App Volume 2.15 and App Stacks to OU for Computer Objects

[RandomGuy25335]

Hello,

I am attempting to reduce some login times for some of our pools using app stacks, as people have been complaining about the speed compared to a machine that doesn't use app volumes at all and has all of the software baked in. Because of this, I am attempting to assign app stacks to a computer object instead of a user security group.

With this, I attempted to assign an app stack to an OU that only houses computer objects for specific pools we have (all of our pools have separate OU containers). However, whenever a computer is turned on/restarted, the app stacks don't attach to the computer object. I'm wondering if it's because I'm not specifically assigning it to a security group with computer objects in it, or a computer object directly. Maybe I'm misunderstanding the purpose of OU where it's ONLY user objects in it, and not both user and/or computer objects.

If I am indeed misunderstanding the purpose of the OU assignment and it only applies to user objects, not computer objects, what is the best way to assign an appstack to computer objects where the pool I'm trying to assign the appstacks to are non-persistent, and are provisioned as needed, as well as subjected to refreshes/recomposes/max VM expansion?

Thank you.

[Ray_handels]

To be honest I'm not 100% sure if it works the way you suggested, computer assignments based on OU. I thought it should be possible to do this but I'd suggest raising a call with VMware.

Best way to add appstacks to a computer pre login is to assign it to a Computer group. If you for example have a basic appstack that everyone needs you could possibly assign it to the Domain Computers group. It attaches the appstack after startup.

If that does not work try and get a hold of the svservice log file on the machine itself before logging into it (preferably using admin shares). Maybe you can find something in there.

Do keep in mind that if you use writable volumes user and computer assignment for appstacks does NOT work.

[RandomGuy25335]

Thank you very much sir. I was wondering if I was misunderstanding it but I wanted to check and see. I wanted to try and ease the login time that a user has by assigning the appstacks to the computers instead. But with varying amounts of computers in a pool, I'm worried about using a computer group since they aren't dynamic. I'm debating just using a computer group though to do it that way,

I'll give VMware a call also.

As for you mention about writables and appstacks, what do you mean? I've had appstacks and writables working side-by-side for a while now.

Thank you!

[jmatz135]

You can assign it to an OU.  We do that and it works fine.  One thing to watch for though is we also limit the names that is assigns to as it used to also try to assign it to the parent image that is created in the OU and that caused all kinds of issues.  I believe that was supposed to be fixed, but I don't trust that it is.

[Ray_handels]

As for you mention about writables and appstacks, what do you mean? I've had appstacks and writables working side-by-side for a while now.

If you attach an appstack to a machine it will attach it during startup and not logon. The writable volume always needs to be the first volume to be attached, becvause it can only be attached during login (if assigned to a user) it cannot attach that anymore and will skip writable attachment.