only consider a template namechange as a difference to rollout

pkg/machineproviders/providers/openshift/machine/v1beta1/providerconfig/providerconfig.go

@@ -244,7 +244,7 @@ func (p providerConfig) Diff(other ProviderConfig) ([]string, error) {
 	case configv1.OpenStackPlatformType:
 		return deep.Equal(p.openstack.providerConfig, other.OpenStack().providerConfig), nil
 	case configv1.VSpherePlatformType:
-		return deep.Equal(p.vsphere.providerConfig, other.VSphere().providerConfig), nil
+		return p.VSphere().Diff(other.VSphere().providerConfig)
 	case configv1.NonePlatformType:
 		return nil, errUnsupportedPlatformType
 	default:

pkg/machineproviders/providers/openshift/machine/v1beta1/providerconfig/vsphere.go

@@ -23,8 +23,10 @@ import (
 	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/go-logr/logr"
+	"github.com/go-test/deep"
 	configv1 "github.com/openshift/api/config/v1"
 	machinev1 "github.com/openshift/api/machine/v1"
+	"github.com/openshift/api/machine/v1beta1"
 	machinev1beta1 "github.com/openshift/api/machine/v1beta1"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/runtime"
 )
@@ -83,6 +85,31 @@ func (v VSphereProviderConfig) getWorkspaceFromFailureDomain(failureDomain *conf
 	return workspace
 }
 
+func getReducedTemplate(template string) string {
+	if strings.Contains(template, "/") {
+		return template[strings.LastIndex(template, "/")+1:]
+	}
+
+	return template
+}
+
+// Diff compares two ProviderConfigs and returns a list of differences,
+// or nil if there are none.
+func (v VSphereProviderConfig) Diff(other v1beta1.VSphereMachineProviderSpec) ([]string, error) {
+
+	// templates can be provided either with an absolute path or relative.
+	// this can result in the control plane nodes rolling out when they dont need to.
+	// as long as the OVA name matches that will be considered a match.
+	otherTemplate := getReducedTemplate(other.Template)
+	currentTemplate := getReducedTemplate(v.providerConfig.Template)
+
+	if otherTemplate == currentTemplate {
+		other.Template = v.providerConfig.Template
+	}
+
+	return deep.Equal(v.providerConfig, other), nil
+}
+
 // InjectFailureDomain returns a new VSphereProviderConfig configured with the failure domain.
 func (v VSphereProviderConfig) InjectFailureDomain(fd machinev1.VSphereFailureDomain) (VSphereProviderConfig, error) {
 	newVSphereProviderConfig := v