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© 2016 VMware Inc. All rights reserved.

Creating and Managing Instant Clone Desktop Pools

Module 8


VMware Horizon: Install, Configure, Manage 8-2

You Are Here

1. Course Introduction

2. Introduction to VMware Horizon

3. View Connection Server

4. VMware Horizon Pools and Desktops

5. VMware Horizon Client Options

6. Creating Automated Desktop Pools

7. Configuring and Managing Linked-Clone Desktop Pools

8. Creating and Managing Instant Clone Desktop Pools

9. Creating RDS Desktop and Application Pools

10. VMware Horizon 7 Authentication

11. Managing VMware Horizon Security

12. Profile Management Using User Environment Manager

13. Provisioning and Managing Applications

14. Command-Line Tools and Backup Options

15. VMware Horizon Performance and Scalability



Importance

To successfully deploy Instant Clones, administrators must know how these clones are created and managed in end-user computing. Instant Clones, introduced in VMware Horizon, offer faster clone deployment.



Module Lessons

Lesson 1: Introducing Instant Clones

Lesson 2: Anatomy of an Instant Clone

Lesson 3: Working with Instant Clones


8-5

Lesson 1: Introducing Instant Clones



Learner Objectives

By the end of this lesson, you should be able to meet the following objectives:

• Describe Instant Clones

• List the advantages of Instant Clones

• Differentiate between View Composer Linked Clones and Instant Clones

• Understand the current Instant Clone limitations



Instant Clones

• Automated Floating Desktop Pools Only

• New Guest Customization Process – No Reboot Needed

• AppVolumes and AppStack Write and Volume Support

• Pre-provisioned Elastic Pools of Desktops

• Desktops are destroyed when the user logs out



About Instant Clones

Instant Clones leverage the VMware VMFork technology.

Desktops are already powered on when the user logs in. The desktop identity is customized based on the users (domain join).

• Instant Clones can be further

customized based on user applications

• The desktop is destroyed at the time a user logs out. A new, refreshed Instant Clone is created the next time the user logs in.

• Desktop maintenance is virtually eliminated.



Operating System and Application Delivery

Identical operating system clones created one per second from template.

• Instant Clones (VMFork)

Applications, user data, and user installed apps stored separately and attached to operating systems as users log in.

• App Volumes, User Environment Manager

• On-demand assembly of desktops

Data/Files

User 1

Personalization

User 1

Applications 1 Applications 2

Cloning Desktop

User

Loading Applications

Customizing Desktop

Desktop Ready for User



Advantages of Instant Clones

Simplified administration

• Operating system and application patches delivered instantly

• Reduced database maintenance

– View Composer database not needed

Improved overall performance

• Rapid desktop provisioning

– No boot storms

– Efficient storage utilization using linked-clone technology

• Reduced resource use

– Persistent disks not needed

– Fewer spare desktops needed

• Reduced IOPs load on VMware vCenter Server

Improved desktop experience for the user

• Desktop consistency

• Up-to-date desktop with the latest version of the operating system and application



Comparing Composer and Instant Clones

Composer

Recompose, Refresh, Rebalance

Clone level CBRC

Composer Service

Composer database

Long provisioning maintenance windows

• 2K VMs 4 hours to provision*

Provisioning operations are IO intensive

High vCenter Calls – Clone, multiple power, and reconfigure

Instant Clones

Delete and Create new clone

CBRC only for Replica

No separate service

No database

New desktops provisioned in seconds after priming

• 2K VMs 40 minutes to provision*

Far lower disk IO load for provisioning operations

Fewer vCenter calls – Clone and Power



Differences in vCenter Load

Instant Clones eliminate power cycle and reconfigure calls, resulting in significantly lower overall load on vCenter

vCenter Server Call Type View Composer Instant Clones

Cloning 1 Clone call 1 vmFork Call

Power Cycle 2 Power cycle calls None

Reconfiguration 3-4 Reconfigure calls None

Overall load on vCenter Server Higher Lower



View Composer and Instant Clones Provisioning Comparison

VMware

Composer

Clone

Provisioning

Process

Cloning Reconfiguration Power-on Guest

Customization Checkpoints Power-on

User

Log on

Instant

Clone

Provisioning

Process

Cloning with

VMFork Power-on

Guest

Customization

User

Log on

Ready for Login

Ready for Login

Login Complete

Login Complete



Limitations of Instant Clone in VMware Horizon 7

• No dedicated Desktop Pools

• Windows 7 and Windows 10 virtual desktops only

• No RDS Desktop or Application Pools

• Single LAN environments only

• Limited SVGA Support – Fixed maximum resolution and number of monitors

• No 3D Rendering and GPU support

• Single vCenter Server, single vLAN only

• Single SID across the pool

• Virtual SAN or VMware vStorage Virtual Machine File System datastores only supported for storage (so no NFS (status Oct 2016))



