5.0

Correcting an Unsuccessful Recomposition
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.
Problem
The desktops are in an erroneous or outdated state as a result of an unsuccessful recomposition.
Cause
A system failure or problem might have occurred on the vCenter Server host, in vCenter Server, or on a
datastore during the recomposition.
Alternatively, the recomposition might have used a virtual-machine snapshot with a different operating system
than the operating system of the original parent virtual machine. For example, you might have used a Windows
7 snapshot to recompose Windows XP linked clones.
Solution
1 Select the snapshot that was used in the last successful recomposition.
You can also select a new snapshot to update the linked clones to a new state.
The snapshot must use the same operating system as the original parent virtual machine's snapshot.
2 Recompose the pool again.
View Composer creates a base image from the snapshot and recreates the linked-clone OS disks.
View Composer persistent disks that contain user data and settings are preserved during the
recomposition.
Depending on the conditions of the incorrect recomposition, you might refresh or rebalance the linked
clones instead of or in addition to recomposing them.
NOTE If you do not configure View Composer persistent disks, all recompositions delete user-generated
changes in the linked-clone desktops.
Rebalance Linked-Clone Desktops
A desktop rebalance operation evenly redistributes linked-clone desktops among available datastores.
If possible, schedule rebalance operations during off-peak hours.
For guidelines, see “Rebalancing Linked Clones Among Logical Drives,” on page 198.
Prerequisites
n
Familiarize yourself with the rebalance operation. See “Rebalancing Linked Clones Among Logical
Drives,” on page 198.
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Decide when to schedule the rebalance operation. By default, View Composer starts the operation
immediately.
You can schedule only one rebalance operation at a time for a given set of linked clones. You can schedule
multiple rebalance operations if they affect different linked clones.
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Decide whether to force all users to log off as soon as the operation begins or wait for each user to log off
before rebalancing that user's desktop.
If you force users to log off, View Manager notifies users before they are disconnected and allows them
to close their applications and log off.
Chapter 10 Managing Linked-Clone Desktops
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