When you create a Composer linked-clone desktop pool, you can redirect the clones' paging and temp files to a separate disk. You must configure this disk to be larger than the size of the paging file on the golden image virtual machine.

When a linked clone that is configured with a separate disk for the disposable files is powered off, the disk is recreated. This feature can slow the growth in the size of a linked clone. However, this feature can work only if you configure the disposable-file disk to be large enough to hold the clone's paging file.

Before you can configure the disposable-file disk, record the maximum paging-file size in the golden image virtual machine. The linked clones have the same paging-file size as the golden image virtual machine.

As a best practice, remove the pagefile.sys file from the golden image virtual machine before you take a snapshot, to avoid duplicating the file on all the linked clones. See Configure a Golden Image Virtual Machine.

Note: This feature is not that same as configuring local storage for the virtual-machine swap files. See Configure Local Storage for Horizon Composer Linked Clones.

Procedure

  1. In vSphere Client, right-click the golden image virtual machine and click Open Console.
  2. Select Start > Settings > Control Panel > System.
  3. Click the Advanced tab.
  4. In the Performance pane, click Settings.
  5. Click the Advanced tab.
  6. In the Virtual memory pane, click Change.
    The Virtual Memory page appears.
  7. Set the paging file size to a larger value than the size of the memory that is assigned to the virtual machine.
    Important: If the Maximum size (MB) setting is smaller than the virtual-machine memory size, type a larger value and save the new value.
  8. Keep a record of the Maximum size (MB) setting that is configured in the Paging file size for selected drive pane.

What to do next

When you configure a linked-clone pool from this golden image virtual machine, configure a disposable-file disk that is larger than the paging-file size.