Search
StarWind is a hyperconverged (HCI) vendor with focus on Enterprise ROBO, SMB & Edge

App Volumes: create and size a new writable template

  • June 22, 2023
  • 9 min read
Cloud and Virtualization Architect. Paolo is a System Engineer, VCP-DCV, vExpert, VMCE, Veeam Vanguard, and author of the virtualization blog nolabnoparty.com
Cloud and Virtualization Architect. Paolo is a System Engineer, VCP-DCV, vExpert, VMCE, Veeam Vanguard, and author of the virtualization blog nolabnoparty.com

 

App volumes

App Volumes comes with a default disk size of 10 GB for writable templates but in case of need you can create a new writable template with a different size.

To avoid service disruption for your infrastructure, make sure you have enough storage space to store the new size disks (single disk x number of VDI).

The default size of 10 GB may not be sufficient if higher space consumption is required in the configuration of the virtual desktop.

For example, if you have a requirement to maintain a longer Outlook cache over time (which is written in the .vmdk file provided by App Volumes), this cache will consume more space in the attached Writable Volume with the risk of compromising the functionality of the machine. In this case, having a larger sizing of the Writable Volume template can avoid space problems on the VDIs and allow you to save the desired cache.

Create and size a new writable template

Enter the correct credentials to access the vCenter and click Login.

app-volumes-create-size-new-writable-template-02

 

Copy the writable template

From the vCenter Server go to Datastore view.

From the vCenter Server go to Datastore view

Select the datastore where the App Volumes templates are stored and go to appvolumes > writable_templates.

Select the datastore where the App Volumes templates are stored and go to appvolumes > writable_templates

Select the reference template type you need to use (template_uia_plus_profile.vmdk in the example) and click on the Copy To link.

Select the reference template type you need to use (template_uia_plus_profile.vmdk in the example) and click on the Copy To link

Select the datastore and VM (Windows 10 or 11) with no App Volumes Agent installed and click OK.

Select the datastore and VM (Windows 10 or 11) with no App Volumes Agent installed and click OK

The .vmdk file has been copied to the target virtual machine.

The .vmdk file has been copied to the target virtual machine

 

Add new hard disks to the VM

Make sure the VM to process is powered off, right click the VM and select Edit Settings.

Make sure the VM to process is powered off, right click the VM and select Edit Settings

Click Add New Device and select Hard Disk.

Click Add New Device and select Hard Disk

In the New Hard disk set the desired disk size (20 GB in the example).

In the New Hard disk set the desired disk size (20 GB in the example)

Make sure the VM storage policy is set to Thin.

Make sure the VM storage policy is set to Thin

Now select Add New Device > Existing Hard Disk.

Now select Add New Device > Existing Hard Disk

Navigate the VM folder in the datastore and select the previously copied .vmdk virtual disk. Click OK.

Navigate the VM folder in the datastore and select the previously copied .vmdk virtual disk. Click OK

The new added virtual disks. Click OK to save the VM configuration.

The new added virtual disks. Click OK to save the VM configuration

 

Configure the new disks in Windows

Right click the VM and select Power > Power On.

Configure the new disks in Windows

When the boot has been completed, select the Disk Management console.

When the boot has been completed, select the Disk Management console

Right click the new 20 GB disk and select Initialize Disk.

Right click the new 20 GB disk and select Initialize Disk

Select MBR (Master Boot Record) as partition style and click OK.

Select MBR (Master Boot Record) as partition style and click OK

Right click the new disk and select New Simple Volume option.

Right click the new disk and select New Simple Volume option

Click Next.

New Simple Volume Wizard

Leave default size (20 GB) and click Next.

Leave default size (20 GB) and click Next

Assign a letter to the new drive (letter E in the example) and click Next.

Assign a letter to the new drive (letter E in the example) and click Next

In the Partition Format window, make sure the File system is NTFS and enter CVWritable as Volume label (same label as the template disk). Click Next.

Enter CVWritable as Volume label

Click Finish.

Click Finish

Now right click the template disk and select Change Drive Letter and Paths option.

Now right click the template disk and select Change Drive Letter and Paths option

Click Add and assign the desired letter to the disk (letter M in the example). Click OK.

Click Add and assign the desired letter to the disk (letter M in the example). Click OK

The new configured disks:

E: new 20 GB disk

M: writable template

The new configured disks

Now open the File Explorer and enable Hidden items option from the View menu.

Open the File Explorer and enable Hidden items option from the View menu

Access the template disk ( M: ) and select all files and folders and copy them to the new 20 GB disk ( E: ).

Select all files and folders

The just copied files and folders on drive E:.

The just copied files and folders on drive E:

Shut down the Windows machine.

Shut down the Windows machine

From the vSphere Client right click the VM and select Edit Settings (VM must be powered off).

From the vSphere Client right click the VM and select Edit Settings (VM must be powered off)

Remove both hard disks (click the X icon) but do not flag Delete files from datastore checkbox. Click OK to save the VM configuration.

Remove both hard disks (click the X icon) but do not flag Delete files from datastore checkbox

Copy the new template to appvolumes folder

Now go to the datastore where the VM is stored and select the new 20 GB disk. Click Copy To.

Now go to the datastore where the VM is stored and select the new 20 GB disk

Go to the datastore where App Volumes templates are stored and select appvolumes > writable_templates folder. Click OK.

Go to the datastore where App Volumes templates are stored and select appvolumes > writable_templates folder

Select the just copied new template (virtual disk) and select … > Rename to.

Select the just copied new template (virtual disk) and select ... > Rename to

Specify the New name (template_uia_plus_profile_20gb.vmdk in the example) and click OK.

Specify the New name (template_uia_plus_profile_20gb.vmdk in the example) and click OK

The new writable template.

The new writable template

 

Check App Volumes Manager

Open the App Volumes Manager login page, enter the credentials and click Login.

Open the App Volumes Manager login page, enter the credentials and click Login

Go to Writable tab and click Create.

Go to Writable tab and click Create

Selected the desired user account or AD group then from the drop-down menu Source Template select the new 20 GB template. Click Create.

Selected the desired user account or AD group then from the drop-down menu Source Template select the new 20 GB template

If you check the VDI where the user with the new template is logged, the size of the attached writable disk is now 20 GB. The writable template works as expected.

If you check the VDI where the user with the new template is logged, the size of the attached writable disk is now 20 GB

By creating different Writable templates depending on the required sizing, it is possible to provide the VDIs with the correct persistence area to avoid the service disruption due to lack of space.

 

Found Paolo’s article helpful? Looking for a reliable, high-performance, and cost-effective shared storage solution for your production cluster?
Dmytro Malynka
Dmytro Malynka StarWind Virtual SAN Product Manager
We’ve got you covered! StarWind Virtual SAN (VSAN) is specifically designed to provide highly-available shared storage for Hyper-V, vSphere, and KVM clusters. With StarWind VSAN, simplicity is key: utilize the local disks of your hypervisor hosts and create shared HA storage for your VMs. Interested in learning more? Book a short StarWind VSAN demo now and see it in action!