5.0

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After you recompose a linked clone, View Manager takes a new snapshot of the linked clone's OS disk.
Future refresh operations restore the OS data to that snapshot, not the one originally taken when the linked
clone was first created.
NOTE You can slow the growth of linked clones by redirecting their paging files and system temp files to a
temporary disk. When a linked clone is powered off, View Manager replaces the temporary disk with a copy
of the original temporary disk that View Composer created with the linked-clone pool. This operation shrinks
the temporary disk to its original size.
You can configure this option when you create a linked-clone pool.
Update Linked-Clone Desktops
You can update linked-clone desktops by creating a new base image on the parent virtual machine and using
the recompose feature to distribute the updated image to the linked clones.
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Prepare a Parent Virtual Machine to Recompose Linked-Clone Desktops on page 193
Before you recompose a linked-clone desktop pool, you must update the parent virtual machine that you
used as a base image for the linked clones.
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Recompose Linked-Clone Desktops on page 194
Desktop recomposition simultaneously updates all the linked-clone desktops anchored to a parent
virtual machine.
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Recompose Linked-Clone Desktops That Can Run in Local Mode on page 195
You can recompose linked-clone desktops that can run in local mode. However, the desktops must be
checked in or rolled back to the datacenter before the recompose operation can take place.
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Updating Linked Clones with Desktop Recomposition on page 196
In a desktop recomposition, you can provide operating system patches, install or update applications,
or modify the desktop hardware settings in all the linked clones in a desktop pool.
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Correcting an Unsuccessful Recomposition on page 197
You can correct a recomposition that failed. You can also take action if you accidentally recompose linked
clones using a different base image than the one you intended to use.
Prepare a Parent Virtual Machine to Recompose Linked-Clone Desktops
Before you recompose a linked-clone desktop pool, you must update the parent virtual machine that you used
as a base image for the linked clones.
View Composer does not support recomposing linked clones that use one operating system to a parent virtual
machine that uses a different operating system. For example, you cannot use a snapshot of a Windows 7 or
Windows Vista parent virtual machine to recompose a Windows XP linked clone.
Procedure
1 In vCenter Server, update the parent virtual machine for the recomposition.
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Install OS patches or service packs, new applications, application updates, or make other changes in
the parent virtual machine.
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Alternatively, prepare another virtual machine to be selected as the new parent during the
recomposition.
2 In vCenter Server, power off the updated or new parent virtual machine.
3 In vCenter Server, take a snapshot of the parent virtual machine.
Chapter 10 Managing Linked-Clone Desktops
VMware, Inc. 193