Gold Image Standards
  • 20 Jan 2023
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Gold Image Standards

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Article Summary

Expedient Enterprise Workspace - Gold Image Standards

Overview

This document outlines recommended settings when configuring a virtual machine template for use as a VDI and is intended as a quick reference. For more step-by-step instructions, please see our build guide KB.

Please note that certain configurations differ if the template will be used for persistent or non-persistent VDIs. In addition, if the template is intended for use as a vGPU-enabled VDI, the template must be built as a persistent VDI with additional steps needed. Please see our GPU template documentation for more information.

VM Settings

The following settings apply to both persistent and non-persistent desktops.

  • Naming Convention: The template should be appended with something to indicate if it is to be used for persistent or non-persistent desktops. (-P or -NP for example)
  • VMHW:  VM Hardware (VMHW) version 15.
  • OS setting: Windows 10 (64-bit)
    • Virtualization Based Security: OFF
  • CPU: 2 vCPUs
  • Memory: 4GB (note: this is fine for the template; images will be given the correct amount of memory by the platform when instantiated as a VDI in production).
  • Disk(s): One 32GB thin-provisioned disk (or 150GB if it will be used for vGPU leveraged VDIs)
  • Storage Controller(s): One PVSCSI controller
  • Network Adapters: VMXNET3 network adapter
  • PCI Devices / vGPU: If the VM will use a vGPU, a PCI Device and a vGPU Profile must be added to the template by Expedient. Please contact Expedient support for assistance with this.
  • Video card Settings: Video Memory set to 32MB (This amount may vary if the VM will utilize a vGPU).
  • Advanced Settings: devices.hotplug = false
  • Template Format: OVF

Horizon DaaS Agent Settings

These settings are set during the deployment and installation of the VMware HDaaS Agent. If a setting is not explicitly stated here, it is assumed to be at the default.

  • Instant Clone
    • Set to ON for NON-PERSISTENT image templates.
    • Set to OFF for PERSISTENT image templates.
    • Set to OFF for vGPU-enabled templates (they must be persistent VDIs).
  • Horizon Performance Tracker = ON
  • USB Redirection = ON
  • Dynamic Environment Manager = ON

All other settings remain on their default installation settings.

Operating System Settings

These settings are applied to Windows 10 through the use of the VMware Optimization Tool. Because there are many settings that can be applied using the OS Optimization Tool, it can be assumed that they are set to the default settings if they are not explicitly stated here.

  • Operating System: Windows 10 Enterprise
  • Recovery Partition
    • PERSISTENT: Relocated to be at the beginning of the C:\ partition (this is to accommodate for future volume expansions of the C:\ volume).
    • NON-PERSISTENT: Removed entirely.
  • Latest version of VMtools
  • Horizon DaaS Agent should be up-to-date.
  • NVIDIA GRID drivers if this VDI will use a vGPU (Warning: Installing these drivers when a vGPU is present will disable the remote console of the VM).

VMware Optimization Tool

These settings are applied to the OS through VMware's OS Optimization Tool. The tool uses different tabs to enable/disable settings in bulk. This section describes the OSTool's different tab settings:

Optimize

All settings on the Analyze/Optimize section are run at their defaults.

The following three settings should be enabled (the defaults for these settings vary depending on the version of the OS Optimization Tool is being used):

  • Windows Firewall = ON
  • Windows Antivirus = ON
  • Windows Security Center = ON

Generalize

The following settings are applied during the Generalization step of the Optimization Tool:

  • Time Zone = US East
  • Autologin
    • Set to ON for NON-PERSISTENT image templates
    • Set to OFF for PERSISTENT image templates
  • Admin username and password
    • NON-PERSISTENT Leave blank password (defaults) for image templates. Auto-login should be set on.
    • PERSISTENT: Set username to Administrator and password. Document this within your organization; Expedient will have no access to this.

Finalize

All settings on the Finalize step of the Optimization Tool remain their defaults.

See Also

Preparing/Importing VM Templates KB: https://kb.expedient.com/docs/preparing-and-importing-vm-templates

Creating Images KB: https://kb.expedient.com/docs/creating-images-and-getting-started-with-desktops

Configurations for vGPU Templates: https://kb.expedient.com/docs/configurations-for-gpu-enabled-desktop-templates-1

VMware KB for manually creating gold images: https://techzone.vmware.com/manually-creating-optimized-windows-images-vmware-horizon-vms#


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