level file operations

  • Move datastore

  • Remove datastore

  • Remove file

  • Rename datastore

  • Update virtual machine files

  • Update virtual machine metadata

Folder

  • Create folder

  • Delete folder

  • Move folder

  • Rename folder

vSphere Tagging

Assign or Unassign vSphere Tag on Object

Network

  • Assign network

  • Configure

  • Move network

  • Remove

Resource

  • Apply recommendation

  • Assign vApp to resource pool

  • Assign virtual machine to resource pool

  • Create resource pool

  • Migrate powered off virtual machine

  • Migrate powered on virtual machine

  • Modify resource pool

  • Move resource pool

  • Query vMotion

  • Remove resource pool

  • Rename resource pool

Scheduled task

  • Create tasks

  • Modify task

  • Remove task

  • Run task

Profile-driven storage

  • Profile-driven storage update

  • Profile-driven storage view

Tasks

  • Create task

  • Update task

vApp

Import

Virtual machine

  • Change Configuration

    • Acquire disk lease

    • Add existing disk

    • Add new disk

    • Add or remove device

    • Advanced configuration

    • Change CPU count

    • Change Memory

    • Change Settings

    • Change Swapfile placement

    • Change resource

    • Configure Host USB device

    • Configure Raw device

    • Configure managedBy

    • Display connection settings

    • Extend virtual disk

    • Modify device settings

    • Query Fault Tolerance compatibility

    • Query unowned files

    • Reload from path

    • Remove disk

    • Rename

    • Reset guest information

    • Set annotation

    • Toggle disk change tracking

    • Toggle fork parent

    • Upgrade virtual machine compatibility

  • Edit Inventory

    • Create from existing

    • Create new

    • Move

    • Register

    • Remove

    • Unregister

  • Interaction

    • Answer question

    • Backup operation on virtual machine

    • Configure CD media

    • Configure floppy media

    • Connect devices

    • Console interaction

    • Create screenshot

    • Defragment all disks

    • Drag and drop

    • Guest operating system management by VIX API

    • Inject USB HID scan codes

    • Install VMware Tools

    • Pause or Unpause

    • Perform wipe or shrink operations

    • Power off

    • Power on

    • Record session on virtual machine

    • Replay session on virtual machine

    • Reset

    • Resume Fault Tolerance

    • Suspend

    • Suspend Fault Tolerance

    • Test failover

    • Test restart Secondary VM

    • Turn off Fault Tolerance

    • Turn on Fault Tolerance

  • Provisioning

    • Allow disk access

    • Allow file access

    • Allow read-only disk access

    • Allow virtual machine download

    • Allow virtual machine files upload

    • Clone template

    • Clone virtual machine

    • Create template from virtual machine

    • Customize guest

    • Deploy template

    • Mark as template

    • Mark as virtual machine

    • Modify customization specification

    • Promote disks

    • Read customization specifications