5.2

Filenames of Linked-Clone Disks After a Rebalance Operation
When
you rebalance linked-clone desktops, vCenter Server changes the filenames of View Composer persistent
disks and disposable-data disks in linked clones that are moved to a new datastore.
The original filenames identify the disk type. The renamed disks do not include the identifying labels.
An original persistent disk has a filename with a user-disk label: desktop_name -vdm-user-disk-D- ID .vmdk.
An original disposable-data disk has a filename with a disposable label:
desktop_name -vdm-disposable-
ID .vmdk.
After a rebalance operation moves a linked clone to a new datastore, vCenter Server uses a common filename
syntax for both types of disks:
desktop_name _ n .vmdk.
Manage View Composer Persistent Disks
You can detach a View Composer persistent disk from a linked-clone desktop and attach it to another linked
clone. This feature lets you manage user information separately from linked-clone desktops.
View Composer Persistent Disks
With View Composer, you can configure OS data and user information on separate disks in linked-clone
desktops. View Composer preserves the user information on the persistent disk when the OS data is updated,
refreshed, or rebalanced.
A View Composer persistent disk contains user settings and other user-generated data. You create persistent
disks when you create a linked-clone desktop pool. See “Worksheet for Creating a Linked-Clone Desktop
Pool,” on page 92.
You can detach a persistent disk from its linked-clone desktop and store the disk on its original datastore or
another datastore. After you detach the disk, the linked-clone virtual machine is deleted. A detached persistent
disk is no longer associated with any desktop.
You can use several methods to attach a detached persistent disk to another linked-clone desktop. This
flexibility has several uses:
n
When a linked clone is deleted, you can preserve the user data.
n
When an employee leaves the company, another employee can access the departing employee's user data.
n
A user who has multiple desktops can consolidate the user data on a single desktop.
n
If a virtual machine becomes inaccessible in vCenter Server, but the persistent disk is intact, you can import
the persistent disk and create a new linked clone using the disk.
NOTE You cannot detach a persistent disk from a Windows XP linked clone and recreate or attach the persistent
disk to a Windows 8, Windows 7, or Windows Vista linked clone. Persistent disks must be reconnected to the
operating system that was used when they were created.
View Manager can manage persistent disks from linked-clone pools that were created in View Manager 4.5 or
later. Persistent disks that were created in earlier versions of View Manager cannot be managed and do not
appear on the Persistent Disks page in View Administrator.
VMware Horizon View Administration
260 VMware, Inc.