Parallels Virtuozzo Containers 4.6 For Windows S Management Guide Vz Tmpl Mgmt

User Manual: parallels Virtuozzo Containers - 4.6 - Windows - s Management Guide Free User Guide for Parallels Virtuozzo Containers Software, Manual

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Parallels

Parallels Virtuozzo
Containers 4.6 for
Windows
Templates Management Guide

Parallels Holdings, Ltd.
c/o Parallels International GMbH.
Parallels International GmbH
Vordergasse 49
CH8200 Schaffhausen
Switzerland
Tel: + 49 (6151) 42996 - 0
Fax: + 49 (6151) 42996 - 255
www.parallels.com
Copyright © 1999-2010 Parallels Holdings, Ltd. and its affiliates. All rights reserved.
This product is protected by United States and international copyright laws. The product’s underlying
technology, patents, and trademarks are listed at http://www.parallels.com/trademarks.
Microsoft, Windows, Windows Server, Windows NT, Windows Vista, and MS-DOS are registered trademarks of
Microsoft Corporation.
Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds.
Mac is a registered trademark of Apple, Inc.
All other marks and names mentioned herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.

Contents
Preface

About Parallels Virtuozzo Containers .......................................................................................................... 5
About This Guide ......................................................................................................................................... 6
Organization of This Guide............................................................................................................... 6
Documentation Conventions ............................................................................................................. 7
Getting Help ................................................................................................................................................. 8
Feedback ...................................................................................................................................................... 9

About Parallels Virtuozzo Containers Templates

Templates Overview .................................................................................................................................. 11
Understanding Templates Basics ............................................................................................................... 12
Template Lifecycle..................................................................................................................................... 13

Creating Application Templates

Template Creation Restrictions .................................................................................................................. 15
Launching Parallels Virtuozzo Containers Template Creation Wizard...................................................... 16
Creating Template From Installed Application Data ................................................................................. 17
Creating Template From Manually Added Data ........................................................................................ 30

Managing Templates

Installing New Parallels Virtuozzo Containers Templates on Hardware Node.......................................... 37
Modifying Templates ................................................................................................................................. 39
Creating and Installing Application Template Updates ............................................................................. 44
Listing Templates ....................................................................................................................................... 55
Adding Templates to Single Container ...................................................................................................... 56
Adding Application Templates to Group of Containers ............................................................................. 58
Copying Templates to Another Hardware Node ........................................................................................ 60
Removing Application Templates and Template Updates From Container ............................................... 61
Removing Templates From Hardware Node.............................................................................................. 62

Glossary

Index

CHAPTER 1

Preface
In This Chapter
About Parallels Virtuozzo Containers ................................................................................... 5
About This Guide .................................................................................................................. 6
Getting Help .......................................................................................................................... 8
Feedback ............................................................................................................................... 9

Preface

About Parallels Virtuozzo
Containers
Parallels Virtuozzo Containers is a patented OS virtualization solution. It creates isolated
partitions or Containers on a single physical server and OS instance to utilize hardware,
software, data center and management effort with maximum efficiency. The basic Parallels
Virtuozzo Containers capabilities are:


Intelligent Partitioning—Division of a server into as many as hundreds of Containers with
full server functionality.



Complete Isolation—Containers are secure and have full functional, fault and performance
isolation.



Dynamic Resource Allocation—CPU, memory, network, disk and I/O can be changed
without rebooting.



Mass Management—Suite of tools and templates for automated, multi-Container and
multi-server administration.

The diagram below represents a typical model of the Parallels Virtuozzo Containers system
structure:

The Parallels Virtuozzo Containers OS virtualization model is streamlined for the best
performance, management, and efficiency. At the base resides a standard Host operating system
which can be either Windows or Linux. Next is the virtualization layer with a proprietary file
system and a kernel service abstraction layer that ensure the isolation and security of resources
between different Containers. The virtualization layer makes each Container appear as a
standalone server. Finally, the Container itself houses the application or workload.

Preface

The Parallels Virtuozzo Containers OS virtualization solution has the highest efficiency and
manageability making it the best solution for organizations concerned with containing the IT
infrastructure and maximizing the resource utilization. The Parallels Virtuozzo Containers
complete set of management tools and unique architecture makes it the perfect solution for
easily maintaining, monitoring, and managing virtualized server resources for consolidation and
business continuity configurations.

About This Guide
This guide is meant to provide complete information on Parallels Virtuozzo Containers
templates, an exclusive Parallels technology, allowing you to efficiently deploy standard
Windows applications inside Containers and to greatly save your Hardware Node resources
(physical memory, disk space, and so on). In particular, you will learn how to create your own
application templates and template updates and manage them in a number of different ways.
The primary audience for this guide is anyone who is intended to deploy one or several
applications inside Containers and looking for ways to do it with the maximal level of
efficiency. To complete all the operations described in this guide, no more than basic Windows
administration habits is required.

Organization of This Guide
Chapter 2, About Parallels Virtuozzo Containers Templates, introduces you to the concept of
Parallels Virtuozzo Containers OS and application templates.
Chapter 3, Creating Application Templates, provides information on how to create your own
application templates using the Parallels Virtuozzo Containers Template Creation wizard.
Chapter 4, Managing Templates, centers on all those operations you can perform on your
application templates using Parallels Management Console and the Parallels Virtuozzo
Containers Template Creation wizard.

Preface

Documentation Conventions
Before you start using this guide, it is important to understand the documentation conventions
used in it. For information on specialized terms used in the documentation, see the glossary at
the end of this document.
Typographical Conventions
The following kinds of formatting in the text identify special information.
Formatting
convention

Type of Information

Example

Preformatted

On-screen computer output in your
command-line sessions; source code in
XML, C++, or other programming
languages.

Saved parameters for Container
101

Preformatted
Bold

What you type, as contrasted with onscreen computer output.

C:\Documents and
Settings\Administrator> vzlist

Moonscape

The names of commands, files, and
directories.

Use vzctl start to start a Container.

Monospace
Italics

Designates a command line
placeholder, which is to be replaced
with a real name or value.

To delete a Container, type vzctl
delete CT_ID.

Special Bold

All elements of the graphical user
interface (GUI): menu items, menu
options, menu buttons, etc.

Go to the Resources tab.

Titles of chapters, sections, and
subsections.

Read the Basic Administration chapter.

Italics

Used to emphasize the importance of a
point or to introduce a term.

