Example of how to setup a server in vmware that installs from a pxe install server

usage.rb

# config = ..
datacenter = VmwareDataCenter.new(config)

datacenter.create_vm(:name => "ServerName", :cpus => 1, :memory => 512, :disk => 5000,
                          :datastore => "VolumeName", :install_identifier_mac => "some mac addr",
                          :install_pxe_network_name => "network to look for pxe server on") 

# server cookbook https://github.com/joakimk/cookbooks/tree/master/pxe_install_server

vmware_data_center.rb

require 'rubygems'
require 'rbvmomi' # gem

class VmwareDataCenter

  VIM = RbVmomi::VIM

  def initialize(config)
    @vim = VIM.connect :host => config.vmware_server, :user => config.vmware_user, :password => config.vmware_password, :insecure => true
    @datacenter = @vim.serviceInstance.find_datacenter(config.vmware_datacenter)
  end

  def destroy_vm(name)
    vm = @datacenter.find_vm(name)
    vm.PowerOffVM_Task.wait_for_completion rescue nil
    vm.Destroy_Task.wait_for_completion
  end

  def create_vm(opts = {})
    vm_cfg = {
      :name => opts[:name],
      :guestId => 'otherGuest',
      :files => { :vmPathName => opts[:datastore] },
      :numCPUs => opts[:cpus],
      :memoryMB => opts[:memory],
      :deviceChange => [
        {
          :operation => :add,
          :device => VIM.VirtualLsiLogicController(
            :key => 1000,
            :busNumber => 0,
            :sharedBus => :noSharing
          )
        }, {
          :operation => :add,
          :fileOperation => :create,
          :device => VIM.VirtualDisk(
            :key => 0,
            :backing => VIM.VirtualDiskFlatVer2BackingInfo(
              :fileName => opts[:datastore],
              :diskMode => :persistent,
              :thinProvisioned => true
            ),
            :controllerKey => 1000,
            :unitNumber => 0,
            :capacityInKB => opts[:disk] * 1000
          )
        },
        {
          :operation => :add,
          :device => VIM.VirtualE1000(
            :key => 0,
            :deviceInfo => {
              :label => 'Network Adapter',
              :summary => 'VM Network'
            },
            :backing => VIM.VirtualEthernetCardNetworkBackingInfo(
              :deviceName => 'VM Network'
            ),
            :addressType => 'generated'
          )
        },
        {
          :operation => :add,
          :device => VIM.VirtualE1000(
            :macAddress => opts[:install_identifier_mac],
            :key => 0,
            :deviceInfo => {
              :label => 'Network Adapter',
              :summary => opts[:install_pxe_network_name]
            },
            :backing => VIM.VirtualEthernetCardNetworkBackingInfo(
              :deviceName => opts[:install_pxe_network_name]
            ),
            :addressType => 'manual'
          )
        }
          
      ],
      :extraConfig => [
        {
          :key => 'bios.bootOrder',
          :value => 'HDD,ethernet1'
        }
      ]
    }    

    hosts = @datacenter.hostFolder.children
    rp = hosts.first.resourcePool
    vm = @datacenter.vmFolder.CreateVM_Task(:config => vm_cfg, :pool => rp).wait_for_completion
    vm.PowerOnVM_Task.wait_for_completion
  end

end