Review of Learner Objectives

You should be able to meet the following objectives:

• Describe Instant Clones

• List the advantages of Instant Clones

• Differentiate between View Composer created Clones and Instant Clones

• Know the current Instant Clone limitations


8-16

Lesson 2: Anatomy of Instant Clones



Learner Objectives


• Describe the different types of Instant Clone virtual machines

• Explain how folders are used to delegate pool administration



Instant Clone Component Overview

Master VM (per pool)

Template (per pool)

Replica (per datastore)

Parent (per host per datastore)

Desktop VMs Desktop VMs Desktop VMs



Instant Clone Components in vCenter

Viewed from VMs and Templates

Master VM

Template

Replica

Parent

Desktops



Master Virtual Machine

• Considered the Golden Image

• Follow build Guidelines Optimizations – OS Optimization Tool

• Requires Horizon Agent with Instant Clones

• Other compatible agents – AppVolumes, FlexEngine

• Snapshot(s)



Template

• Linked clone of Master virtual machine – Based on chosen snapshot

• Low disk space usage

• Named as <cp-template-GUID> in vCenter

• Located in the <ClonePrepInternalTemplateFolder>

• Defaults to same datastore as the Master virtual machine

• Linked to Master virtual machine



Replica

• Full Clone of Template - Thin provisioned - Less total disk space than Master virtual machine.

• Has a Digest.

• Placed on selected datastores for desktops. Can be placed on a single specific datastore in case of tiered storage selection. Single datastore for VSAN.

• Named as <cp-replica-GUID> in vCenter in <ClonePrepReplicaVmFolder>.

• Shared read disk for desktop virtual machines.



Parent

• Used to fork Desktop virtual machines.

• Placed on selected datasore(s) for desktops. One per host per datastore.

• Named as <cp-parent-GUID> in vCenter in <ClonePrepParentVmFolder>.



Desktop Virtual Machines

• Placed on selected datastore(s) for desktops.

• Named as defined in Horizon Administrator Pool Settings.

• Very small disk space usage – Can grow over time but limited by delete on logoff.



Inside Instant Clone

Instant Clone leverages the VMware VMFork technology:

• Created using VMFork.

• Use Power CLI to look at Instant Clone at a low level.

• PowerCLI Extensions Fling.

• info-get

– guestinfo.fork.ipaddress

– guestinfo.fork.netmask

– guestinfo.fork.gateway





• Describe the different types of Instant Clone virtual machines

• Explain how folders are used to delegate pool administration


8-27

Lesson 3: Working with Instant Clone



Learner Objectives


• Explain how Instant Clone works

• Describe Instant Clone desktop pools

• Determine requirements and configuration needs

• Describe Instant Clone limitations in VMware Horizon 7

• Describe Instant Clone creation

• Set up an automated pool of Instant Clones



Requirements for Instant Clones

Infrastructure

Master VM

• Horizon 7 Connection Server

• Horizon 7 Agent with Instant Clones

• vSphere 6.0 u1 or higher

• Virtual Hardware 11

• VMXNET3

• Windows 7 or Windows 10

• Portgroup with Static Binding (if using DVS)

• Ephemeral Binding not supported



Instant Clone Agent

Creating a Master image for an Instant Clone desktop pool follows the same workflow as creating other desktop pools.

The Horizon Agent must be configured for an Instant Clone desktop pool:

• VMware Horizon Instant Clone must be selected.

• VMware Horizon View Composer must be deselected.

– Agent selection as Instant Clones or Composer both cannot be installed on the same machine.

– Clone a Separate Master virtual machine for Instant Clone and Composer.



Instant Clone Admins

Instant Clone Admins is a new View Configuration Menu Item

• Added by entering the domain and user name

• Added user does not have to be an Administrator

• Credentials are verified at time of Addition



Creating an Instant Clone Desktop Pool

Creating a Instant Clone desktop pool follows the same workflow as creating other desktop pools.

The Horizon Administrator wizard guides you through the steps of creating an Instant Clone desktop pool:

• Create the parent virtual machine.

• Take a snapshot of the parent virtual machine.

• Create an Instant Clone desktop pool.

