Creating a Win 2k8 r2 template?

[lkubler]

Hi,

I am trying to create a Windows 2008 R2 sp1 Standard server template to use in my v5 environment and I'm having a couple issues.  Been reading various blogs with real nice step-by-step instructions and while some things seem to work correctly others do not.  Hoping someone here can help me out.

To start with the time on the server is never correct, when I boot it up it always says it's about 2pm on July 18, 2011.  It does remember the time zone and the Internet time server but not the date or the time.  I have the server set to automatically synchronize with time server 'time.nist.gov' and if I hit the update now button it synchronizes with the server and the time and date are correct.  That is good until I reboot the server, very frustrating.

I've checked the bios on the VM and that is set to approximately the correct time and date, only off by a couple minutes if at all really.  I do not have the VM synchronizing with the host because I don't know the state of the host clock, nor how to determine it.

This VM is not connected to the domain yet.

The second issue is more of a sysprep issue I think.  Following the suggestions on a couple of blogs regarding this setup, I created a second hard drive to hold the Page File.  I left a 1024MB Page File on the C: drive and created a second drive of 10GB, initialized it in Windows as the Z: drive and set a 5120MB Page File on it.  Now that I've run Sysprep to copy the Administrator profile to the default profile, I notice that while the 10GB drive is still there and accessible, it is now called the drive and it is set to "No paging file".  But the Page File is still on the disk.  I have "Automatically manage paging file size for all drives" unchecked.

There are some other issues but I think they are minor compared to these two for right now.  Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance,

Linn

[arminmacx]

I think you had to go to your server Bios and check the time and date in the bios first. i had the problem but first i correct the time in my HP server Bios and it works.

after that check the NTP in your esxi and configure it correctly and check the firewall in your esxi. After all of this it should be working even if you reboot your esxi server.

For you template problem i suggest to see this tutorial by Trainsignal http://www.trainsignal.com/blog/vmware-template-creation And VMware KB from This Link Knowledge base

It should solve your problem, If you have any other problem let me know.

Best Regards

--Armin--

[GreatWhiteTec]

Make sure  you r template has VMTools and check the box to sync time with the ESXi host. Then make sure the host time is correct and you have "mapped" time servers for the host.

No need to run sysprep ahead of time. When you deploy from template, vCenter will run sysprep for you when you select to generate a new SID during custumization. The sysprep files are already on vCenter server.

[lkubler]

Ok, I'm a little confused.  According to the other blogs I've read, http://www.jasonsamuel.com/2010/05/07/how-to-build-a-vmware-vsphere-vm-template-for-windows-server-2..., for example, I need to run Windows sysprep to copy the administrator's profile to the default profile for basically two reasons.  One, because the VMware version doesn't perform that action and, two, because Microsoft removed the ability to copy a profile to the default profile in Windows 2008 R2 in favor of doing it via sysprep.  Is this inaccurate or don't you bother to set default settings in your templates?

Also, I can't seem to locate the sysprep files on either my Windows 2008 R2 DVD or Micorosoft's download site.  But since my vCenter server is also Windows 2008 R2 shouldn't they already be installed?  My understanding is that sysprep is built in to Windows 2008 R2.

Regarding the time, how do I check/set the time on an ESXi host?  At the moment I'm trying to connect to the host using the vSphere Client but am not having any luck.  I'm pretty sure the username is root still isn't it?

Thanks,

Linn

[GreatWhiteTec]

I am assuming you have the template to deploy server in your domain. I don't mess with the Administrator account because it will never be used after the server is joined to the domain, in fact it should probably be renamed for security reasons. You can set the time via the vSphere Client under Configuration tab>Software>Time Configuration. Yes the default user is still root. Try to log in via the console to verify that the password is correct. If you had joined the Host to the domain, you can use your domain credentials.

Make sure that lockdown mode is not enabled on the host.

[lkubler]

Ok, so I think I've figured out the date/time for now.  I was able to reset the host date and time in the vCenter client as you suggested.  I have the NTP Client running now and NTP Servers configured.  So that should be good until I can figure out a time when I can reboot the server to check the bios date and time settings.  Thanks for that tip.  Oh, and I did figure out the password I was using.

The VM that I want to turn into a template is not in the domain yet.  I wasn't planning on attaching it to the domain but rather attaching the VM's I create from it, it's just the way I like to work things.  The only reason I'm messing with the administrator's account is to get the default account settings setup the way I want them. But maybe this isn't too important.  It would just save me some time messing around with prefernces each time I create a new server VM.

And now I have this pesky issue with the Page File to address.

Thanks,

Linn

[jeff9565]

Hi Linn,

Couple of things I would like clarification on.

1.  Unless you are doing replication of your virtual machines (and even then) I really wouldn't worry about moving your windows OS pagefile to a different VMDK.  This adds a lot of unnecessary complexity to your environment.  Is there a reason for doing this?

2.  As far as the Administrator settings.  The template not being in the domain is fine, sysprep will ask you if you want to add it in.  If you set the settings up on your template and deploy from it, they should come with it.  Are you saying that when you add your newly deployed VM to your domain, you do not get the settings you are looking for?

Jeff

[lkubler]

Hi Jeff,

1.) The reasons that I'm aware of for separating the page file from the disk where the OS is installed is to increase performance and save space when making snapshots of the VM, you don't need to snapshot the page file.  As I recall, it was advised to separate the page file to it's own disk even on a physical server for perfromance reasons.  Beyond the extra configuration that needs to be done up front what are the disadvantages to separating the page file, how does it make it more complex?

2.) I like to have my desktop setup in a certain way on each of my machines and I recalled from working with sysprep on Windows XP that the Administrator's account gets lost during sysprep.  When I read of this technique for saving those settings on a server I thought I'd give it a try. So yes, lose my shortcuts, taskbar config and preferences I like set on each server.  But if they are in the default profile then the new administrator's account will have them.

Does that make sense?

Thanks,

Linn

[jeff9565]

Hi Linn,

As far as the pagefile in windows, I made the assumption that you are separating the pagefile using the same underlying shared storage, on the same LUN.  That being said, it won't gain you any performance.  Even if you are separating onto a different LUN, typically you will be using the same underlying storage and spindle count.  Should that LUN disapear or not get re-mapped on a host startup and you try to boot windows, you will get a BSOD.  Same thing with replication.  If you end up at one point in time replicating your environment to a DR site and the mappings inside VMware are not there, BSOD.

I did not play around much with XP / 2003 Sysprep.  I would try to set up your desktop the way you want on your template and do a test deploy with sysprep to see if it works.  If it doesn't there may be things inside Group Policy that help you get it reconfigured, or like you mentioned, default profile.

Hope that helps.

Jeff