replica about VDI deploy

[ultrasoul]

Hi, All

I used VMware View 5.0 with linked clone to deploy my VDI pool.

View composer is installed on vCenter server. After deploying desktop, I found one virtual os named replicaXXXXXX will be automatically created under my vCenter.

And the virtual os is always poweroff. I wonder what the replica is and its usage? For details, pls refer attached picture, Thanks in advanced.

[lbourque]

So the replica is a full copy of the original parent image. The linked clones are assocaited/linked to the replica to provide the base of the OS. The linked clones represent the different/customization of the base image. We use the replica so the master/gold VM can be used for something else without having a direct link to it. DO NOT do anything with the replica. If it is deleted, your linked clones will stop working.

When I teach View in the classroom, I put it forward like this:

Imagine a VM with a snapshot that is active. Now imagine that we have that same snapshot active 200 times. That's essentially linked clones.

[ultrasoul]

Thanks for your quick reply.

One more thing that I want to confirm with you. I did as follows to deploy our virtual desktop.

1. Create master image with Win7 and install View Agent on it.

2. Shutdown master win7 image and take snapshot for linked clone.

3. Login to View administrator to deploy virtual desktop.

I think all virtual desktop with linked clone should share the snapshot which was taken in step2. As you mentioned,

all virtual desktops should share the disk of replicaXXXXXXXXXX, Is it right?

And Can I remove replicaXXXXX from vcenter inventory not deleting disk because the replicaXXXXXX has a really long name?

[lbourque · Accepted solution]

No. Do not touch the replica, do not rename it, nothing. Just leave it.

The snapshot on the master image is used to create the unique replica for each linked clone pool. If I have a VM with 3 different snapshots (say, each has a different background) then those will be used to create 3 different replicas.

Let's say that SP14 (totally made up service for the sake of an example) comes out for Windows 7 and I want all my link clones to have it, I would recompose the pool. This effectively creates a new replica and recreates the linked clones by associating them to the new replica. Old ones aren't deleted until all the linked clones are on the new ones. If this is a dedicated linked clone pool that has persistent disks those are maintained and moved over to the new linked clones.

You may want to check out the free videos we/I made at http://www.vmwarelearning.com Those might help explain some of this.

[ultrasoul]

Thanks, lbourque, I know the situation.

I will check vmlearning for more details.