VC 2.5 Deploy from Template - Linked?

[rbmadison]

In VC 25. when I use deploy VM from this template are the VMs then linked to that template?

I have deployed some VMs from a template and when I delete one of the deployed VMs I get an error that it is linked to another VM base disk. If I delete the deployed VM and then look at the template the disk is gone from the template. Is this the way it's supposed to work and if so why would anyone want a VM linked to a template? How should I be deploying VMs from templates if I don't want them linked? I thought this was what templates are for?

Thanks!

[mmonti]

I am seeing the same behavior. Is this by design? I have been looking at the vm docs but I have not seen anything to indicate this.

Monti

[RParker]

It is and their not. Something in your VM must be using some other resource, and both VMs appear to be linked. Check your DVD drives for ISO's.

We haven't seen this, and I just got out of a VM class, and this wasn't mentioned. So this must be isolated incident or some way that the templates are stored on your SAN.

[mmonti]

I thought this behavior is not the norm but I when I look at the properties of a VM I deployed through the template its hard disk path is the template's VMDK file and not its own. If I browse the datastore I can see the new VM's vmdk file but its not being used by the VM. The VM is using the templates vmdk file as I can tell by its modified date.

Anyone else seeing this? I followed the directions according to the VM basic system admin guide. Any ideas?

[mmonti]

Ok. I think I may have found the issue, at least for me. When I was deploying from template I selected "Edit Virtual Hardware" which is marked "Experimental" . I was trying to change the size of the vmdk file. Clearly this does not work properly. If I browse the new VM's files through the datastore I can see the new, enlarged vmdk file but for some reason the VM does not use it. It uses the origianl vmdk file from the template.

Monti

[rbmadison]

Thanks for finding out why this was happening. VMWare should send a patch for this out ASAP or people should at least be warned. I could see someone loosing alot of VMs knowingly by deleting the template.