Setting Up Desktop and Application Pools in View

Table 5‑3. View Composer Operations, Linked-Clone SIDs, and Application GUIDs
Support for SIDs or GUIDs Clone Creation Refresh Recompose
Sysprep: Unique SIDs for
linked clones
With Sysprep
customization, unique SIDs
are generated for linked
clones.
Unique SIDs are preserved. Unique SIDS are not
preserved.
QuickPrep: Common SIDs
for linked clones
With QuickPrep
customization, a common
SID is generated for all
clones in a pool.
Common SID is preserved. Common SID is preserved.
Third-party application
GUIDs
Each application behaves
differently.
NOTE Sysprep and
QuickPrep have the same
effect on GUID
preservation.
The GUID is preserved if
an application generates
the GUID before the initial
snapshot is taken.
The GUID is not preserved
if an application generates
the GUID after the initial
snapshot is taken.
Recompose operations do
not preserve an application
GUID unless the application
writes the GUID on the
drive specified as a View
Composer persistent disk.
Choosing QuickPrep or Sysprep to Customize Linked-Clone Machines
QuickPrep and Microsoft Sysprep provide different approaches to customizing linked-clone machines.
QuickPrep is designed to work efficiently with View Composer. Microsoft Sysprep offers standard
customization tools.
When you create linked-clone machines, you must modify each virtual machine so that it can function as a
unique computer on the network. View and View Composer provide two methods for personalizing linked-
clone machines.
Table 5-4 compares QuickPrep with customization specifications that are created with Microsoft Sysprep.
Table 5‑4. Comparing QuickPrep and Microsoft Sysprep
QuickPrep Customization Specification (Sysprep)
Designed to work with View Composer.
For details, see “Customizing Linked-Clone Machines with
QuickPrep,” on page 76.
Can be created with the standard Microsoft Sysprep tools.
Uses the same local computer security identifier (SID) for
all linked clones in the pool.
Generates a unique local computer SID for each linked
clone in the pool.
Can run additional customization scripts before linked
clones are powered off and after linked clones are created,
refreshed, or recomposed.
Can run an additional script when the user first logs in.
Joins the linked clone computer to the Active Directory
domain.
Joins the linked-clone computer to the Active Directory
domain.
The domain and administrator information in the Sysprep
customization specification is not used. The virtual
machine is joined to the domain using the guest
customization information that you enter in View
Administrator when you create the pool.
For each linked clone, adds a unique ID to the Active
Directory domain account.
For each linked clone, adds a unique ID to the Active
Directory domain account.
Does not generate a new SID after linked clones are
refreshed. The common SID is preserved.
Generates a new SID when each linked clone is
customized. Preserves the unique SIDs during a refresh
operation, but not during a recompose or rebalance
operation.
Chapter 5 Creating Linked-Clone Desktop Pools
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