Host operating system is an operating system
installed on the Hardware Node.

CAPITALS

Names of keys on the keyboard.

SHIFT, CTRL, ALT

KEY+KEY

Key combinations for which the user
must press and hold down one key and
then press another.

CTRL+P, ALT+F4

General Conventions
Be aware of the following conventions used in this book.


Chapters in this guide are divided into sections, which, in turn, are subdivided into
subsections. For example, Documentation Conventions is a section, and General Conventions
is a subsection.



When following steps or using examples, be sure to type double-quotes (") and singlequotes (') exactly as shown.

Preface

Getting Help
In addition to this guide, there are a number of other resources available for Parallels Virtuozzo
Containers 4.6 which can help you use the product more effectively. These resources include:


Getting Started With Parallels Virtuozzo Containers 4.6. This guide provides basic
information on how to install Parallels Virtuozzo Containers 4.6 on your server, create
new Containers, and perform main operations on them.



Parallels Virtuozzo Containers 4.6 Installation Guide. This guide provides exhaustive
information on the process of installing, configuring, and deploying your Parallels
Virtuozzo Containers system. Unlike the Getting Started With Parallels Virtuozzo
Containers 4.6 guide, it contains a more detailed description of all the operations needed
to install and set Parallels Virtuozzo Containers 4.6 to work including planning the
structure of your Parallels Virtuozzo Containers network, performing the Parallels
Virtuozzo Containers unattended installation, etc. Besides, it does not include the
description of any Container-related operations.



Parallels Virtuozzo Containers 4.6 User's Guide. This guide provides comprehensive
information on Parallels Virtuozzo Containers 4.6 covering the necessary theoretical
conceptions as well as all practical aspects of working with Parallels Virtuozzo
Containers. However, it does not deal with the process of installing and configuring your
Parallels Virtuozzo Containers system.



Parallels Virtuozzo Containers 4.6 Reference Guide. This guide is a complete reference
on all Parallels Virtuozzo Containers configuration files and Hardware Node commandline utilities.



Parallels Management Console Help. This help system provides detailed information on
Parallels Management Console, a graphical user interface tool for managing Hardware
Nodes and their Containers.



Deploying Microsoft Clusters in Parallels-Based Systems. This document provides
information on creating Microsoft failover and Network Load Balancing clusters in
Parallels Virtuozzo Containers-based systems.



Parallels Virtual Automation Online Help. This help system shows you how to work
with Parallels Virtual Automation, a tool providing you with the ability to manage
Hardware Nodes and their Containers with the help of a standard Web browser on any
platform.



Parallels Power Panel Online Help. This help system deals with Parallels Power Panel,
a means for administering individual Containers through a common Web browser on any
platform.

Preface

Feedback
If you spot a typo in this guide, or if you have an opinion about how to make this guide more
helpful, you can share your comments and suggestions with us by completing the
Documentation Feedback form on our website (http://www.parallels.com/en/support/usersdoc/).

CHAPTER 2

About Parallels Virtuozzo Containers
Templates
This chapter introduces you to the concept of Parallels Virtuozzo Containers OS and application
templates.

In This Chapter
Templates Overview ............................................................................................................. 11
Understanding Templates Basics .......................................................................................... 12
Template Lifecycle................................................................................................................ 13

About Parallels Virtuozzo Containers Templates

Templates Overview
A template in Parallels Virtuozzo Containers is a set of application files and registry settings
installed on the Host operating system in such a way as to be usable by any Container by
mounting over Virtuozzo File System (VZFS). Using templates lets you:


Securely share the RAM among similar applications running in different Containers to save
hundreds of megabytes of memory. Memory savings are especially significant when the
corresponding applications make extensive use of Dynamic Link Libraries (DLLs).



Securely share the files comprising a template among different Containers to save gigabytes
of disk space.
Install applications and patches simultaneously in many Containers.



There are two types of templates in Parallels Virtuozzo Containers. These are OS (operating
system) templates and application templates. An OS template is an operating system and the
standard set of components that were installed in the operating system during the OS template
creation. Parallels Virtuozzo Containers uses OS templates to create new Containers with a
preinstalled operating system. An application template is a set of files and registry settings
pertaining to a specific application. Parallels Virtuozzo Containers uses application templates to
add extra software to the existing Containers. For example, you can create a Container on the
basis of the Windows Server OS template and add the Adobe Acrobat Reader application to it
with the help of the AcrobatReader application template.
In Parallels Virtuozzo Containers, you can perform the following operations with templates:


Create your own application templates and template updates.




Upload new templates and template updates to the Hardware Node and install them there.
List the templates and template updates currently installed on the Hardware Node.



Add any of the templates and template updates installed on the Hardware Node to any
number of Containers.



Remove templates and template updates from Containers.



Remove templates and template updates that are not needed any more from the Hardware
Node.

All these operations are described in the following chapters in detail.

About Parallels Virtuozzo Containers Templates

Understanding Templates Basics
The Parallels Virtuozzo Containers Templates technology provides a way of sharing resources
among lots of Containers, thus enabling huge savings in terms of disk space and memory. For
example, when you install an OS or application template on the Hardware Node, Parallels
Virtuozzo Containers creates the X:\vz\Templates\ folder
containing all template-related files (where X:\vz denotes the folder you specified during the
Parallels Virtuozzo Containers installation for storing all Container data).
When a Container based on the given OS template is created or the given application template is
added to an existing Container, the Container contains only special links to real files in the
X:\vz\Templates\ folder (for application and OS templates) and the
system partition on the Node storing the Windows Server system files (for OS templates only).
These links occupy very little space on the hard disk and are situated in the so-called private
area of the Container (the corresponding folder is X:\vz\private\).
Along with links to the necessary OS or application files, the Container private area also
contains the copy-on-write area. This area stores the information about those changes that the
Container makes to the template files during its lifecycle and, therefore, is almost empty for all
newly created Containers.
When a Container is started, its private area is mounted as Virtuozzo File System (VZFS). This
folder is seen as the root folder from within the Container. And, which is the pivot of it all,
thanks to VZFS, the links of the Container private area are seen as real files there.

