Create VM Template to Deploy Linked Clone vDesktopsMustBeGeek

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After installing View Composer server in vSphere environment, you can deploy linked clone virtual desktops. Before deploying linked clone virtual desktops, you must create a virtual machine template. The template is used to create linked clone virtual desktops. The clone is based on template of parent virtual machine. In this post, I will show steps to Create VM Template to Deploy Linked Clone vDesktops.

Create VM Template to Deploy Linked Clone vDesktops

The diagram below shows our network scenario we have been working on. As you can see below, Windows 8.1 is a virtual machine and is setup as DHCP client.

Step 1. The very first step is to create a virtual machine and install client operating system. In this example, Windows 8.1 is used. I have already installed Windows 8.1 in a virtual machine and joined it to domain. Likewise, I have also installed VMware tools, latest OS patches, renamed the hostname and configured the network adapter to get IP from DHCP server.

Step 2. Second step is to install View Agent in the client operating system. I have installed View Agent in Windows 8.1 machine. You can download View Agent from VMware and start the installation as shown below. Click Next on the welcome screen.

Accept License agreement. Click Next.

Review the features required. Click Next. Select all features to take full advantage of View Agent.

Choose installation location. Click Next.

The installation will begin.

After the setup is finished, click Finish and reboot the system.

Step 3. You can now modify the windows system. Example, changing the desktop background to show company logo, perform windows updates, install most common applications like Notepad++, etc. Also don’t forget to activate the windows. Similarly, ensure the operating system is joined to domain and is configured as DHCP client. Now, shutdown Windows 8.1 and power off the virtual machine.

Step 4. Take snapshot of the virtual machine. Make sure the virtual machine is powered off before you take snapshot because View Connection server won’t accept snapshots taken while the virtual machine was powered on. To take the snapshot, logon to vCenter. Go to, hosts and clusters, expand 172.16.0.151 host and select Windows8 virtual machine. Click Actions button and click Take Snapshot as shown below.