Rokie question:better understand Linked clone process

[Jerrylax]

Hi there

   I've been evaluate View for quite a while, I have some questions regarding the big picture behind View.

followed are my understing. please correct me if I'm wrong.

Let's use XP as example.

1. I create master image XP machine using vcenter server.

2. shut down the machine, create a snapshot.

3. using vconnection server, create new linked clone pool with 50 linked clones.

4. the pool will use the snapshot as base image.

5. when the creation starts, I can see from vsphere client window, it creates a folder called

VMwareVewComposerReplicaFolder

and a replica been created.

replica-8skdjfh-2343-sdjf-ksjdf-skjdfhsdj02

6. once this replica successfully created, 50 linked clone created afterwards pretty quickly..

7. after a couple of reboot, all 50 XP machine successfully created, and vconnection screen shows all "available"

8.note that each of 50 XP machines will have it's own snapshot automatically created during the process.

so my understanding is, the base image of those 50 machines will be this guy?

replica-8skdjfh-2343-sdjf-ksjdf-skjdfhsdj02

just for the sack of argument, let's say while all 50 machines are powered on, I deleted this replica file, what

would happen? what would happen if I restart the XP machine, will it needs this replica file in order to properly

start? my understanding for linked clone is all 50 machines share same core of something, that's why we use

this it save lots of space etc.

in other words, for instance, If I want do Windows update for all 50 machines, I boot up master image XP machine,

finished up Windows update on it, shutdown, create a snapshot2. later on I pickup snapshot 2, recompose the

whole pool, all 50 machines would receive same Windows updates. my understanding is the windows

update actually only applied to the replica file, not all 50 machines individually. am i right?

thank you for sharing your thoughts. I think this is very important for better under View.

[mittim12 · Accepted solution]

All 50 machines will utilize the replica file so if you were to delete it than they would no longer work.   If you wanted to utilize Windows Update you would bring the parent online, windows update, release ip, shutdown, and create a new snapshot.   Once that was finished you could recompose the Pool which would create a new replica with the updated patches.  The desktops that were recomposed would be associated with the new replica.  

[Linjo]

Its not easy to remove the replica "by misstake", its actually locked in vcenter to prevent this.

You can unlock it with a commandline-tool if needed for some reason.

// Linjo

[Jerrylax]

Thank you for your reply.