About Parallels Virtuozzo Containers Templates

Template Lifecycle
Any template of any kind should be created first. You can create a template using the Parallels
Virtuozzo Containers Template Creation wizard. In addition, a number of already created
templates are shipped by Parallels with Parallels Virtuozzo Containers 4.6.
Note: The current version of Parallels Virtuozzo Containers allows you to create application
templates only.
Then, the template should be installed on the Hardware Node. You can install OS and
application templates with the help of Parallels Management Console, Parallels Virtual
Automation, or using the vzpkgdeploy -i command.
The OS template that has been installed on the Hardware Node can be used as the basis for
creating new Containers with the help of Parallels Management Console, Parallels Virtual
Automation, or the vzctl create command. Any of the installed application templates, in
turn, can be added to any number of Containers using the same Parallels Virtuozzo Containers
tools or the vzpkgadd utility.
Any application template can be modified according to your needs using the Parallels Virtuozzo
Containers Template Creation wizard.
A template update can be created for any of the application templates installed on the Hardware
Node using the Parallels Virtuozzo Containers Template Creation wizard.
Any application template or application update can be removed from the Container with the help
of Parallels Management Console, Parallels Virtual Automation, or using the vzpkgrm utility.
Finally, a template that is not used by any Container may be completely removed from the
Hardware Node using Parallels Management Console, Parallels Virtual Automation, or the
vzpkgdeploy -u command.

CHAPTER 3

Creating Application Templates
You may wish to use special software inside Containers to perform specific tasks or functions,
such as word-processing, creating spreadsheets, generating graphics, sending and receiving
electronic mail, etc. However, installing an application inside every Container where you want
to use it may be a time-consuming operation and require many megabytes of disk space inside
each Container. At the same time, adding an application to Containers by using the technology
of Parallels Virtuozzo Containers templates helps you avoid these problems:


Thanks to the fact that the real application files are written to the Hardware Node hard disk
only once, gigabytes of disk space are saved that would be lost if the application were
installed separately into each and every Container.



The application is loaded only once into the Node memory, so memory savings are also
tangible.

In This Chapter
Template Creation Restrictions ............................................................................................. 15
Launching Parallels Virtuozzo Containers Template Creation Wizard ................................ 16
Creating Template From Installed Application Data ............................................................ 17
Creating Template From Manually Added Data................................................................... 30

Creating Application Templates

Template Creation Restrictions
Before starting to create your own application templates, familiarize yourself with the
restrictions that Parallels Virtuozzo Containers imposes on the application templates creation
process:


There may arise problems with creating templates from those applications that contain or
install one or more drivers currently not supported by Parallels Virtuozzo Containers. To
learn whether this or that driver is supported by the Parallels Virtuozzo Containers software,
send a request to the Parallels support team.



You cannot build templates from those applications that require one or more temporary
Container reboots during their installation.
Note: Detailed on the temporary Container is provided in the Creating Template From
Installed Application section (p. 17).



You cannot make templates from those applications that require the Active Directory
service running inside a temporary Container during their installation.



If the application for which you want to create a template (the main application) requires a
prerequisite application to be pre-installed inside a Container, first create a template for the
prerequisite application, and then create an update for the template by adding to it the files
of the main application. For example, to use the Microsoft SQL Server 2008 template inside
Containers, you can do the following:
1. Create a template (the base template) for the Microsoft .Net 3.5 Service Pack 1
application. This application is a prerequisite application for Windows Installer 4.5,
which, in turn, is a prerequisite application for SQL Server 2008.
2. Create an update for the base template, and include Windows Installer 4.5 in this update.
3. Create another update for the base template and for the update with Windows Installer
4.5, and include SQL Server 2008 in this update.
4. Install the base template and both updates into a Container in the order of their creation.

If you cannot create a template from your application because of one of the aforementioned
restrictions or for some other reason, address your template creation request to the Parallels
support team.

Creating Application Templates

Launching Parallels Virtuozzo
Containers Template Creation
Wizard
Parallels Virtuozzo Containers provides a special wizard, the Parallels Virtuozzo Containers
Template Creation wizard, for creating application templates. This wizard guides you through the
creation process, gathers all the necessary information, and makes an application template for
you. To invoke the wizard, select Programs > Parallels > Parallels Virtuozzo Containers >
Parallels Virtuozzo Containers Template Creation Wizard on the Windows Start menu.
After you have launched the wizard, you are presented with the Welcome window.

In this window, you are asked to choose the way of creating the application template:


Select the Create a template on the basis of an installed application radio button to create the
template on the basis of the corresponding application installed in a special temporary
Container and customized, if necessary. In this case, only the files and registry settings that
will result from the application installation inside the temporary Container will be included
in the template.



Select the Create a template from manually selected data radio button to manually specify the
files and registry settings out of which the template is to be created. In this case, you will be
able to choose and edit any available application files and registry keys for making the
template.

Creating Application Templates

Creating Template From Installed
Application Data
To create an application template on the basis of the corresponding application installed in a
special temporary Container, select the Create a template on the basis of an installed application
radio button in the Welcome window and click Next.

Specifying Temporary Container Settings
In the first step, you are asked to specify the parameters for a temporary Container.

The temporary Container is automatically created by the wizard for the period necessary for
making the application template. You will need to install the application installation files inside
this Container later on, and the wizard will use the installed files and registry settings for the
template creation. After the template has been successfully created and copied to the Hardware
Node, the temporary Container is removed from the Hardware Node (unless the Do not remove
Container after template creation check box is selected).
The fields you need to fill in in the Specify Container Settings window are explained in the table
below:
Field Name

Description

Container ID

The ID to be assigned to the temporary Container. By default, the
wizard offers the first unoccupied ID starting from 101. If you
decide to change the offered ID, make sure that the Container with
the specified ID does not exist on the Node. Otherwise, you will be

Creating Application Templates

warned with a message asking you to choose another Container ID.
Container disk
space limit

The amount of disk space to be allocated to the temporary Container,
in megabytes. Make sure that the size of the application installation
files you want to use for creating the template does not exceed the
size of the specified disk space. Otherwise, a warning will be
displayed notifying you that the allocated disk space is not enough
for installing the application files.

Do not remove
Container after
template creation

Defines whether the temporary Container is to be removed after the
template creation or left intact.

Container IP
address

The IP address (it must be unique within your network) to be
assigned to the temporary Container. You should specify a valid IP
address to be able to connect to the Container via RDP at a later
time.

Use DNS server of
Hardware Node

If selected, tells the temporary Container to use the same DNS server
as the one used by the Hardware Node. You can clear the check box
and indicate the desired DNS server in the DNS server field.

OS template

The OS template to be used for creating the temporary Container.
You can leave the OS template offered by the wizard by default or
click the down arrow and select the needed OS template on the dropdown menu.

