How to manage 100 Virtual Machines' (WinXP) GUI at the easiest way

[Konflikt]

I will deploy 100 VM (all WinXP clients) in our Lab for testing performance of our server appliance under heavy load.

We have vSpehere 4.0 with vCenter; iSCSI storage, and 4 Hosts in 2 clusters.

I am just thinking that how can i manage 100 client in the same time at the easiest way. On every machine i have to start our client, and do some settings, login, etc.

I could use "open console" possibility on the all 100 VM, but maybe it is not the best way.

Is there any better ide for this?

Maybe i need some multi-pc console application, or something like that.

Thank you very much.

[Konflikt]

there was a good comment here, which has been disappeared. has somebody removed?

[Virtualinfra]

Customize your template as much as you can.(install all the patch, AV, Vmware tools, optimization etc)

Use scripted installation for VM deployment( refer attachment)

Use a batch script to run the application and other setting etc.

refer the below link and also refer the attached script for VM deployment.

http://communities.vmware.com/thread/225790

[Konflikt]

Thanks, that is helpful.

I have never used "scripted installation" for deploy VMs before. how/where could i run it?

Do you know some kind of multi-VM GUI manage tool?

In the 1st comment you have meintoned the VMware orchestrator, but it seems to be that it can run only on 64bit OS. Our vCenter is running on a windows server 2003 32 bit OS. so we can not use it.

[Virtualinfra]

YOu need to instal VI tool kit on windows. refer below link and run the .ps script.

http://www.vmware.com/support/developer/windowstoolkit/wintk10/windowstoolkit-200807-releasenotes.html

[Konflikt]

Thanks for the PowerCLI + script idea, it worked. i have deployed over 100 VMs with a script. Thanks again.

[Linjo]

Internally we use a script-language called Auto-it to do similar tasks. Maybe that will work for you?

http://www.autoitscript.com/

// Linjo