PVS Steps

I need a central place/ post where I can write down (and keep adding) the steps required for a PVS image. Consider this as a continuation to a previous post. So here goes:

  1. Install the OS.
  2. Install Updates and Device Drivers; including integration tools such as VMware Tools, XenServer Tools, etc. 
  3. Install any applications & VDA. (No shutdown or domain join at this point – but you could domain join if needed, just don’t reuse that name later in the catalog)
  4. Install the Target Device software (this is the Provisioning Services target device software).
  5. Launch the imaging wizard. (No need for snapshots as we are capturing to a new vDisk)
    1. The wizard will ask for a Target Device name. This can be different from the name of the machine/ VM. This is a PVS representation of the device.
    2. Give a vDisk name too.
    3. Upon creation this vDisk will be in private mode – which means only 1 machine can boot off it, and the disk is read/write.
  6. Power off the VM.
    1. If this VM will be used as the Master Target Device going forward, delete or remove the original hard disk. And go to the device object in PVS and change the “Boot from” to vDisk.
    2. Alternatively: If this VM will not be used as the Master Target Device, create a new VM (maybe give it the same name as the Master Target Device in PVS) and put its MAC address to the Master Target Device in PVS. Also change the “Boot from” to vDisk.
    3. Note: If the “Boot from” is not changed to vDisk the VM will try to boot from the local disk and fail if it’s not present.
  7. Power on the VM. It will boot from the vDisk now (which is still in private mode). Make any more changes if required. Example domain join and add more applications etc. Whatever changes we make now will be written to the vDisk.
  8. When everything is finalized power off the VM.
  9. Convert the vDisk to standard mode. This means multiple machines can boot off it and the disk is read only (the writes will be made to a write-cache disk).
    1. Note: the VM must be powered off to be able to change the disk type. There has to be no connections to the vDisk.
  10. Now create a template based on the hardware specs you want for your VMs. Memory, CPU, etc. This template won’t have any storage. It will network boot.
  11. From PVS console launch the XenDesktop Setup wizard. At one point it will ask for the template & vDisk we created above.
    1. Quick note on the disk options.
    2. With MCS we had the option of choosing random or static. Within random we had the option of using RAM as a cache. And within static we had the option of (a) using a personal vDisk or (b) a dedicated VM or (c) discarding changes.
    3. With PVS our options are again random or static. No sub-options within random (i.e. no RAM cache etc). And within static the only options are (a) personal vDisk or (b) discard changes.
  12. That’s all. New VMs will be created that can stream from the above vDisk. And AD accounts will be created for them.

Pool Machine booting up … :)