You can also use the Configure button to define in which of the two standard Windows Terminal
Services modes (Remote Desktop for Administration or Terminal Server) the temporary
Container is to operate.

By default, the temporary Container is set to function in the Remote Desktop for Administration
mode. If you want to use the Terminal Server mode, you will have to choose one of the two
licensing schemes:


device-based licensing (select the Terminal Server (user-based access license) radio button)



user-based licensing (select the Terminal Server (device-based access license) radio button)

In both cases you will also have to specify one or more Terminal Server License servers in the
Specify one or more Terminal Server License servers field.

Specifying Installation Files and Template Name
In the next step of the wizard, you will be asked to specify the path to the application installation
files and the template name.

Creating Application Templates

Do the following:


In the Application folder field, enter the full path to the folder on the Hardware Node where
the application installation files are located (if you have only one installation file, specify the
full path to this file). Afterwards, the files from the folder specified in this field will be
copied to and manually installed inside the temporary Container, and the files and registry
settings resulting from the files installation in the Container will be included in the template.
You can also use the Browse button to the right of the Application folder field to point to the
desired folder. The folder may contain any number of files with any extensions (.exe,
.vbs, .txt, etc.).



In the Template name field, specify an arbitrary name for the resulting file that will contain
the template. You can type any alphanumeric identifier you consider reasonable.

When you are ready with setting the necessary template configuration parameters, click the Next
button to create the temporary Container.

Preparing for Template Creation
After the Container has been created and started, the Connect to Container window is displayed.
Click Next to establish an RDP connection to the temporary Container. The RDP connection is
needed to copy the source application files from the Hardware Node to the Container. Later on,
these source application files will be manually installed inside this Container, and the
application template will be created on the basis of the files and registry settings resulting from
the files installation. After an RDP connection window is opened, minimize it and proceed with
the wizard.
Notes:
1. Do not close the RDP connection window manually.

Creating Application Templates

The Prepare to Install Application Files window allows you to perform the final preparations
before installing the application files inside the temporary Container. For example, you may
wish to open the minimized RDP connection window and complete the following tasks:


Locate the source application installation files and check that all the files have been
successfully copied to the temporary Container. The source files are located in the root
directory of the Container (e.g., C:\My_application.exe).



Check the event logs inside the temporary Container and remove all the events that have
occurred since the Container creation.



Install specific server roles inside the temporary Container. This is needed if the template is
intended for installing inside Containers running Windows Server 2008 and requires some
server roles for its correct operation. The information on the installed server roles will then
be collected by the wizard and added to the template configuration file. You will not be able
to add the template to a Container until you install the necessary server roles inside it.

Note: If you are asked for credentials to log in to the temporary Container, use the
Administrator user name and the 1q password.
When you are ready, minimize the RDP connection window, and click Next.

Creating Application Templates

Installing Application Files
When the Install Application Files window is opened, switch to the minimized RDP connection
window, and manually install the source application files inside the temporary Container. You
can also customize the installed application to meet your demands. The files and registry
settings of this installed and customized application will be used to create the template. For
example, if you want the Messenger service to be automatically launched inside a Container
after applying the template to this Container, you can add the following string to the application
setup.cmd file:
sc start messenger

Do not perform any operations that are not related to the application installation and
customization because all registry and file system changes made inside the temporary Container
will be recorded and included in the application template. When you are ready, switch back to
the Install Application Files window, and click Next.
Note: Once you start installing the source application files, do not install any server roles inside
the temporary Container. If necessary, install them in the previous step of the wizard.

Editing Files and Registry Settings
The next screen of the wizard helps you review and configure the files and registry settings to be
used for the template creation.

In this window, you can use the Edit registry and Edit files buttons to review and edit the registry
entries and folders/files that are meant for making the application template.

Creating Application Templates

You can also make use of the Let wizard remove unnecessary registry entries from template and
Let wizard remove unnecessary files from template check boxes. These check boxes, if selected,
let the Parallels Virtuozzo Containers Template Creation wizard look through and analyze all
registry settings and folders/files resulted from the application files installation inside the
temporary Container and to be used for the application template creation. As a result of this
operation, the wizard may select one or more registry entries and folders/files which are, in its
opinion, of no use to the template and exclude them from the template creation process. You can
easily find out what registry entries and folders/files will not be included in the template by
clicking the Edit registry and Edit files buttons, respectively, and exploring the contents of the
displayed windows. Unnecessary and suspicious registry keys and folders/files are marked red
and the folders containing them - reddish. For example:

If you do not want to exclude any registry settings and folders/files from the template creation,
just clear the corresponding check boxes on the Create Template screen, and click Next.

Defining Template Configuration
In the next step of the wizard, decide on the template configuration.

Creating Application Templates

First of all, you are prompted to review and, if necessary, modify the basic information on the
template. To do this, select the Basic Information folder in the left part of the Specify Template
Information window, and check the following fields:
Field Name

Description

name

Mandatory. The name to be assigned to the template. You can leave the
name offered by the wizard or type any alphanumeric identifier of your
choice. The specified name will be used to refer to the template when
performing all template-related operations (e.g., installing the template
on the Node or adding it to a Container).

type

Optional. The type of the template being created:


OS: must be indicated when creating OS templates.



App: must be indicated when creating application templates.



MUI: must be indicated when creating Multilingual User Interface
MUI) templates.

Note: In the current version of Parallels Virtuozzo Containers,
you can create application templates only.
title

Optional. The title of the template; it will be displayed by Parallels
Virtuozzo Containers tools (e.g., Parallels Management Console) along
with the template name.

template version

Mandatory. The template version in the YYYYMMDD format where
YYYYMMDD denotes the year, month, and day of the template creation,
respectively (e.g., 20100316 meaning that the template was created on
the 16th of March, 2010).

platform

Optional. The operating system family with which the template is to be
compatible. Can be either Windows or Linux.

Creating Application Templates

Note: Do not change the default value set to Windows.
architecture

Optional. The system architecture type with which the template is to be
compatible. You can choose one of the following options:


x86: select this option if your template is intended for use on 32-bit
architectures.



x64_86: select this option if your template is intended for use on
x86-64-bit architectures.



IA64: select this option if your template is intended for use on
IA64-bit architectures.



All: select this option to make the template compatible with 32bit, x86-64-bit, and IA64-bit architectures.

