Machine templates are described herein that provide for enhanced configuration and deployment of arrangements of physical computing components coupled over a communication fabric. In one example, a method includes presenting a user interface indicating a plurality of templates each specifying at least a predefined arrangement of physical computing components for inclusion in compute units, and receiving a user selection indicating a selected template among the plurality of templates to form a target compute unit. The method includes allocating to the target compute unit a set of physical computing components according to the selected template, and instructing a management entity to establish the target compute unit based at least on logical partitioning within a communication fabric communicatively coupling the set of physical computing components of the target compute unit.