Virtual Service Console 2.0 - Provisioning and Cloning issues when using customization specifications

[#1]

  Hello Everyone,

       For some reason when I deploy machine clones via the VSC 2.0 (on VCenter v4.1 with ESXi/ESX 4.1 Hosts ) and select to have a customization specification applied, the customization specification does not occur / not applied. The rapid clone is created and powers on ( i select the option), but it just sites there at the logon screen.  I've tested the customization specification against the referenced vm as a vm template( converted vm to template and then deployed via Vcenter template deployment) and the customization spec does apply, so the customization spec should not be the issue.  I did have  the Rapid Cloning Utility x64 version 3.0 installed prior to installing VSC 2 on the vcenter server which I uninstalled prior to installing VSC 2.0.  However, RCU v3.0 would deploy clones and apply the  customization specification without any issues?

       Has anyone run into this issue?  Is this any logging/ log files that I can refrence to get an idea of what it failing ?

  Thank you - Jose

[#2 · Accepted solution]

Could you try adding the following line to your preferences.xml file and running the clone operation again?

<entry key="default.create.encodeCustSpecUTF8" value="false"/>

Please post your results, good or bad.  Thanks.

[#3]

  Sorry for the late reply costea,

     Thank you for the post. Adding  <entry key="default.create.encodeCustSpecUTF8" value="false"/> to the preferences.xml did resolve the issue in VSC 2.0. Unfortunately, I upgraded to version 2.0.1 of the VSC and it seems that it broke the guest customization once more.  I attempted to apply your recommendation to the kaminoprefs.xml with no resolve.   I have opened a case with support  

[#4]

There is a patch for VSC 2.0.1 that seems to correct this issue. We haven't tested it yet though.

https://now.netapp.com/NOW/download/software/vsc_win/2.0.1P1/

[#5]

Hello Mathieu,

     Just want to post that the patch resolved the issue. Thank you for posting the link