The term template refers to a special desktop that is used for cloning. For more about desktops, refer to the Section 6.2, “About Desktops” section. In order to fill a pool with several identical desktops, a template is required to clone the desired amount of desktops. Selecting and managing templates is different for each platform. Oracle VDI offers template management for Oracle VDI and Microsoft Hyper-V desktop pools. VMware Infrastructure has its own template management and therefore Oracle VDI offers access to the list of available templates in VMware vCenter.
Oracle VDI also offers template revisions for Oracle VDI and Microsoft Hyper-V desktop pools. Revisions provide much more flexibility whenever you need to update the template. Think of revisions as a snapshot of a desktop template. You might import a template and fill a pool with clones of the template, only to realize that you forgot to install an application. You can simply revise the existing template, and clone from it. You can also test revisions before cloning in large scale, and revert back to revisions if you choose to. The history of your template will be saved through its revisions.
There are a number of available actions for templates and revisions.
Action | Details | Location in Oracle VDI Manager |
| Desktop Provider |
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Import Template | Imports a virtual machine into Oracle VDI, and creates a first revision. The revision can be used for cloning in any pool that uses the same desktop provider. | Template Tab → Import Template (button) | pool-vb-import pool-vb-import-unmanaged pool-vc-import pool-hv-import |
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Open Console | Opens a new window to access the template directly from the browser. | Template Tab → Open Console (button) |
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Create Revision | Saves the current state of the template as a new revision. | Template Tab → Create Revision (button) | revision-create |
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Rename | Renames the template or revision. | Template Tab → Rename (in Menu) | template-setprops |
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Copy Template to Desktop | Copies the template to a usable desktop. Formerly called "Convert to Desktop". | Template Tab → Copy to Desktop (in Menu) | template-desktop |
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Export Template |
Exports the selected template to disk, consisting of
an XML file for the properties of the virtual machine
and a | Template Tab → Export (in Menu) | template-export |
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Start Template | Starts the desktop in order to apply changes to the template. | Template Tab → Start (in Menu) | template-start |
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Restart Template | Restarts the template on the same host. Equivalent to pressing the reset button on your PC and can cause data loss if files are open. | Template Tab → Restart (in Menu) | template-restart |
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Shut Down Template | Sends an ACPI shutdown signal to the template. | Template Tab → Shut Down (in Menu) | template-stop
(without ' | |
Power Off Template | Immediately powers-off the template and unregisters it from the virtualization host. | Template Tab → Power Off (in Menu) |
template-stop
(with ' |
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Mount or Unmount ISO | Mounts or unmounts an ISO image on the virtual machine. | Template Tab → Mount ISO Image, or Unmount ISO Image (in Menu) | template-mount-iso template-unmount-iso |
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Apply for Cloning | If automatic cloning is selected as a pool setting, any fresh desktops for the pool will be cloned from the template that has been applied for cloning. | Template Tab → Apply for Cloning in Pool (in Menu) | pool-setprops |
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Revert Template | Reverts the template to the most recent revision. | Template Tab → Revert (in Menu) | template-revert |
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Delete Template | Delete the template and all the corresponding revisions of the template. | Template Tab → Delete (in Menu) | template-delete |
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Action | Details | Location in Oracle VDI Manager |
| Virtualization Platform |
---|---|---|---|---|
Make Revision Master | Marks the revision for cloning in pools that have selected the template for cloning. | Template Tab → Make Master (button) | revision-setprops |
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Rename Revision | Renames the revision. | Template Tab → Rename (in Menu) | revision-setprops |
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Copy Revision to Template | Creates a new template based on this revision. Use this action to create an independent branch of any existing revision. | Template Tab → Copy to Template (in Menu) | template-create |
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Copy Revision to Desktop | Creates a new independent desktop in the same pool. | Template Tab → Copy to Desktop (in Menu) | revision-desktop |
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Clone Revision | Creates a desktop based on the selected revision in the same pool. | Template Tab → Clone Desktop (in Menu) | revision-clone |
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Export Revision |
Exports the selected revision to disk, consisting of
an XML file for the properties of the virtual machine
and a | Template Tab → Export (in Menu) | revision-export |
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Apply System Preparation to Revision | Internally a clone is created and started to call the Windows Sysprep command. After that a new snapshot is taken that will be used for cloning the desktops in the pools. | Template Tab → System Preparation (in Menu) | revision-sysprep |
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Apply for Cloning | Selects a pool that should use a specific revision for cloning. Otherwise the master revision will be used. | Template Tab → Apply for Cloning (in Menu) | pool-setprops |
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Delete Revision | For Oracle VDI and Hyper-V the iSCSI disk is deleted from the storage. For VMware you have the option to keep the virtual machine available on vCenter. All references to the revision are removed from the Oracle VDI database. | Template Tab → Delete (in Menu) | revision-delete |
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