Unable to use rapid cloning with VMware View

[tom_maddox]

I am running into an issue cloning VMs in such a fashion that they are usable with VMware View. I run through the Create Rapid Clones wizard, get to the section where I'm configuring the View pool, click Next, and receive an error "Could not validate the desktop names." Once this happens, I have to close out of the vSphere Client altogether; otherwise, the NetApp VSC screens show up as either blank pages or they show either 403 or 404 errors.

Has anyone seen this kind of behavior before, and do you have any suggestions for remedying it?

[christin]

I found a KB that documents a similar error:

https://kb.netapp.com/support/index?page=content&id=2010837

If your issue persists, please open a NetApp Support case.

Regards,

Christine

[tom_maddox]

Just to close the loop on this, I never did get it figured out. I opened a ticket with NetApp support, which languished for several weeks and then was closed with no followup, so I guess NetApp are declining to support this functionality.

[keitha]

Hi Tom,

I'm sorry to hear that, For my own knowledge the solution in the KB article didn't work?

Solution

Despite the fact that the storage controllers appear in the Storage Controller pane, one must also identify the storage controllers to be used for cloning. This process is described on page 19 of the NetApp VSC for VMware 2.0 vSphere Provisioning and Cloning Administration Guide.

The instructions start with 'Select the NetApp icon for the vCenter Server'.
Note: The default view is the inventory panes.

1. Select the NetApp icon from the View menu.
2. Click Provisioning and Cloning tab on the left-hand pane.
3. Click Add.
4. Follow the instructions in the Administration guide to get to the correct configuration.

[tom_maddox]

Hi, Keith,

No, that KB article has nothing whatsoever to do with my issue. I am running version 4 of the VSC, the filers are present in Provisioning and Cloning, and the reported error is not the same as the error in the KB article.

Thanks,

Tom

[bcumms]

I'm having the exact same issue.  Did NetApp Technical Support or anyone else figure it out?

[tom_maddox]

I sure didn't. I have a theory, but I don't have the time right now to test it. Basically, my theory is that the vSphere server is unable to resolve the names of the spawned VMs since the target environment is in a different domain from the vSphere server, one which is logically isolated from the rest of the network. Possible workarounds involve setting up a DNS forwarding rule to the isolated domain, setting up a second vCenter server, or figuring out a way to configure an interface on the main vCenter server allowing it access into the isolated network. Let me know if any of that is helpful.