Can you clone a Windows 2003 vm thru Virt Center or will there be a SID conflict ??

[TG11]

Can you clone a windows vm thru VC? We have a win 2003 vm up and running a test environment and we would like to make a copy of it for production and then just change the server name and ip address of the new vm. Will this work or will I have the same SID. I know i can clone to remplate and then run it thru our sysprep but the clone would be quicker. I did this with a netware vm and it worked fine but I wasn't sure how windows would handle it.

[EGRAdmin]

I use a running vm as my template server and quick clone just how you're describing.

This way I get all updates, domain pushes, AV pushes and can customize it on the fly.

Then rather then running sysprep I shut it down clone it and run newsid. (Sysinternals tool you can find on microsoft.com).

You will have a sid conflict in your clones if you don't customize with sysprep or newsid (or other tools).

You can also run newsid to compare the SID's of each machine without completing the SID change to verify the conflict.

I stopped using sysprep ever since it failed about 3 different times at 100% during converts.

[chandlm]

I don't even clone to template, I simply create a template VM for each type of server I'll need and sysprep it then leave it shut down. That way once I clone it the first boot it comes back up right to the mini-setup information (I use a sysprep.inf to avoid entering volume licensing information each time, etc...).

I just never used the template functions because it didn't seem to buy me alot and by leaving it as a standard but powered off VM I can boot it back up for MS updates, virus signatures, build process changes, etc...

Never personally had any issues with sysprep after several years of this method but apparently others have.

[caciolli]

I agree with you. Using sysprep is a long and complicated procedure and does not work well always.

NewSid is fast, simple, bullet proof. Clone, run NewSid, that is all.

No templates, and can always keep your master up to date without using conversione from template to virtual machine and vice versa.

Go for it!

[chandlm]

Just curious about what issues you've had with sysprep. I've never had any issues at all but thought maybe I've just been lucky? I've done it regularly for 2k, 2k3, and XP boxes and the only issue I've had is tracking down the right version when a new SP or release comes out.

[caciolli]

I stopped using templates and sysprep in VC 1.3, it was an headache misconfiguring of regional settings. I know it was a documented issue. Changing inf file is a nightmare sometime. From that point on, running NewSid was always simple and fast.

I love simple things, simple procedures. Running simpler is running (quite) forever!

[EGRAdmin · Accepted solution]

I stopped using templates a long time ago too, I found cloning to be easier.

I just clone a small system that I have running each time I want a new one.

I've had various issues with sysprep. Some I will admit my fault some not. But I never find out about the error until 90%+ in the convert process.

Since I switched to using the clone/newsid method I have yet to encounter any problems.

That doesn't mean they don't exist I'm sure I'll stumble across something but not yet.

At the very least newsid is helful in that it will let you compare sids on your machines so you can tell if there will be a problem.

Example. Check clone server 1's SID shut it down. Clone server 1 check sid if it's the same (it will be) run newsid then install your app's and what not under that new SID.

[EnsignA]

There is information in the admin guide for VC, however, it amounts to putting all the files nneded for sysprep of all the OS versions in a directory under All Users. In doing so, when you clone an existing template or VM the last screen with ask if you want to create a new SID. I have been using this feature with all of my VM's starting w/2.x and it is seemless. When you start up the clone it goes through a Mini-Sysprep...takes about a minute, and then you are good to go.

[chandlm]

So were you using sysprep integrated within VC? I've always stayed away from that because logon banners would disrupt the process and never allow it to complete. I just use sysprep directly on the image instead. Maybe that's why I haven't had issues.

[EGRAdmin]

Pretty much any way you can run sysprep i've had problems with it.

With and without vmware just using it on my own with other system clones.

Most of my systems are IBM 345,345,3650, HS20 and older 230's / 250's. I've had sysprep throw me into infinite reboots, and 100% convert failures so I just stopped using it. If it was stable for me more times then not I would be more apt to use it.

[FredPeterson]

You only need to be truly concerned about the SID if you intend to join the computer to an Active Directory domain.

[dduell]

I currently use the method of Sysprep integrated with VC. I have only had some minor things happen, such as the name of the server is always in all Caps, which doesn't follow our naming rules. Also I had an issue with the auto-login not working correctly. Other than those 2 things, the sysprep has worked great.

One benifit that I have found of using this method, is that with the new VC, you can convert a template to a VM and vice versa. This allows me to have templates that I can leave names and IPs in to keep up to date, and then just sysprep on deployment. Makes for maintaining images easier now since I can keep them up to date with patches and software updates.

[NorbK]

While NewSID is great (esp for 64bit VMs that VC's sysprepping won't take care of) you can't beat the built in ability to sysprep in VC. I have had zero issues with it, have sysprep templates for multiple domains that we have here and best of all, it is completely painless. Why use NewSID when you can have the built in sysprep ability rename the OS to the name you give the VM, join it to a domain and re-SID it automatically. I know shaving off any interaction that consumes time is a plus in my schedule :smileygrin: