Which feature deploys a temporary VM that allows an administrator to log in and apply OS patches to a VM template?

The "Update Guest OS" feature, often referred to as updating an image in the Nutanix Prism interface, is designed specifically for maintaining VM templates. This process creates a temporary, writable virtual machine from the selected read-only template or image. An administrator can then power on this temporary VM, log in to the guest operating system, and apply necessary patches, updates, or software installations. Once the modifications are complete and the VM is powered off, the changes are saved back to the original image, and the temporary VM is automatically deleted. This ensures that future VMs deployed from this template will include the updates.

A. Create VM from Template: This action creates a new, independent, and persistent VM from a template. It does not modify or update the source template itself.
B. Complete Guest OS Update: This is the final step in the update workflow, used to finalize the changes and delete the temporary VM. It is not the feature that initiates the process.
C. Update Configuration: This feature is used to modify a VM's hardware specifications, such as vCPUs, memory, or disk sizes, not for patching the guest operating system.

1. Nutanix Prism Central Guide (pc-2022.9), Image Management > Updating an Image:

"When you update an image, Prism Central creates a VM and attaches a copy of the selected image file to the VM as a disk. You can then log on to the VM, install or update applications, and apply patches to the OS. After you have made the changes, you can complete the update process from the VM dashboard or the Images dashboard. When you complete the update process, Prism Central deletes the VM and updates the image." This quote directly describes the process mentioned in the question.

2. Nutanix University, Nutanix Hybrid Cloud Fundamentals Course, Module: VM Management:

The courseware explains that to update a 'golden image' or template, you use the update image workflow. This workflow temporarily converts the image to a VM for maintenance, such as OS patching, and then saves the changes back to the image, deleting the temporary VM. This aligns with the functionality described as "Update Guest OS".