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garymansell
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Pools stuck customising - Composer Guest Agent service fails to start in clones (but is fine in Master VM)

Hi,

I have just rebuilt my working Horizon View setup from 7.7 to version 7.11, clearing the SQLExpress databases on both the Composer and Connection servers (including Adam DB) before re-installing from 7.11 media.

I can connect to the Master VM using a direct connect mode, but when I remove the direct agent software and configure to the Connection Server as a Dynamic Pool using Composer, the pool VM's all stick at Customising and timeout.

If I connect to the console of the pool VM's, I can see that the "VMware Horizon View Composer Guest Agent Server" Windows service fails to start - which I presume is the problem.

The Windows event log error relating to this is:

Faulting application name: vmware-svi-ga.exe, version: 7.11 ,0.53043, time stamp: 0x5dd253c6

Faulting module name: ucrtbase.dll, version: 10.0.18362.387, time stamp: 0x6dbf7eae

Exception code: 0xc0000409

Fault offset: 0x000gcaa2

Faulting process ID: 0x704

Faulting application start time: 0x01d5e01594184254

Faulting application path: C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\VMware\View Composer Guest Agent\vmware-svi-ga.exe

Faulting module path: C:\Windows\System32\ucrtbase.dll

Report ID. 250fc4ff-ca5c-48fd-a49e-c6923d773707

Faulting package full name:

Faulting package-relative application ID:

I have tried removing all Anti-Virus and disabled Windows defender in the registry, am now a bit stuck and could really do with some help or suggestions how to debug?
Thanks in advance
Gary
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hschimpf
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Hi Gary,

when I did our 1909 image I bootet in to the auditing mode and after finishing agent installs and everything I ran "c:\windows\system32\sysprep\sysprep.exe /oobe /generalize /mode:vm /unattend:c:\windows\system32\sysprep\unattend.xml /reboot". Contents of the "Unattend.xml" are pretty much taken out of the guide from VMware just changing out locales as we have a German localization. After the reboot it boots into the "regular" mode. That your VMs boot into OOBE is quite strange. Did you use this command or did you maybe forget a step in this? Your "old" golden image is still working normally?

Best regards,

Raetke

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sjesse
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Did you try ipconfig /release and ipconfig /flushdns  before resealing the snapshot? Ether way I'd suggest refollowing

Creating an Optimized Windows Image for a VMware Horizon Virtual Desktop | VMware

its been recently updated and its much similar as you basically just install the agents and run the OS customization fling. the only reason I wouldn't just try a new one if you did substantion customizations to the parent image.

garymansell
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Nice suggestion, but I ran the Optimiser Tool and also the finalising tab, but no dice...

I am running latest updated Windows 10 Pro  x64 1909.

Anyone else - I am really stuck?


Rgds

Gary

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sjesse
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I'd open a ticket with support based on this, 1909 should work with 7.11, and if you followed that guide and didn't install anything else yet I'm at a loss of what would cause that. I'd grab logs from the connection server, composer server, and the horizon logs directly and go through them.

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IIn the failed clone if you can get into it there is a log for that service that may help

%system_drive%\Windows\Temp\VMware\vmware-viewcomposer-ga-new.log

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hschimpf
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Was the agent installed during audit mode setup when you created the master VM? Might be nothing but maybe its trying to run the service as a system account that's not available due to the name change.

Also you stated that you are using Windows 10 x64 but the install patch is x86. Could this be an issue? We're using instant-clones without a composer so I don't know about that agent but our Horizon Agent had to be installed in x64 architecture.

Best regards,

Raetke

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garymansell
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Thanks for getting back to me again.

Unfortunately my VMware Support expired last month and the system is three years old now, so I doubt I can get it re-instated... That's why I am begging here 😉

I attach the viewcomposer logs, but don't know what i am looking for - can't see any errors pointing in an obvious direction, the service crashes almost immediately.

Just to be clear - this is a VDI CAD System, so I have a load of CAD Apps installed to the Master image before Snapshotting for VDI.

I have not done the sysprep/audit stage as I never did this before and things were fine at 7.7 previously - not sure how to do this either.

Rgds

Gary

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garymansell
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Hi the agent was installed as local Admin with no other accounts on a freshly imaged Master VM from my CAD APPS MDT image that I use for phys CAD machines, hence no audit mode.

