Fast clone feature with no vm customization option

[caddo]

Hi all,

I am testing  a VSA that comes with a nice fast clone feature but unlike other vendors real storage appliance this feature doesn't seem to integrate with View Manager and I have no way to use quick prep customization options.

I think the best option would be to use sysprep (which I don't know very well but it's not a problem to learn) but I would you do this ?

It would be nice to have os name the same as the vim name but again I wouldn't know how to do this.

Any suggestions on how to use sysprep in this scenario? Or any other method?

Thank you.

[mittim12]

If you are wanting to use Sysprep from within View you can great a customization specification in vCenter and apply it to a View pool utilizing sysprep.  If you just want to learn Sysprep in general then I would hit up google as their are a ton of articles and post detailing usage.   

[caddo]

I can't use Sysprep in the View Connection Server and i don't think a local use of sysprep could be appropriate.

Here's the thing: i have one VM i set up as template, then the storage software makes full clones of this template, but they are all identical VMs and i don't know how to customize each guest OS so that they have unique machine name and other IDs.

In the end of the procedure i would have to add a manual pool including all these VMs, but i can't use then until i customize them.... suggestions will be appreciated!

[mittim12]

So you would run sysprep on the template, shut it down, and then use the storage to deploy them.   On the first boot they would run sysprep and customize themselves.      Check this out and see if it helps, http://briandesmond.com/blog/how-to-sysprep-in-windows-server-2008-r2-and-windows-7/. 

[caddo]

I was thinking about doing just that, but i won't be able to preserve the correspondance between VM names in VC and in the guest OS.

[vedeht]

This is one of the problems with storage arrays that provide this feature.  It's not really a solution that is manageable.  I would recommend trying linked clones instead.  They will use hardly any storage and can be refreshed quickly and provide you with better management.

[caddo]

Obviously falling back to linked-clones is a solution, it's just a shame not to be able to use such a nice feature just because of lack of integration.

Thank you all for the help.

[mittim12]

You can also check with the storage vendors to see if they offer anything that would help.  I know that EMC had some powershell scripts they used to automated their clone solution. 

[caddo]

They told me to use MDT or SCCM... but it sounded like a complication instead of a semplification.

If this was the only way i would stick with linked-clones, i just wanted to find another way but so far it sounds like it's not worth the fuss.

[vedeht]

Sounds like a nightmare.  I'd use linked clones.  I think your quality of life will get better instantly.  😉

[caddo]

I have no doubt, this is why i was trying to find other way other than MDT e SCCM and this is why i decided to stick with present deployment menthod which is linked-clones!