Deploying windows 2008 R2 VMs from image on ESX 3.5

[big_vern]

Hi We're on ESX 3.5 u2 and u3

I know there is no offical support for W2K8 R2 on these versions of ESX but I've been told to go ahead anyway..

1) anyone had performance or other issues

2) Cloning from a "gold image" - this is the major one !

I have a gold image set up nicely and want to clone from this. I have tried thw workarounds of changing the OS in vmware to VIsta but I have found that a lot of the settings don't get transfered and hence there is a fair bit of tidying up work after cloning (The SID does get chnaged ok etc.) Any comments on that?

I am now thinking of just doing a straight clone without customization and then running sysprep from the 'new' vm. I have tried a test and this seems ridiculously easy, straightforward and works - which makes me slightly suspicious! Are ther any caveats or gotchas / advice anyone has if I go down this route. ?

cheers

[AntonVZhbankov]

I suggest you to update your ESX to latest build 3.5u5 first.

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MCSA, MCTS, VCP, VMware vExpert '2009

http://blog.vadmin.ru

[AndreTheGiant]

With 3.5 U5 those OS are added to supported system:

• * Windows 7 Enterprise (32-bit and 64-bit)

• Windows 7 Ultimate (32-bit and 64-bit)

• Windows 7 Professional (32-bit and 64-bit)

• Windows 7 Home Premium (32-bit and 64-bit)

• Windows 2008 R2 Standard Edition (64-bit)

• Windows 2008 R2 Enterprise Edition (64-bit)

• Windows 2008 R2 Datacenter Edition (64-bit)

• Windows 2008 R2 Web Server (64-bit)

• Ubuntu Desktop 9.04 (32-bit and 64-bit)

• Ubuntu Server 9.04 (32-bit and 64-bit)

Andre