How can an administrator create a master copy of an existing virtual machine (VM) named "TestApp"?

Creating a master copy of an existing virtual machine can effectively be accomplished by cloning the VM to a template. When a VM is cloned to a template, it captures the entire state and configuration of the original virtual machine, which can then be used to deploy new instances in the future. This process preserves the disk files, settings, and installed software, ensuring that subsequent VMs created from the template maintain consistency.

Templates serve as a blueprint for creating virtual machines, allowing for rapid deployment and standardization across a virtual environment. By using templates, administrators can streamline the provisioning process, reduce the time needed to set up new VMs, and ensure uniformity in configurations across projects.

In contrast, while deploying from an Open Virtual Machine Format (OVF) template is a method to import and use a VM, it does not create a master copy of the existing VM. Converting a template to a VM involves changing the state of the template back to an operational VM, which contradicts the concept of creating a master copy. Creating a new VM does not duplicate the necessary configurations of an existing VM but rather starts a new instance from scratch, lacking the benefits of inherited settings and software from the original.