Unable to clone vmware template

[brotaxt]

As already reported by @4ndyZ in issue148. The vmware.vmware_rest.vcenter_vm module is unable to handle vmware templates (without using a content library).

Tried the latest available version, the reported error still occurs.

- name: Gather Managed object ID (moid) from a template using the vSphere API output schema for REST Calls
   community.vmware.vmware_guest_info:
     hostname: "{{ vsphere_vcenter_hostname }}"
     username: "{{ vsphere_vcenter_username }}"
     password: "{{ vsphere_vcenter_password }}"
     validate_certs: no
     datacenter: "MYDATACENTER" # Hard coded
     name: "RedHat8"
     schema: "vsphere"
     properties:
       - _moId
   delegate_to: localhost
   register: moid_info

 - set_fact:
     template_moid: "{{ moid_info.instance.moid }}"

 - name: Create a VM
   vmware.vmware_rest.vcenter_vm:
     vcenter_hostname: "{{ vsphere_vcenter_hostname }}"
     vcenter_username: "{{ vsphere_vcenter_username }}"
     vcenter_password: "{{ vsphere_vcenter_password }}"
     vcenter_validate_certs: no
     name: "{{ inventory_hostname }}"
     state: "clone"
     source: "{{ template_moid }}"
     placement:
       cluster: '{{ my_cluster_info.id }}'
       datastore: '{{ my_datastore.datastore }}'
       folder: '{{ my_virtual_machine_folder.folder }}'
       resource_pool: "MYRESGROUP" # Hard coded
     hardware_version: VMX_19
     cpu:
       hot_add_enabled: false
       count: "{{ vsphere_guest_cpus }}"
     memory:
       hot_add_enabled: true
       size_MiB: "{{ vsphere_memory }}"
     nics:
       - type: "VMXNET3"
         mac_type: "MANUAL"
         mac_address: "{{ vsphere_network[0].mac }}"
         backing:
           type: "DISTRIBUTED_PORTGROUP"
           network: "MYPORTGROUP" # Hard coded
     guest_OS: "RHEL_8_64"
     power_on: "yes"
   register: my_vm

"Virtual machine with identifier 'vm-MOID_HERE:UUID_HERE' does not exist.",
        "id": "com.vmware.api.vcenter.vm.not_found"

[machacekondra]

Indeed. The limitation is currently on the VMware REST API, which don't support it. The only way to do so is via SOAP using community.vmware modules.