By default, the system architecture type of your Hardware Node
is displayed.
vendor

Optional. The name of the application vendor (the company or the
author).

system root

Optional. The folder inside the Container where the Windows Server
operating system must be installed for the template to be successfully
added to this Container (e.g., C:\WINDOWS).

Note: Do not change the default folder.
application
version

Mandatory. The version of the application used as the basis for the
template creation.

The Summary and Description folders allow you to provide brief and detailed information on the
template, respectively. Just select the corresponding folder, and type the necessary information
in the provided field. The specified information will be displayed by Parallels Virtuozzo
Containers tools (Parallels Management Console and Parallels Virtual Automation).
In the Languages folder, you can determine the template policy in respect of the localized
versions of the Windows Server operating system.

Creating Application Templates

In this window, do the following:


Specify the localized versions of Windows Server that must be used as the basis for a
Container for the template to be successfully installed inside this Container. To do this,
select the check boxes of the corresponding languages in the Requires column.



Specify the localized versions of Windows Server that will be incompatible with the
template being created (i.e. the template installation inside Containers running this version
of Windows Server will always fail). To do this, select the check boxes of the corresponding
languages in the Conflicts column.



Specify the languages that will be provided by the template. Providing support for some
language by means of an application template allows you to install other templates that
require this language support inside Containers that have this template installed. For
example, if your template provides the German language support and you install this
template inside a Container, you will be able to install inside this Container other templates
that require support for this language. To specify the languages to be provided by the
template, select their check boxes in the Provides column.

The other folders in the Specify Template Information window allow you to configure the
following template configuration settings:


Select the Provided Templates folder, and specify the names of the application templates that
will be installed inside the Container together with the template being created. Including a
template in the list of provided templates allows you to install inside a Container other
templates that require the provided template. For example, if you are creating a template for
the Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Service Pack 2 (SQL 2008 SP2) application, you can
include the templates for Service Pack 0, Service Pack 1, and Service Pack 2 in this
template. In this case, if you install the SQL 2008 SP2 template inside a Container, you will
also be able to install inside this Container all the templates that require the Service Pack 0,
Service Pack 1, or Service Pack 2 template prior to their installation.

Creating Application Templates



Select the Required Templates folder, and indicate the names of the application templates
which will have dependencies with the template you are creating and which must be preinstalled inside the Container to successfully add the template to it. Keep in mind that the
specified applications must be installed inside the corresponding Container with the help of
the appropriate templates and not manually (e.g., by copying the application installation files
to the Container via RDP and then installing the application in a standard way from inside
the Container).



Select the Conflicting Templates folder, and enter the names of the application templates
which may have conflicts with the template being created and needed to be removed from
the Container before adding the template to this Container. Keep in mind that the template
will conflict only with those applications that are installed inside the corresponding
Container with the help of the appropriate templates. If the specified applications are
manually installed inside a Container, the template can be successfully added to it.

The process of working with the three aforementioned folders is identical and described below:


To add a new application to any folder, click the ... button in the right part of the Specify
Template Information window.

In the displayed window, do the following:


In the Application template name field, specify the name of the application template that
will be provided, required by, or conflict with the template being created.



Select one or several check boxes to include the following information in the template:

Application vendor. This check box, if selected, allows you to specify the information on
the application vendor. To do this, follow the 'click here to enter the
application vendor' link at the bottom of the window and type the necessary
information in the Vendor field.

Application template version. This check box, if selected, allows you to specify the
information on the version of the template that will provide, require, or conflict with the
application. To do this, follow the 'click here to enter the application
template version' link at the bottom of the window, type the template version in
the Version number field, and select one of the radio buttons under this field.

Creating Application Templates

Vendor application version. This check box, if selected, allows you to specify the
information on the application version. To do this, follow the 'click here to
enter the vendor application version' link at the bottom of the window
and type the right application version in the Vendor version field.



To configure the parameters of any existing application, click the application template name
and, in the displayed window, change the corresponding parameters as shown above.



To remove an application template from a folder, select the name of the application template
to be deleted, and click the Remove button.

Specifying Template Uninstall Information
In the next step of the wizard, you can configure the operations to be performed inside a
Container after removing the application template from it.

By default, the uninstall information from the template registry is used to decide on the actions
to be taken during the template removal from the Container. As a rule, these actions include the
uninstall of the applications and the execution of the commands listed in the tables on the
Specify Template Uninstall Information screen. However, you can customize the operations to be
performed when uninstalling the template by doing the following:


Clear the Use Default check box and, in the top table, clear the check boxes next to the
applications you want to preserve during the template removal.



Clear the Use Default check box and, in the bottom table, edit the commands to be executed
during the template removal from the Container.
Note: When customizing the commands, make sure that all the commands do not require
any user interaction during their execution. Otherwise, the template uninstall will fail.

Click Next to start creating the template.

Creating Application Templates

Installing Template on Hardware Node
The next step of the wizard allows you to install the template on the Hardware Node.

Each newly created template must be installed on the Node before it can be applied to
Containers. Click Next to install the template on the Node. If you do want to install the
application template at the moment, clear the Install template on Hardware Node check box, and
click Next. You will be able to install it later using the following tools:


Parallels Management Console. Consult the Installing New Templates on Hardware Node
section (p. 37) to learn how to install application templates using this GUI tool.



The vzpkgdeploy utility. Consult the Parallels Virtuozzo Containers 4.6 Reference
Guide to learn how to install application templates using this command-line utility.

Finishing Installation
The last screen of the wizard informs you that the application template has been successfully
created and enables you to change the default location of the template.

Creating Application Templates

By default, the template is placed to the X:\vz\Templates\__cache folder on the
Hardware Node where X denotes the disk drive set for storing Parallels Virtuozzo Containers
program files. However, you can change this location by selecting the Save the template to
another location check box and specifying the path to the desired folder in the field provided.
Click Finish to exit the wizard.
Note: The information you specify during the template creation is stored in a special XML file
and used when performing certain operations on the application template. For example, it is
used when you add the template to a Container. In this case, Parallels Virtuozzo Containers
checks if the Container meets all the conditions set for the template in its XML file (e.g.,
whether all the required applications you indicated in the Required Templates folder on the
Specify Template Information screen are installed inside the Container).

Creating Application Templates

Creating Template From Manually
Added Data
If you have selected the Create a template from manually selected data radio button and clicked
Next in the Welcome to Parallels Virtuozzo Containers Template Creation Wizard window, you will
see the following window:

In this window, provide the following information:


Container ID. Specify the ID of the Container where the application files and registry entries
are stored which will be used for the template creation. If they are stored on the Hardware
Node itself, type 0 in this field.
Note: Make sure the Container where the application files and registry entries are located is
running.



