View Composer with Linked Clones

[shunter86]

I have VMware View set up with View Composer. Everything goes fine until it begins to customize the VMs in the pool. Each time it fails at this step yet the VMs exist and can be logged into, in the console. I believe this is an environmental issue. We need to register all MAC addresses prior to a system having network connectivity. Since each VM does not have a MAC until it is built, the MAC is not registered. Is there a way to pre-assign MAC addresses to the VM pool prior to creation so that I can register a pool of MAC that the View VM pool with use?

[tmackay]

Shane,

This is not natively supported in View, so some folks I have talked to have suggested scripting this with Powershell prior to deployment to capture the MAC addresses and assign them to Network Control to get IP access. Interesting if there would be anyone on this or the VI Toolkit forum who has done this? (points are awaiting folks! Has anyone scripted this?)

You could also try the Virtual Mac tool here: >> Not powershell based, but might offer an option...

Several others have suggested looking in these links as well.:

http://communities.vmware.com/community/developer/windows_toolkit

(P.S. Don't want points since I don't have a real answer!)

[shunter86]

The problem with trying to capture the MACs prior to deployment is that the VMs must customize before they are ready for deployment. The customization fails. I believe it fails due to a fail network connection between the View server and the VMs that were just created. If the customization failed during creation are those VMs still "good" for use? What did not take place because of the failed customization? If I do capture the MACs after the VM are created and register them, will the work? Or will the failed customization cause me further problems?

-Shane

[tmackay]

I have confirmed that you would receive a timeout if the VM can't talk to View over JMS (which requires a network connection) ...the customization process will eventually time out. Since these are eval licenses, we could try to open a "Consult" SR and see if Support could be of any assistance. I will do that today and get back with you offline to coordinate.

My concern is since what you need to accomplish (i.e. -pre-network connect customization) is unsupported by VMware, we might end up at the same place in the end unless someone in the community has actually scripted something that solves the issue. While I get the SR filed, try the VI Toolkit forum as well...

[tmackay]

From another thread...

http://communities.vmware.com/thread/146272

"It is possible to script what you want but it is a significant effort

using the VMware toolkits. You would need to write a monitor script

that scans the VM names and checks the vmx files for a MAC address

matching to a list of valid addresses. If the address was not found you

would shut the VM down assign the MAC to the VM and power it back up.

What you could do for now is use a persistent pool and set the MAC manually in the created VM settings properties."

Not very practical when you start talking about desktop VMs that could rachet into the hundreds in many cases...