ideas for cloning windows 2008

[register]

we are just starting to look at windows 2008.

For all our win2003 VMs, I clone a template server and run Newsid, then join the domain. I haven't looked into this much, but I've seen that some people report issues with Newsid on 2008. I'd prefer not to have to sysprep every server. I'm interested to see how others are cloning their 2008 VMs.

Also, do 2008 servers have to be activated/licensed individually like Vista?

[Troy_Clavell]

we do you run newsid? You should just create your template, shut it down and run the VMware customization process. As long as all your sysprep files are in the right folders on your vCenter Server you will get a unique guest

As of vCenter 2.5.0U4, I believe, you can customize yourW2k8 guest the same way... don't even need sysprep files.

[register]

sorry, not sure I follow you. We use Newsid so we don't have to maintain any sysprep files or have anything to do with sysprep.

Also, I'm not familiar with the "customization process" you refer to. Does this happen automatically when I clone a template?

[Troy_Clavell]

Are you deploying off these clones or are you using them for DR? Maybe I don't understand your question.

Here's a document worth looking at.

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/vc_2_templates_usage_best_practices_wp.pdf

[RParker]

sorry, not sure I follow you. We use Newsid so we don't have to maintain any sysprep files or have anything to do with sysprep.

He is saying that you don't need newsid. VM Ware takes care of the new sid for you, one reason why Windows has to be reactivated, because essentially it's new 'hardware'.

Also you don't have to maintain sysprep, you copy it to a folder on your vCenter server, and that's it. VI Client takes care of the rest via the reconfigure / deployment. You don't have to do anything. Sysprep is only theere to reconfigure a VM, but cloning doesn't require sysprep.

[register]

I have a "gold" win2003 sp2 VM, configured exactly as we want it.

I clone this.

I run newsid.

I config IP info & join the domain.

ready for production. The whole process takes about 5 - 10 minutes. There are no sysprep files to maintain or settings to redo after sysprep.

The link you provided was helpful, but it calls for using sysprep. If sysprep is not required in vc 2.5u4, them maybe it's a moot point.

[Troy_Clavell]

sounds like a lot of manual work as apposed to simply creating a template, right click and deploy.

for everything other than W2k8 you need sysprep files. For W2k8 you just need to create a customization spec

If I were you, if you are deploying VM's I would look into the sysprep process, it is a much cleaner process than running newsid.

[A13x]

how does the VMware generate a newsid asi noticed this happened before when a machine was auto removed/ lost connection to the domain, sounds like vmware generated a new sid for the machine without me knowing when i changed hardware.