Template name. Specify an arbitrary name for the resulting file that will contain the
template. You can type any alphanumeric identifier you consider reasonable for the template
file.

When you are ready, click Next.

Specifying Application Files and Registry Settings
In the Specify Application Data window, you are prompted to specify the application files and
registry entries to be added to the application template.

Creating Application Templates

In this window, do the following:


Click the Add files button to open the Template configuration window, and choose the
application files out of which the application template is to be made. You can select any
number of files with any extensions (.exe, .vbs, .txt, etc.). After you have chosen the
needed files, click the Save button in the Template configuration window to confirm your
selection.



Click the Add registry keys button to open the Template configuration window, and select the
registry entries to be added to the application template. After you have chosen the needed
entries, click the Save button in the Template configuration window to confirm your
selection.

Preparing for Template Creation
After you have selected the necessary files and registry entries and clicked the Next button, the
Create Template window is shown.

Creating Application Templates

In this window, use the Edit registry and Edit files buttons to review and edit the registry entries
and files that you selected in the previous step of the wizard and that are meant for making the
application template.
You can also make use of the Let wizard remove unnecessary registry entries from template and
Let wizard remove unnecessary files from template check boxes. These check boxes, if selected,
let the Parallels Virtuozzo Containers Template Creation Wizard look through and analyze all
registry settings and folders/files to be used for the application template creation. As a result of
this operation, the wizard may select one or several registry entries and folders/files which are,
in its opinion, of no use for the template and exclude them from the template creation process.
You can easily find out what registry entries and folder/files will not be included in the template
by clicking the Edit registry and Edit files buttons, respectively, and exploring the contents of the
displayed windows. Unnecessary and suspicious files and folders will be marked red and the
folders containing them - reddish. For example:

Creating Application Templates

If you do not want to exclude any registry settings and folders/files from the template creation,
just clear the corresponding check boxes on the Create Template screen, and click Next.

Defining Template Configuration
In the next step of the wizard, you are asked provide detailed information on the application
from which are creating the template and the template itself.

Creating Application Templates

All template settings that you can define on this screen are explained in the previous section in
detail.

Specifying Template Uninstall Information
Next, you can specify what operations are to be performed inside a Container after removing the
application template from the Container.

Clear the Use Default check box, and in the top table, clear the check boxes next to the
applications you want to preserve during the template removal.



Clear the Use Default check box, and in the bottom table, edit the commands to be executed
during the template removal from the Container.
Note: While customizing the commands, make sure that all the commands do not require
any user interaction during their execution. Otherwise, the template uninstall will fail.

Click Next to continue.

Installing Application Template
The next step of the wizard allows you to install the template on the Hardware Node.

Creating Application Templates

Each newly created template must be installed on the Node before it can be applied to your
Containers. Click Next to install the template on the Hardware Node. If you do not want to
install the application template at the moment, clear the Install template on Hardware Node check
box, and click Next. You will be able to install it later using the following tools:


Parallels Management Console. Consult the Installing New Templates on Hardware Node
section (p. 37) to learn how to install application templates using this GUI tool.



The vzpkgdeploy utility. Consult the Parallels Virtuozzo Containers 4.6 Reference
Guide to learn how to install application templates using this command-line utility.

Finishing Template Creation
The last screen of the wizard informs you that the application template has been successfully
created and enables you to change the default location of the template. By default, the template
is placed to the X:\vz\Templates\__cache folder on the Hardware Node where X
denotes the disk drive set for storing Parallels Virtuozzo Containers program files. However,
you can change this location by selecting the Save the template to another location check box
and specifying the path to the desired folder in the field provided.
Click Finish to exit the wizard.
Note: The information you specify during the template creation is stored in a special XML file
and used when performing certain operations on the application template. For example, it is
used when you add the template to a Container. In this case, Parallels Virtuozzo Containers
checks if the Container meets all the conditions set for the template in its XML file (e.g.,
whether all the required application templates you indicated in the Required Templates folder on
the Specify Template Information screen are installed inside the Container).

CHAPTER 4

Managing Templates
This chapter concentrates on the tasks you can perform on Parallels Virtuozzo Containers
templates.

In This Chapter
Installing New Parallels Virtuozzo Containers Templates on Hardware Node .................... 37
Modifying Templates ............................................................................................................ 39
Creating and Installing Application Template Updates ........................................................ 44
Listing Templates .................................................................................................................. 55
Adding Templates to Single Container ................................................................................. 56
Adding Application Templates to Group of Containers ....................................................... 58
Copying Templates to Another Hardware Node ................................................................... 60
Removing Application Templates and Template Updates From Container ......................... 61
Removing Templates From Hardware Node ........................................................................ 62

Managing Templates

Installing New Parallels Virtuozzo
Containers Templates on Hardware
Node
In case you have one or more new Parallels Virtuozzo Containers templates that you would like
to upload and install on your Hardware Node, you need first to have these files accessible from
the computer where Parallels Management Console is installed (e.g., insert the CD-ROM with
the templates into the computer CD-ROM drive or copy the templates to the computer hard
disk), and then launch the Upload and Install New Parallels Virtuozzo Containers Templates
wizard.
To invoke the wizard, right-click the Templates item under any Hardware Node registered in
Parallels Management Console, and choose Upload and Install New Parallels Virtuozzo Containers
Templates. The Choose Parallels Virtuozzo Containers Templates to Distribute window opens.

In this window, choose the templates to be deployed to the Hardware Node. To do this, click the
Add button, and provide the path to the templates. Click Next.

Managing Templates

The next screen will prompt you to define the target Hardware Node where you want to install
the templates. Parallels Management Console can upload and install the specified templates to
any registered Hardware Node. By default, the current Hardware Node is selected. Select all
Nodes where you want to install the templates, and click Next. In case of a large number of
Nodes, it is reasonable to make use of the Select All or Deselect All buttons.
The last page of the wizard allows you to review the templates installation settings.

It summarizes the information provided by you in the previous steps: which templates to install
and where to install them. If you are satisfied with the settings, click the Finish button. This will
launch the upload and installation process. Otherwise, click Back and make the necessary
changes to the information entered.
You can also install application templates by using the vzpkgdeploy utility. For information
on this utility and its options, see the Parallels Virtuozzo Containers 4.6 Reference Guide.