The install media for the agent is VMware-Horizon-Agent-x86_64-7.11.0-15238678.exe - so this looks like the correct architecture.

Rgds

Gary

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hschimpf
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Hi,

I'm not sure if this is inherently a VMware Horizon issue. Specifically if you say that you did not do the sysprep. Sysprep is to generalize the image before deployment. It erases all names and machine specific entries and so prepare Windows for personalization again. When you use SCCM to deploy images to physical desktops, it is mandatory to run this. I would suggest that you create a branch snapshot where you try running the sysprep to "anonymize" the machine and prepare for rollout.

You mentioned that this worked before going 7.11. Did you user Windows 10 1909 before upgrading to 7.11 or did you start fresh when upgrading to 7.11?

Best regards,

Raetke

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garymansell
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Hey Raetke,

Thanks for your advice, it sounds hopeful that this may be where I am going wrong as I did not run Win10 1909 prior to re-building my 7.11 Horizon View system.

I did try running a Sysprep / generalize before capturing the master VM image in a snapshot previously, but when the VDI clones boot, they boot into OOBE experience and don't get domain joined etc.

Am I going wrong here somewhere with the Sysprep / customisation process before capturing the master VM snapshot, perhaps?

Rgds

Gary

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hschimpf
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Hi Gary,

when I did our 1909 image I bootet in to the auditing mode and after finishing agent installs and everything I ran "c:\windows\system32\sysprep\sysprep.exe /oobe /generalize /mode:vm /unattend:c:\windows\system32\sysprep\unattend.xml /reboot". Contents of the "Unattend.xml" are pretty much taken out of the guide from VMware just changing out locales as we have a German localization. After the reboot it boots into the "regular" mode. That your VMs boot into OOBE is quite strange. Did you use this command or did you maybe forget a step in this? Your "old" golden image is still working normally?

Best regards,

Raetke

garymansell
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Raetke (and everyone who helped) - thanks you got me up and running, I really appreciate your assistance in this as I was proper stuck!

It was the Sysprep command that sorted things out for me...

One last thing, I would like to be able to run the Sysprep from the VMWare OS Customisation fling tool, rather than run it manually, but the Tool says that it can't run because the machine is not in Audit mode (this was why I never ran it originally). Please can someone tell me how to boot the Master VM into Audit mode so that I can run the sysprep from the Customisation tool?

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sjesse
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run sysprep manually and one of the options is audit mode. This doesn't mention windows 10 but its the same process

https://www.robertborges.us/2013/07/windows/using-sysprep-in-audit-mode-before-creating-a-system-ima...

alternativly when you install windows, when it gets the part where you start answering questions just after the install has finished just press <Shift> + <Ctrl> + <F3> like is also mentioned in the link

sjesse
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Also I'm a bit surpised that worked, as I've skipped the sysprep step entirely and had a viable parent image.

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hschimpf
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Hi Gary,

I would suggest that you use BIS-F for this purpose as it generalizes the VM. Also, after you have done the sysprep properly, it shouldn't be necessary again iirc. As far as I remember, the audit mode can only be reached during initial setup of Windows.

Best regards,

Raetke

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garymansell
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So I can run the Customization tool and reboot.

Then I need to run Sysprep with Audit Mode selected.

Then after it reboots into Audit mode, I need to run the Customization tool again and run the Sysprep tab (with timezone and locale edited)

Then after it reboots, run the Customization tool again and run the tasks in the finalize tab

Then shut the machine down and capture the Master image.

Is my understanding correct?

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hschimpf
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I think the process should be that during image creation you enter audit mode after Windows installation.

In audit mode:

Install agents (Horizon, DEM, AppVol etc)

Uninstall unwanted Windows apps

Run OSOT with your custom template or default template and reboot

Run sysprep

Run Finalize Tab, shutdown and Snapshot the machine

I think that should be it.

Best regards,

Raetke

Nnickk
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Hi, in my case the reason were the policy settings, try to change the master VM settings :

  1. Click ADD CONFIGURATION PARAMS  
  2. For Name, type devices.hotplug, and for Value, type false.  
  3. Click OK.  

Nick

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