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polysulfide
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Prevent Update Manager from scanning or remediating templates

Some of my templates, especially the 64-bit ones are packaged up, ready to go with sysprep and first run scripts.

I would rather that Update Manager not power these systems on during a scan cycle.

Is there a way to prevent Update Manager from scanning and remediating templates?

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pomiwi
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Also just curious why you have pre-run sysprep on your templates? When you deploy from a template and create a virtual machine, if you have the sysprep files installed on the virtual centre server it will run this for you.

This type of setup allows you to power on your templates and keep them 'current' with patches before you use them to deploy from? This may be a better solution for you.

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pomiwi
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Hi, you can do this by creating two folders, one for virtual machines and one for templates. The create a schedule task to perform 'scan for udates' and or 'remediate' on the Virtual Machine folder only. If you setup the scheduled tasks at a higher level i.e. DataCentre they WILL apply to templates.

pomiwi
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Also just curious why you have pre-run sysprep on your templates? When you deploy from a template and create a virtual machine, if you have the sysprep files installed on the virtual centre server it will run this for you.

This type of setup allows you to power on your templates and keep them 'current' with patches before you use them to deploy from? This may be a better solution for you.

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polysulfide
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Customization doesn't support 64-bit so to have a "functional" template you need to convert to template after running sysprep and shutting down.

If it was useful, give me credit

Jason White - VCP

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Craig_Baltzer
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I don't have any problems getting customization to work for 64 bit OSs (only customization issue I have is with Windows 2008 where I have to do the "set it to Vista to customize then back to WIndows 2008" workaround). Have you put the 64-bit sysprep files in the right locations on the VC server for XP and WIndows 2003 64 bit?

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polysulfide
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It's been a while since I tried. I do have all my sysprep files in the right place. I'm fairly certain Virtual Center told me it wasn't supported last time I tired. I've gone through a few VC upgrades since then, maybe I should revisit it. What version of VC are you using? Is your VC server running a 64-bit OS?

I think the oly reason I haven't ever tried again is that I assumed the 32-bit VC couldn't run the 64-bit sysprep code.

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Craig_Baltzer
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What's supported does change pretty quickly for sure. I'm on VC 2.5u3 now, however the 64 bit stuff has worked since at least 3.5u1 (maybe earlier, we just recently started doing enough 64bit VMs that I bothered looking at it). The VC server itself I'm using is 32 bit.

All of the sysprep code runs on the target VM so VC doesn't have to run any of it (hence no 32/64 bit dependencies between the VC server and the customizations it can do). All VC does is "stuff" the right version of sysprep into the target VM and set the configuration file options so sysprep runs when the VM boots and has the right configuration information...

polysulfide
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That makes perfect sense. I haven't tried it since 2.0 something. I'm on u3 now so I'll give it another go.

Thanks again!

If it was useful, give me credit

Jason White - VCP

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pomiwi
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I too am using the native VC sysprep on a 64-bit template, works a treat. What I am finding with VMware is that you should reference all documentation online.. the minute you download a manual it is out of date and they release new ones all the time.. they dont seem to have the stability like MS do before they release patches.. possibly because their base of customers/users is not as big as MS so they have to find out many issues once they have gone live?

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polysulfide
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Customization and Update manager are now working on my 64-bit OSs. Neither were supported last time I tried. I don't use the 64-bit guest very often so it wasn't a high priority to check.

I wish I had time to re-read the manual every time they changed something Smiley Wink

I gave you full credit on the folder structure with scheduled tasks. Its not exactly what I was looking for but its sound and its what I ended up doing.

If it was useful, give me credit

Jason White - VCP

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