IP address retention on virtual desktops

[AB11]

Hello all,

We are running VMware View with three Desktop Pools, one persistent and the other two non persistent. When users log off the image is re-applied to the nonpersistent machines and they are built with a new MAC address.

When users log onto the machines again they get allocated a different IP address, presumably because the MAC address has changed, but the old IP addres is retained in DHCP. We have tried running shutdown scripts to release the IP address and also released the IP address from the Master machine before imaging but this does not release the addresses from DHCP.

DHCP for all our non persistent addresses is currently set to release addresses not used in 7 days so I guess that if I wait 7 days all will be OK but I think that I will be out of IP addresses before then!

Is there anyway of forcing the IP address to be released from DHCP when the virtual client is rebuilt or must I create a different pool which releases all IP addresses each day?

Many thank

A

[kjb007]

Sounds like you've already done what you can from the guest side, which is release the ip address. If the scope is retaining the record, then you should modify the scope itself, so you don't get mixed results when/if you can force changes from the client/guest using that IP.

-KjB

VMware vExpert

Don't forget to leave points for helpful/correct posts.

[bulletprooffool]

Simple solution is to make sure your VMs get the VMTools installed and inject an ipconfig /release into the VMtools shut down script.

Alternatively, Set and AD GPO to force an ipconfig /release at shutdown - this way you'll only use the ips for running VMs.

Last option is to just shorten your lease to a day or so? This is not a problem as by default, an MS DHCP guest will refresh its IP half way through its lease . . so each machine that runs for more than 12 hours, will just request a refresh of the lease every 12 hours - the traffic / load on your network will be minimal - DHCP requests are very light on traffic (despite the initial broadcast) - of course if your DHCP server is a VM on the same VLan as the DHCP guests . . . your traffic will only hit local vSwitches