• Entitle the desktop pool.

• Deploy desktops.



Initial Instant Clone Pool Creation

1 • Template created, powered on and cloned from Master virtual machine

2 • Template is powered off

3 • Replica cloned to datastore(s) where virtual machines will be placed

4 • Reconfigure replica

5 • Replica powered on and placed on a host in the cluster

6 • Replica shuts down

7 • CBRC Digest created on replica

8 • Snapshot replica

9 • Clone Parents to hosts or datastores

10 • Power on Parents

11 • Create and power on desktop virtual machines (VMFork)

12 • Customize Desktop virtual machines (ClonePrep)



Creation of an Instant Clone

Instant Clone leverages VMware VMFork technology.

The creation of an Instant Clone involves using VMFork and is as follows:

1. Parent virtual machine is quiesced.

2. Identified as a parent virtual machine.

3. Parent virtual machine is “primed”.

4. Pre-quiesce script run on parent.

5. Child virtual machine created.

6. Post-creation script run on child.

7. Child is shown running.



ClonePrep

ClonePrep is VMware’s Guest Customization Tool for Instant Clones.

• Changes the machine name

• Changes the machine password

• Performs Domain Join

• Activates Microsoft Licensing using KMS server

• No power cycle operations required

• Sysprep and QuickPrep not supported



Priming Steps

1 • Create cp-template – linked clone

2 • Create cp_replica(s) – full clone

3 • Create digest of cp-replica

4 • Create cp-parent(s)



Desktop Placement

• Initial host placement of desktops is done by Instant Clone Engine

• vSphere DRS can move desktops after initial placement

• vSphere HA is supported to power up desktops after host failure

• vSphere vMotion supported – No Storage vMotion

• Availability



Push Image

Push Image – Similar to Recompose

• Schedule

• Reschedule

• Cancel



Push Image – Schedule (1)

Can be scheduled for a future time

Immediate logoff can be forced for urgent patches




Current and pending images displayed in Desktop Pool Summary




Can be rescheduled or cancelled



Push Image – Status (1)

When a new image is pushed, the pending image is displayed in the vCenter Server pane in the Desktop Pool Summary tab.




When the new image is published, the current (old) image is unpublished. This occurs at the scheduled time for Push.




When the old image is unpublished, the new image is displayed as the current image and there is no pending image.



Interim Stage of Pushing an Update – vCenter View

• Old and new templates and replica(s) are all here.

• Old and new parents are here as well.

• Old parents, template, and replica get cleaned up after image is published.



Push Image - Tasks

Once new image is published and Push starts. Task to switch users to new image appears in Tasks tab in Pool Details.

Total

Remaining



Push Image - Events

Publishing Events tracked in Events Database and viewable on Events tab in Pool Details.



Delete Pool

Available at all times • Current Imaging operation will be completed first • Images will be unprimed

Integrated with new desktop pool deletion protection feature



Recover

• Similar to Linked Clone Reset

• Deletes the current VM and creates a new one

• Same effect as Delete after logoff

• Available in Machines view or Inventory tab of Pool view



Recovery Scenarios for Host Failures

• vSphere HA will power on desktops from a failed host, if there is enough resource.

• Failed desktops still show as available in VMware Horizon 7 Administrator.

• Possible connection failure during the power on process.

• Instant Clone Engine powers on parent virtual machines if they get powered off unintentionally.



Lab 11: Deploying Instant Clone Machines

Create a parent virtual machine and deploy instant-clone machines

1. Install Horizon Agent in the Parent Virtual Machine and Take a Baseline Snapshot

2. Enable Instant Clone and Authorize a Horizon 7 Administrator Account for Use by ClonePrep

3. Create an Automated Desktop Pool of Instant-Clone Machines

4. Test an Individual Instant-Clone Machine





• Explain how Instant Clone works

• Describe Instant-Clone desktop pools

• Determine requirements and configuration needs

• Describe Instant-Clone limitations in VMware Horizon 7

• Describe Instant-Clone creation

• Set up an automated pool of Instant Clones



Key Points

• Instant Clones are a transformative technology for Horizon.

• Instant Clones can be created in seconds and are very resource efficient.

• The first iteration of Instant Clone has limitations and is not suitable for all workloads.

• The Horizon Administrator console enables you to carry out configuration, monitoring, and troubleshooting tasks for Instant Clone.

Questions?

module 8 - vmwarebits.comvmwarebits.com/sites/default/files/files/hicm7_m08_creating_and... · ©...

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