You might need to modify an existing template for all users, for example, to install new operating system updates. Another possibility is that you might need to keep the original template image but create a new template that is slightly modified to be appropriate for a different purpose or a different group of users.

Note: This feature and procedure is only applicable to templates created using the "Convert to Template" option.

To modify an existing template, you will have to bring the template computer back online. When it is online, it will be treated as a new clone computer of the original template. You can install updates and make any other needed modifications on the computer while it is considered a clone. When you are finished, you can convert the “clone” into a template. New templates made from an existing template computer automatically inherit the clone cleanup parameters from the original template.

Clones of original template are not automatically deleted – they are still valid as long as they remain online. You can use your virtualization/imaging infrastructure to manage these clones as you see fit.

What you do with the old template depends upon why you updated it and whether there are still online clones associated with it. If the new template was truly an update and the old version is obsolete, you could delete the old template, preferably after any of its clones are offline. See Deleting a Template for more information.

If the new template was a variation, and not necessarily a replacement of the old template, you might want to keep both templates available.

Update a Template Computer

Follow this procedure to update a Template Computer.

Procedure

  1. Bring the template computer back online. It will appear in the console as a clone of its original template.
  2. On this “clone” computer, make whatever file additions, deletions and modifications you want for the updated template.
  3. Using your virtualization or imaging software, update the image for this computer or create a new one.
  4. Wait for the file inventory of the clone to be fully synchronized. You can monitor synchronization progress by choosing Assets > Computers on the console menu and clicking on the View Details button next to the name of the computer. Synchronization progress is on the Connection History tab of the Computer Details page.
    The Connection History tab showing Syncronization status at 100 percent
  5. When Synchronization is 100%, shut down the computer or remove it from the network.
  6. Go to the Computer Details page for the clone computer you just updated (not the original template), and click Convert to Template on the Advanced menu. The Computer Details page changes to a Template Details page.
  7. The default name of the updated template is the old template name with a number appended to it to indicate how many times it has been updated.
    Note: EXAMPLE: If the original template was MYCORP\WIN7-64-IT, the edited template would be MYCORP\WIN7-64-IT (1), the next edited version would be MYCORP\WIN7-64-IT (2), and so on. You can change the name if necessary.
  8. Create clones from the new template computer using your virtualization software.