Procedure for Creating an Optimized Windows 7 Image . … Administrative Note on Image Version Tracking and Managing Windows 7 Updates . . . . . . . . 5 …

About This Guide

The following documentation provides a guideline on configuring a standard Windows 7 image to be used within a VMware View Infrastructure. This guide provides administrators with the information necessary to create a standard image of Windows 7 leveraging the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit or by utilizing a script-based approach to optimize a traditionally installed Windows 7 virtual machine. The recommended configuration settings optimize Windows 7 to help enhance the overall scalability and performance within a VMware View Virtual Desktop Infrastructure.

The first section of the paper will discuss the overall process of optimization and the optimization aids provided. In the next section, step-by-step procedural guidance is given for both methods of optimization. Afterward, the Windows 7 Operating System Customizations section provides background information on the specific optimizations and techniques used by the optimization aids. Finally, the Managing VMware View Desktops section provides guidance and considerations for optimizing the environmental aspects on an ongoing basis.

Process Overview

The goal of building your standard image and applying desired customizations can be accomplished in a number of ways. This guide provides two methods for IT organizations to utilize, each requiring a different level of effort and yielding different benefits. “Diagram 1” illustrates the workflow of both methods.

Traditional Install Method
A traditional install can be optimized with a minimum set of tools, and requires very little effort to create a standardized and optimized process for customizing a Windows 7 virtual machine. Administrators create the virtual machine with the specified parameters, load the operating system from media, and then apply optimizations through the use of a command script, Commands.bat, attached to this guide (distributed as a choice of CommandsPersonaManagement.txt or CommandsNoPersonaManagement.txt) and provided in Appendix B.

Microsoft Deployment Toolkit Method
The Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT) provides a framework to build and maintain a defined process that is modular and applicable to both physical and virtual desktops. The benefits of this solution are driven from the prescriptive guidance and repeatable processes included in the tool to build and maintain standardized images. While you may invest more time up front when using this method, there are long-term advantages. In many cases, an IT organization may already use some of the tools and processes described. This method involves leveraging the MDT and Windows Automated Installation Kit (WAIK) to create a standard image build and customization process that leverages a robust Task Sequence engine. You can use the MDT approach to automate application installation, manage driver injection into different operating system versions, and use a GUI to create system builds and customize events.

Download VMware View Optimization Guide for Windows 7.pdf