---
description: >
  The Packer vSphere post-processor takes an artifact and uploads it to a
  vSphere endpoint.
layout: docs
page_title: vSphere - Post-Processors
sidebar_current: docs-post-processors-vsphere
---

# vSphere Post-Processor

Type: `vsphere`

The Packer vSphere post-processor takes an artifact and uploads it to a vSphere endpoint.
The artifact must have a vmx/ova/ovf image.

## Configuration

There are many configuration options available for the post-processor. They are
segmented below into two categories: required and optional parameters. Within
each category, the available configuration keys are alphabetized.

Required:

- `cluster` (string) - The cluster to upload the VM to.

- `datacenter` (string) - The name of the datacenter within vSphere to add
  the VM to.

- `datastore` (string) - The name of the datastore to store this VM. This is
  _not required_ if `resource_pool` is specified.

- `host` (string) - The vSphere host that will be contacted to perform the VM
  upload.

- `password` (string) - Password to use to authenticate to the vSphere
  endpoint.

- `username` (string) - The username to use to authenticate to the vSphere
  endpoint.

- `vm_name` (string) - The name of the VM once it is uploaded.

Optional:

- `esxi_host` (string) - Target vSphere host. Used to assign specific esx
  host to upload the resulting VM to, when a vCenter Server is used as
  `host`. Can be either a hostname (e.g. "packer-esxi1", requires proper DNS
  setup and/or correct DNS search domain setting) or an ipv4 address.

- `disk_mode` (string) - Target disk format. See `ovftool` manual for
  available options. By default, "thick" will be used.

- `insecure` (boolean) - Whether or not the connection to vSphere can be done
  over an insecure connection. By default this is false.

- `keep_input_artifact` (boolean) - When `true`, preserve the local VM files,
  even after importing them to vsphere. Defaults to `false`.

- `resource_pool` (string) - The resource pool to upload the VM to.

- `vm_folder` (string) - The folder within the datastore to store the VM.

- `vm_network` (string) - The name of the VM network this VM will be added
  to.

- `overwrite` (boolean) - If it's true force the system to overwrite the
  existing files instead create new ones. Default is false

- `options` (array of strings) - Custom options to add in ovftool. See
  `ovftool --help` to list all the options