4.6

View Composer Support for Linked-Clone SIDs and Third-Party Applications
View Composer can generate and preserve local computer security identifiers (SIDs) for linked-clone virtual
machines in some situations. View Composer can preserve globally unique identifiers (GUIDs) of third-party
applications, depending on the way that the applications generate GUIDs.
To understand how View Composer operations affect SIDs and application GUIDs, you should understand
how linked-clone desktops are created and provisioned:
1 View Composer creates a linked clone by taking these actions:
a Creates the replica by cloning the parent virtual-machine snapshot.
b Creates the linked clone to refer to the replica as its parent disk.
2 View Composer and View Manager customize the linked clone with QuickPrep or a Sysprep
customization specification, depending on which customization tool you select when you create the pool.
n
If you use Sysprep, a unique SID is generated for each clone.
n
If you use QuickPrep, no new SID is generated. The parent virtual machine's SID is replicated on all
provisioned linked-clone desktops in the pool.
n
Some applications generate a GUID during customization.
3 View Manager creates a snapshot of the linked clone.
The snapshot contains the unique SID generated with Sysprep or common SID generated with QuickPrep.
4 View Manager powers on the desktop according to the settings you select when you create the pool.
Some applications generate a GUID the first time the desktop is powered on.
For a comparison of QuickPrep and Sysprep customization, see “Choosing QuickPrep or Sysprep to Customize
Linked-Clone Desktops,” on page 85.
When you refresh the linked clone, View Composer uses the snapshot to restore the clone to its initial state.
Its SID is preserved.
If you use QuickPrep, when you recompose the linked clone, the parent virtual machine's SID is preserved on
the linked clone as long as you select the same parent virtual machine for the recompose operation. If you select
a different parent virtual machine for the recomposition, the new parent's SID is replicated on the clone.
If you use Sysprep, a new SID is always generated on the clone. For details, see “Recomposing Linked Clones
Customized with Sysprep,” on page 87.
Table 5-5 shows the effect of View Composer operations on linked-clone SIDs and third-party application
GUIDs.
VMware View Administration
84 VMware, Inc.