5.2

n
Keep a Record of the Parent Virtual Machine's Paging-File Size on page 84
When
you create a linked-clone pool, you can redirect the linked clones' guest OS paging and temp files
to a separate disk. You must configure this disk to be larger than the paging file in the guest OS.
n
Increase the Timeout Limit of QuickPrep Customization Scripts on page 84
View Composer terminates a QuickPrep post-synchronization or power-off script that takes longer than
20 seconds. You can increase the timeout limit for these scripts by changing the ExecScriptTimeout
Windows registry value on the parent virtual machine.
Prepare a Parent Virtual Machine
The View Composer service requires a parent virtual machine from which you generate a base image for
creating and managing linked-clone desktops.
Prerequisites
n
Verify that you prepared a virtual machine to use for deploying View desktops. See “Creating Virtual
Machines for View Desktop Deployment,” on page 59.
A parent virtual machine that you use for View Composer must either belong to the same Active Directory
domain as the domain that the linked-clone desktops will join or be a member of the local WORKGROUP.
IMPORTANT To use features that are supported in View Manager 4.5 or later, such as redirecting disposable
data to a separate disk and customizing linked-clone desktops with Sysprep, you must deploy the desktops
from a parent virtual machine on which View Agent 4.5 or later is installed.
You cannot use View Composer to deploy desktops that run Windows Vista Ultimate Edition or Windows
XP Professional SP1.
n
Verify
that the virtual machine was not converted from a View Composer linked clone. A virtual machine
that is converted from a linked clone has the clone's internal disk and state information. A parent virtual
machine cannot have state information.
IMPORTANT Linked clones and virtual machines that were converted from linked clones are not supported
as parent virtual machines.
n
If
the parent virtual machine runs Windows XP, and your Active Directory runs on Windows Server 2008,
apply an update patch on the Windows XP virtual machine. See the Microsoft Support Article 944043 at
the following location: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/944043/en-us.
If you do not install the Windows Server 2008 read-only domain controller (RODC) compatibility pack
for Windows XP, linked clones that are deployed from this parent virtual machine fail to join the domain.
n
When you install View Agent on the parent virtual machine, select the View Composer Agent option. See
“Install View Agent on a Virtual Machine,” on page 64.
To update View Agent in a large environment, you can use standard Windows update mechanisms such
as Altiris, SMS, LanDesk, BMC, or other systems management software. You can also use the recompose
operation to update View Agent.
NOTE Do not change the log on account for the VMware View Composer Guest Agent Server service in
a parent virtual machine. By default, this is the Local System account. If you change this account, the linked
clones created from the parent do not start.
n
To deploy desktops that run Windows 8, Windows 7, or Windows Vista, configure a volume license key
and activate the parent virtual machine's operating system with volume activation. See “Activating
Windows on Linked-Clone Desktops,” on page 82.
VMware Horizon View Administration
80 VMware, Inc.