Question about moving linked clones

[rlh1533]

I have a question about moving around linked clones. Here's the setup:

PC A runs Workstation 7 and has a Windows XP image existing on it.

PC B runs Workstation 7 and also has its own Windows XP image on it.

I create a linked clone of the XP image on PC A, and create another linked clone on PC B of the XP image that's on that one.

Now, I know that as long as the linked clones can access their parents, they will run fine. My question is, why is it that when I swap the linked clones - that is, copy the linked clone I made on PC A and put it on PC B, and copy the linked clone I made on PC B and move it to PC A - how do both of these linked clones still work just fine? They are connecting to a parent, but not the original parent from which they were cloned. This is tested to be working 100% with absolutely no problems or issues at all. Can someone explain this for me please? Thanks!

[a_p_]

Do I assume correctly that the base images are the same!?

André

[rlh1533]

Yes, the base images are the same. Even so, isn't the linked clone associated with the original parent?

[a_p_]

Yes it is. However, if the base images are the same it won't matter. What needs to be in place is the correct path to the base image (so it can be found by the clone) and the correct CID/parentCID of the virtual disk (vmdk) files.

André

[rlh1533]

Can you please tell me what CID means? What if you're working with a linked clone, and let's say within that XP image you install a program. Then you copy the linked clone to another computer with the same base image as the parent from which the linked clone was originally copied. Will the program you installed still show up? So,

PC A has a base image of Windows XP and virtual disk on it, then you create a linked clone from that. On the linked clone, you install Firefox.

PC B has a base image of Windows XP and virtual disk on it, but this base image does not have Firefox installed.

You copy the linked clone you made on PC A over to PC B. When you start the linked clone, will you see that Firefox has been installed? In other words, are changes to the "hard drive" you make in a linked clone directly associated with the virtual disk of that specific parent?

[a_p_ · Accepted solution]

Can you please tell me what CID means?

Each virtual disk (base disks as well as snapshot disks) has a unique identifier (the CID). A snapshot virtual disk also contains the information about the CID of its parent disk (the parentCID) to make sure the disk chain is consistent.

What if you're working with a linked clone, and let's say within that XP image you install a program...

A linked clone is equal to a snapshot. Once you create a snapshot, all changes are written to the snapshot vmdk file and the parent vmdk file remains untouched. As long as you provide the same parent disk to a linked clone or snapshot, you can copy it as you like and the newly installed applications will show up since they are actually stored in the snapshot vmdk..

see http://kb.vmware.com/kb/1015180 for details on how snapshots work

André

[rlh1533]

Thank you very much