Managing Templates

Modifying Templates
Parallels Virtuozzo Containers allows you to customize any of existing templates using the
Parallels Virtuozzo Containers Template Creation wizard. For example, this may be useful if you
want to improve the behavior of an application by adding a new feature to it or removing an
existing one, which you do not need any more, from this application. To invoke the wizard,
select Programs > Parallels > Parallels Virtuozzo Containers > Parallels Virtuozzo Containers
Template Creation Wizard on the Windows Start menu. You will be presented with the Welcome
to Parallels Virtuozzo Containers Template Creation Wizard window where you should select the
Modify an existing template radio button and click Next to proceed with the wizard.

Selecting Template
In the first step of the wizard, you are asked to choose the template to be modified.

In the Select Template for Editing window, do the following:


Choose the template to be modified from the list of displayed templates. This list contains
all application, OS, and MUI templates stored in the X:\vz\Templates\_cache folder
on the Hardware Node (where X denotes the disk drive set for storing Parallels Virtuozzo
Containers program files).



Type the path to the template in the Path to Template field or click the Browse button and
locate the template. This way of choosing templates can be used if the template you are
going to alter is located in a folder other than X:\vz\Templates\_cache and is,
therefore, not listed on the screen.

Managing Templates

Editing Files and Registry Entries
After choosing the right template, click Next to display the Modify Template window.

In this window, do the following:


Click the Edit registry button to open the Template Registry Data Editor window. If
necessary, change registry entries or add new ones using the menu bar at the top of the
window.



Click the Edit files button to open the Template File Tree Editor window. If necessary, change
the contents of existing files and folders, create new files and folders, and complete a
number of other tasks using the menu bar at the top of the window.

You can also make use of the Let wizard remove unnecessary registry entries from template and
Let wizard remove unnecessary files from template check boxes. These check boxes, if selected,
let the wizard look through and analyze all registry settings and folders/files you are going to
include in your application template. As a result of this operation, the wizard may select one or
several registry entries and folders/files which are, in its opinion, of no use for the template and
exclude them from the template creation process. You can easily find out what registry entries
and folder/files will not be included in your template by clicking the Edit registry and Edit files
buttons, respectively, and exploring the contents of the displayed windows. Unnecessary and
suspicious files and folders will be marked red and the folders containing them - reddish. For
example:

Managing Templates

If you do not want to exclude any registry settings and folders/files from the template creation,
just clear the corresponding check boxes on the Editing Template Data screen.

Editing Template Configuration
In the next step of the wizard, you can review and configure, if necessary, a number of
additional template parameters.

Managing Templates

All template parameters that you can configure on this screen are explained in the Creating
Template From Manually Added Data section (p. 30) in detail.

Specifying Template Uninstall Information
In the next step of the wizard, you can configure the operations to be performed inside a
Container after removing the application template from it.

Clear the Use Default check box and, in the top table, clear the check boxes next to the
applications you want to preserve during the template removal.



Click the Next button for the changes applied to your template to come into effect.

Installing Template
The Install Template on Hardware Node window allows you to install the modified template on
the Hardware Node. To do so, just click Next. If you do not want to install the application
template at the moment, clear the Install template on Hardware Node check box, and click Next.
You will be able to install it later using the following tools:

Managing Templates



Parallels Management Console. Consult the Installing New Templates on Hardware Node
section (p. 37) to learn how to install application templates using this GUI tool.



The vzpkgdeploy utility. Consult the Parallels Virtuozzo Containers 4.6 Reference
Guide to learn how to install application templates using this utility.

Managing Templates

Creating and Installing Application
Template Updates
Sometimes, you may need to update one or more application templates installed on the
Hardware Node. This may happen, for example, in case the distribution vendor provides a new
version of some application. If it is added from a template to certain Containers, this application
should be updated to the new version in these Containers. The easiest way to do it is using the
corresponding template update.
To make a template update, you can use the Parallels Virtuozzo Containers Template Creation
wizard. In the process of creating the template update, the wizard completes the following tasks:
Note: Currently, the Parallels Virtuozzo Containers Template Creation wizard does not allow you
to create updates for OS templates.
1 Installs the original template and all its previous updates, if any, inside a temporary
Container and saves the Container state after the template installation.
2 Tracks and records all the changes in the temporary Container registry settings and files
resulting from installing the new version of the application inside this Container.
3 Saves the collected changes into a special file containing all the template update-related
information and installs it on the Hardware Node, if necessary.
To invoke the wizard, select Programs > Parallels > Parallels Virtuozzo Containers > Parallels
Virtuozzo Containers Template Creation Wizard on the Windows Start menu. You will be
presented with the Welcome to Parallels Virtuozzo Containers Template Creation Wizard window.
Select the Create an update for an existing template radio button, and click Next to proceed with
the template update creation.

Selecting Application Template
In the first step of the wizard, you are asked to select the application template for which you
want to create a new update. The left pane of the Select templates window lists all the
application templates currently installed on the Hardware Node. To select the template for
preparing an update, select its name, and click the Add button. The template will be moved to
the right pane of the displayed window. If you already have one or more application template
updates installed on the Node, they are also shown in the left pane and must be added to the
right pane in the order of their creation. To move the template or any of its updates back to the
left pane, select the template or template update name in the right pane, and click Remove.

Managing Templates

Note: You can create an update for one application template at a time. If you want to create
updates for several application templates, you must run the Parallels Virtuozzo Containers
Template Creation wizard several times.

Specifying Temporary Container Settings
After selecting the required template and its updates, click Next to display the Specify Container
Settings window.

Managing Templates

In this window, you are prompted to set the parameters for a special Container which is
automatically created by the wizard for the period necessary for making the template update.
After the template update has been successfully created and copied to the Hardware Node, the
temporary Container will be removed from the Hardware Node (unless the Do not remove
Container after template creation check box is selected).
The fields you need to fill in in the Specify Container Settings window are explained in the table
below:
Field Name

Description

Container ID

Container disk space limit

The amount of disk space to be allocated to the temporary Container,
in megabytes. Make sure that the size of the template, all its updates,
and the installation files of the updated application does not exceed
the size of the specified disk space. Otherwise, a warning will be
displayed notifying you that the allocated disk space is not enough
and must be increased.

Do not remove Container after
template creation

Defines whether the temporary Container is to be removed after the
template update creation or left intact.

