Creating a Template Environment for Sysprep and Cloning

This section explains how to create a golden image to clone a LifeKeeper for Windows environment using Sysprep. Install LifeKeeper for Windows Core Software and the necessary components on your template environment for cloning, referring to the LifeKeeper for Windows Installation Guide. You may obtain and install a LifeKeeper license; however, please note that it may be necessary to acquire and install the license again on each server after cloning.

!Do not create communication paths or resource hierarchies for LifeKeeper for Windows before executing Sysprep.

Windows roles and functionalities required for the cloned server can be configured before executing Sysprep. However, please note that certain settings, such as network configurations and disk settings for secondary or additional servers, may not be retained after executing Sysprep.

You may install and configure software required for the cloned server before executing Sysprep. However, please check with the software provider regarding the software’s compatibility with Sysprep and any licensing considerations.

When the template environment is created, execute the Sysprep command. For details on the Sysprep command, please refer to Windows OS manuals and documentation.

Sysprep command execution example:

c:\windows\system32\sysprep\sysprep /generalize /shutdown /oobe

After executing Sysprep and shutting down the server, clone the image of the template server as many times as needed. For physical servers, copy the hard disk image. For virtual or cloud environments, you will need to follow the vendor-specific instructions to create a new image and to create new VMs from the image.