6.0.2

You can set the Allow reuse of pre-existing computer accounts option when you create a new desktop pool
or edit an existing pool. If you edit a pool and set this option, the setting affects linked-clone machines that
are provisioned in the future. Linked clones that are already provisioned are not affected.
When you set the Allow reuse of pre-existing computer accounts option, you can limit the Active Directory
permissions assigned to the View Composer user account that generates the desktop pool. Only the
following Active Directory permissions are required:
n
List Contents
n
Read All Properties
n
Read Permissions
n
Reset Password
You can only limit the Active Directory permissions if you are sure that all machines you intend to
provision have existing computer accounts allocated in Active Directory. View Composer generates a new
AD computer account if no matching name is found. Additional permissions such as Create Computer
Objects are required to create new computer accounts. For a complete list of permissions required for the
View Composer user account, see the View Administration document.
This option cannot be disabled if View Composer is currently using at least one existing AD computer
account.
Prerequisites
Verify that the existing computer accounts are located in the Active Directory container that you specify
with the Active Directory container setting. If the existing accounts are located in a different container,
provisioning fails for linked clones with those account names, and an error message states that the existing
computer accounts already exist in Active Directory.
For example, if you select the Allow reuse of pre-existing computer accounts option and specify that the
Active Directory container is the default value, CN=Computers, and the existing computer accounts are
located in OU=mydesktops, provisioning fails for those accounts.
Procedure
1 In Active Directory, create the computer accounts to use for the linked-clone machines.
For example: machine1, machine2, machine3
The computer account names must use consecutive integers so that they match the names that are
generated during machine provisioning in View.
2 In View Administrator, create a pool by using the Add Desktop Pool wizard or edit the pool in the Edit
dialog box.
3 On the Provisioning Settings page or tab, select Use a naming pattern.
4 In the Naming Pattern text box, type a machine name that matches the Active Directory computer
account name.
For example: machine
View appends unique numbers to the pattern to provide a unique name for each machine.
For example: machine1, machine2, machine3
5 On the Guest Customization page or tab, select the Allow reuse of pre-existing computer accounts
option.
Setting Up Desktop and Application Pools in View
76 VMware, Inc.