vmware view snapshot and replica

Your are correct, in how you setup the Linked Clones.

They use the term replica, because that is the object which is replicated many times, e.g. to produce the VMs in the Pool.

and you will see these objects in the inventory, marked as replica.

Finding and removing unused replica virtual machines in the VMware Horizon View (2009844)

The Thin Clone (Master image object) is called the replica.

- So when the end point device connects to the connection server, this will create new VM off the Master Image(replica) or off  the Snapshot that has been taken off the Master image at the first place ?

- When do Entitlements come into play? the reason I am asking this question is that I have seen an environment where the user starts the end point device, this will either create new VM on Vsphere or use an existing VM.  
it sounds like any users who can start the end point device can generate new VM or use existing VM and probably even can get into he system, since some can have Autologin setup

- So when the end point device connects to the connection server, this will create new VM off the Master Image(replica) or off  the Snapshot that has been taken off the Master image at the first place ?

Yes and No, it depends on what settings you have defined in the pool, to Provision at Creation of Pool, or as Clients need the VDI.

Again, later in your question depends on how the pool has been configured. Some pools provision upfront to reduce the delay in a client/user waiting for a VM to spin up and be created.

Now with the provision of SSD/Flash, All Flash Arrays, provisioning speed has been reduced considerably.

Again, later in your question depends on how the pool has been configured. Some pools provision upfront to reduce the delay in a client/user waiting for a VM to spin up and be created.

in either case, from which source the new VM is created ? from the Master image or from the snapshot(initially created off the Master image) ?

It's actually created from the Snapshot which is Linked Cloned to the Replica/Master,

So the Parent Disk (Master) with the Snapshot (Replica) = VDI Machine which end user uses.

he Parent Disk (Master) with the Snapshot (Replica) = VDI Machine which end user uses

Wait..wait Andrew.. confusion here

when you have VM(Master image), you turn it off and you create Snapshot.
The snapshot is just Delta file with nothing in it in the Beginning

So when End user connects to  the Pool, Vmware will create an identical VM (Master Image) to end user. (if it is not already created up front)
I do not see when the snapshot will be used unless you update the Master image

Master Image ---> Replica -----> Linked Clones

The Linked Clone is what the User connects to, which is a Thin clone, with blank snapshot, which gets written to in use.

Master Image is not touched or changed, because that happens in the Snapshot, you create and present and select with Composer, which generates the replica, which is linked cloned many times to create the VMs for Clients.

You have Master Image VM (MImage1), from which you create the snapshot the first time (Snapshot1).

User1 connects to Snapshot1 and write to it (Snapshot1 becomes the VM for User1)
User2 will connect then what happens ?

No, that's not correct.

A replica is created with a linked clone.

The User connects to a unique linked clone, which also has a snapshot attached., user2 connects to another linked clone, which has a snapshot.

Can you give a picture on how these pieces get created ?

I know that there is Master Image (which is initial VM), you turn it off and create Snapshot.
down there I am not sure how new VMs got created

Probably when you create a Pool and go through the wizard and point to the Master Image, VMware view will create a clone of the Master image (which is called Replica)

and probably at the same time, Vmware will create snapshot for each replica

good screenshots here

http://myvirtualcloud.net/?p=1222

I looked at that link and also this link, as it is with newer version:
http://www.thevirtualist.org/creating-linked-cloned-automated-pools-using-vmware-horizon-view/
 
on the top page it stated "Based on that snapshot a Replica virtual machine will be created as part of the pool creation"
 half way down it stated " Linked-clones are made by a snapshot of the golden image"

Well, if a Replica is made of Snapshot, then there should be nothing in it
the same applies to Linked Clones, if they are made of snapshot then there is nothing in there.

The bottom line when end user starts up the VDI, it should connect to a VM, that runs an OS , just like logging to physical computer,
so where does that OS come from? since the Master Image is powered off and the snapshot is just an empty file, and anything created from that snapshot (as they stated: Replica and Linked clones) should also be empty file.

That page is not quite correct, the first statement is correct that a replica is made, and a new VM is made, but a link clone is created, rather than a Full Clone. e.g. the parent virtual machine disk is read only, and all writes are too a snapshot. - this reduces space.

it's a Linked Clone to the Replica, with Snapshot being written to by the user.

As you have stated, the Master Image is OFF.

Again my simple diagram

Master Image  (OFF) --> Replica (ON) -----> Linked Clones (ON)

Have you ever experimented with Linked Clones ? and NOT in a VDI environment, e.g. VMware Workstation, where you can create a VM, but Link Clone it to a Parent VM

I created a LAB long time ago.... but when you use a LAB you do not pay attention how things work in the background...I mean how Things are cooked until users get that VM provisoned to them.

That's what I am trying to understand..How things are tied up..

OK..we all know that you need Master Image, Turn it off then create snapshot off it.
Add pool and point to the Master Image and Snapshot you have previously created..
Then what happens till user can see a desktop just like they are logging to a physical computer ?

Pool is created, VM (VDI machines) are spun up and, Sysprepped, Joined to Domain e.g. Linked Clones

Agent in the VM starts, registered with the Pool,

Client connects to Connection Server and gets allocated and logs into the VM

Changes are committed to the Snapshot of VM Linked Clone, because the Parent Replica is read only.

I followed this video example... I know it is hard to take stop and take screenshots of the video properly
well on this video, I am not if the author is creating 2 VMs or just one.

I followed the task on the bottom of Vsphere client page. I noticed the following steps:
-View folder has been created
-clone of the Parent VM (Master Image) has been created
-VM snapshot has been created
-Add Tag
-Clone VM (Replica)
- Add Tag
-Reconfigure VM

was taken from here :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHzwwrqXqPY

and the question is ?

the last task is creating the Linked Clone, it's a clone of the replica, BUT a linked clone, and not a full clone.

Andrew..
What I want to make sure I understood is:

The Replica is 100% photocopy of the Parent VM
.  

when user1 connects , it will connect to the Replica , and the replica will spit out a new snapshot for user to write on ,
when user2  connects (is Vmware going to create a new Replica2 and new snapshot2 ?)
....
and each user who connects , a new Replica will be created and also new snapshot will be created ?

That's clear enough Andrew
Thank you very much!

no problems