Clone Guests from Template Image
ref: http://ostolc.org/kvm-clone-guests-from-template-image.html
virsh shutdown basevm
dump its XML file to template.xml and copy its image to template.qcow2
virsh dumpxml basevm > /var/lib/libvirt/images/template.xml cp /var/lib/libvirt/images/basevm.qcow2 /var/lib/libvirt/images/template.qcow2
in template.xml point the disk source file to template.qcow2
<disk type='file' device='disk'> <driver name='qemu' type='qcow2' cache='none'/> <source file='/var/lib/libvirt/images/template.qcow2'/> <target dev='vda' bus='virtio'/> <address type='pci' domain='0x0000' bus='0x00' slot='0x04' function='0x0'/> </disk>
run virt-sysprep on template.qcow2.
This will reset the image, e.g. will remove the host SSH keys, will create new MAC address for network interfaces, adjust udev persistent net rules, clean up log files, etc...
virt-sysprep -a /var/lib/libvirt/images/template.qcow2
after this poin you don't need the base VM anymore. Delete it.
virsh undefine basevm rm /var/lib/libvirt/images/basevm.qcow2
Cloning new VMs from Template
clone new VMs from template.xml and template.qcow2
virt-clone --connect qemu:///system \
--original-xml /var/lib/libvirt/images/template.xml \
--name newvm \
--file /var/lib/libvirt/images/newvm.qcow2
Done
