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Cloning virtual machines from a template

Setting up virtual machines can be a lengthy process. If you need to deploy multiple identical virtual machines, you can save time by setting up a single virtual machine as the template and then rapidly cloning virtual machines from that template.

Before you begin

About this task

Cloning performance is affected by many factors, including the vCenter Server hardware configuration, the number and hardware configuration of the ESX/ESXi hosts, and the current load on the vCenter Server and the hosts.

Performance can degrade if you request a large number of clones in a single operation. If you need to create a large number of clones, consider whether you should perform two cloning operations instead of one. For example, instead of requesting 2,000 clones in each operation, you might perform two operations that each request 1,000 clones each.

Steps

  1. Power down the virtual machine template.
    Powering down the virtual machine is recommended because it enables VSC to check the virtual machine's alignment and perform the cloning process faster. Checking the alignment is important because you should not clone a functionally aligned or misaligned virtual machine. Doing so can result in misaligned clones.

    For more information about functionally aligned and misaligned virtual machines, see Optimizing I/O performance with online alignment and migration of virtual machines.

  2. From the vSphere Web Client Home page, click VMs and Templates.
    Screen shot: VMs and Templates selected on the vSphere Web Client Home page.
  3. In the navigation pane, expand the datacenter that contains the virtual machine template.
    Screen shot: A datacenter expanded in the navigation pane.
  4. Right-click the virtual machine template and select NetApp VSC > Create Rapid Clones.
    If VSC warns you that the virtual machine is misaligned or functionally aligned, take the virtual machine offline and use a tool like VMware vCenter Converter to fix the VMDK alignment before you proceed.
    Note: If you do not fix the alignment of a functionally aligned virtual machine, the clones can be misaligned if the destination datastores are not optimized for the VMDK layout of the clones.
  5. Complete the pages in the Create Rapid Clones wizard to clone the virtual machines.
    1. In the Clone destination page, select a destination for the clones (a host, host cluster, or datacenter) and a folder to hold the clones (the default is no folder).
      If you choose a cluster or datacenter, VSC spreads the virtual machines evenly across the hosts.
    2. In the Clone folder page, select a folder for the clones.
      Tip: You can create folders on the VMs and Templates page using vCenter actions.
      Note: This page appears if you chose the Select a folder option in the Clone destination page.
    3. In the Disk format page, select a disk format for the clones.
      If you choose the thin provisioned format or the thick format, the wizard warns you that a vSphere clone operation might be required, which can take longer.
    4. In the Virtual machine details page, specify details about the virtual machine clones.
      Most of the fields on this page are self-explanatory. The following table describes fields for which you might need guidance:
      Field Description
      Number of virtual processors Specifies the number of virtual CPUs for the virtual machines.
      Upgrade hardware version? Upgrades the hardware version of the virtual machine clone if the destination host supports a later version.
      Connection broker version

      Automatically imports clone data into a VMware View Server or creates a .csv file that you can import into Citrix XenDesktop.

      Customization specification Applies a VMware specification to the new virtual machines. Refer to your VMware documentation for information about customization specifications.
      Stagger powering on the virtual machines
      Staggers the start up of virtual machines to avoid overwhelming your system. You should select this option if you have a large number of virtual machines. The number of virtual machines to start per minute depends on your system environment.
      Note: If a problem prevents VSC from starting some of the virtual machines, the delay could result in VSC powering on a large number of virtual machines at once. For example, if you specify 10 virtual machines per minute and the start is delayed by five minutes, VSC starts 50 virtual machines at once. After the delay, VSC starts the specified number of virtual machines per minute.
    5. In the Storage system details page, select the storage system where you want to provision the clones.
    6. In the Datastore options page, choose basic mode or advanced mode to specify the datastore options.
      The advanced mode is a good choice if you want to distribute configuration files and VMDK files across multiple datastores.
    7. In the Datastore details page, select existing datastores or create new datastores for the clones.
      Most of the fields on this page are self-explanatory. The following table describes fields for which you might need guidance when you create new datastores:
      Field Description
      Number of datastores Specifies the number of datastores to create for the clones. The maximum is 256. The number of clones must be evenly divisible by the number of datastores.
      Thin provision Allocates space on the volume when data is written, which allows you to provision more storage than is currently available. If disabled, space is reserved immediately.

      You must closely monitor the available space in the containing aggregate because thin provisioning can oversubscribe the available space. In an NFS configuration, you can enable auto grow to automatically expand the datastore when space is needed. Make sure that the value you specify for auto grow is larger than the size of the datastore.

      Size (GB) Specifies the size per datastore.
      Aggregate Defines the aggregate on which you want to create a new volume. If you selected an SVM that is directly connected to VSC, striped aggregates appear as available; however, they are not supported. Provisioning to a striped aggregate will fail.
      Volume Specifies the volume on which you want to create the datastore. For clustered Data ONTAP, you should not create a datastore in the Storage Virtual Machine (SVM) root volume.
      Auto grow (NFS only) Automatically expands the datastore by the specified increment when space is needed, up to the size limit. This size limit you specify must be larger than the existing datastore.
      Datastore cluster Adds the datastore to a cluster if the Storage Distributed Resource Scheduler (SDRS) feature is enabled on the vCenter Server. Do not mix datastores with varying offsets in the same cluster and do not mix optimized and non-optimized datastores.
    8. In the Connection broker page, specify the VMware view or Citrix XenDesktop connection broker to which you want to import clone data.
      If your connection broker does not appear, you must first add it by going to Virtual Storage Console > Configuration > Connection Brokers.
      Note: This page appears if you chose a connection broker version in the Virtual machine details page.
    9. In the Ready to complete page, Review the summary of your selections and click Finish.

Result

VSC creates the virtual machine clones and creates a .csv file that includes details about the cloning process. The file, named import_generic_timestamp.csv, is created here: VSC_install_dir\etc\kamino\exports

If you chose a VMware View connection broker, VSC automatically imports clone data into the VMware View Server.

If you chose a XenDesktop connection broker, VSC creates a .csv file that you can use to import into XenDesktop. The file, named xenDesktop_timestamp.csv, is created here: VSC_install_dir\etc\kamino\exports

After you finish

If you chose a XenDesktop connection broker, use the .csv file with the Citrix Access Management Console (XenDesktop 4) to create a new desktop group or with Desktop Studio (XenDesktop 5) to create or modify an existing catalog.