Container IP address

The IP address (it must be unique within your network) to assign to
the temporary Container. You should specify a valid IP address to be
able to connect to the Container via RDP at a later time.

Use DNS server of Hardware
Node

If selected, tells the temporary Container to use the same DNS server
as the one used by the Hardware Node. You can clear the check box
and indicate the desired DNS server in the DNS server field.

Managing Templates
OS template

The OS template to be used for the temporary Container creation.
You can leave the OS template offered by the wizard by default or
click the down arrow and select the needed OS template on the dropdown menu.

device-based licensing (select the Terminal Server (user-based access license) radio button)



user-based licensing (select the Terminal Server (device-based access license) radio button)

In both cases, you will also have to specify one or more Terminal Server License servers in the
Specify one or more Terminal Server License servers field.

Specifying Installation Files and Template Update Name
In the next step of the wizard, you are asked to specify the path to the update installation files
and the name of the resulting template update.

Managing Templates



In the Update installation files folder field, enter the full path to the folder on the Hardware
Node where the update installation files are located (if you have only one file, specify the
full path to this file). Afterwards, the installation files will be copied to and manually
installed inside the created temporary Container. You can also use the Browse button to the
right of the Update installation files folder field to point to the desired folder. The folder may
contain any number of files with any extensions (.exe, .vbs, .txt, etc.).



In the Template update name field, specify an arbitrary name for the resulting file that will
contain the template update. You can type any alphanumeric identifier you consider
reasonable for the template update file.

When you are ready with setting the necessary template update configuration parameters, click
the Next button to create the temporary Container.

Preparing for Template Update Creation
After the Container has been created and started, the Connect to Container window is displayed.
Clicking Next in this window starts the process of adding the original template and all its
previous updates, if any, to the temporary Container and establishing an RDP connection to it.
The established RDP connection is then used by the wizard to copy the update installation files
from the Hardware Node to the temporary Container. After an RDP connection window is
opened, minimize it and proceed with the wizard.
Notes:
1. Do not close the RDP connection window manually.

Managing Templates

2. If you are connected to the Hardware Node using an RDP client, you may need to complete
the following operations to switch from the Container RDP connection window to the Hardware
Node one:
a) Click the Restore button on the RDP connection bar of the Container RDP connection
window to exit from the Container RDP full-screen mode.
b) On the RDP connection bar of the restored window, click the Minimize button to minimize the
Container RDP connection window.
d) Click the Maximize button in the upper-right corner of the displayed window to return to the
Hardware Node RDP full-screen mode.
The Prepare to Install Application Files window allows you to perform the final preparations
before installing the application files inside the temporary Container. For example, you may
wish to open the minimized RDP connection window and complete the following tasks:




Check the event logs inside the temporary Container and remove all the events that have
occurred since the Container creation.



Installing Application Files
When the Install Application Files window is opened, switch to the minimized RDP connection
window, and manually install the update installation files inside the temporary Container. You
can also customize the installed application to meet your demands. All the changes resulting
from installing the update installation files inside the Container and customizing the installed
application will be saved later on as the template update.
Do not perform any operations that are not related to the application update installation and
customization because all registry and file system changes made inside the Container after the
RDP connection is established will also be recorded and included in the template update. When
you are ready, switch back to the Install Application Files window, and click Next.
Note: Once you start installing the source application files, do not install any server roles inside
the temporary Container. If necessary, install them in the previous step of the wizard.

Editing Files and Registry Settings
The next screen of the wizard helps you review and, if necessary, configure the files and registry
settings to be used for the template update creation.

Managing Templates

In this window, you can use the Edit registry and Edit files buttons to review and edit the registry
entries and files that are meant for making the template update.
You can also make use of the Let wizard remove unnecessary registry entries from template
update and Let wizard remove unnecessary files from template update check boxes. These check
boxes, if selected, let the Parallels Virtuozzo Containers Template Creation wizard look through
and analyze all registry settings and folders/files to be used for the template update creation. As
a result of this operation, the wizard may select one or several registry entries and folders/files
which are, in its opinion, of no use for the template update and exclude them from the template
update creation process. You can easily find out what registry entries and folder/files will not be
included in the template update by clicking the Edit registry and Edit files buttons, respectively,
and exploring the contents of the displayed windows. Unnecessary and suspicious files and
folders will be marked red and the folders containing them - reddish. For example:

Managing Templates

If you do not want to exclude any registry settings and folders/files from the template update
creation, just clear the corresponding check boxes on the Create Template screen, and click Next.

Defining Template Configuration
In the next step of the wizard, you can review and configure, if necessary, a number of
additional template update parameters.

Managing Templates

All parameters that you can configure on this screen are explained in the Creating Template From
Manually Added Data section (p. 30) in detail.
Note: By default, the Required Templates folder contains the template for which the new update
is intended and all its previous updates. You can add any other templates to this folder, but you
are not recommended to remove any of the already present templates. Otherwise, the updated
application may not work properly.

Specifying Template Uninstall Information
In the next step of the wizard, you can change the operations to be performed inside a Container
after removing the template update from this Container.

By default, the uninstall information from the template update registry is used to decide on the
actions to be taken during the template update removal from the Container. As a rule, these
actions include the uninstall of the applications and the execution of the commands listed in the
tables on the Specify Template Uninstall Information screen. However, you can customize the
operations to be performed when uninstalling the template update by doing the following:


Clear the Use Default check box, and in the top table, clear the check boxes next to the
applications you want to preserve during the template update removal.



Clear the Use Default check box, and in the bottom table, edit the commands to be executed
during the template update removal from the Container.
Note: When customizing the commands, make sure that all the commands do not require
any user interaction during their execution. Otherwise, the template update uninstall will
fail.

Click Next to start creating the template update.

Managing Templates

Installing Template Update
The next step of the wizard allows you to install the template update on the Hardware Node.

Each new template update must be installed on the Node before it can be applied to Containers.
Click Next to install the template update on the Hardware Node right after its creation. If you do
not want to install the template update at the moment, clear the Install template update on
Hardware Node check box, and click Next. You will be able to install it later using the following
tools:


Parallels Management Console. Consult the Installing New Templates on Hardware Node
section (p. 37) to learn how to install application templates using this GUI tool.



The vzpkgdeploy utility. Consult the Parallels Virtuozzo Containers 4.6 Reference
Guide to learn how to install application templates using this command-line utility.

Finishing Template Update Creation
The last screen of the wizard informs you that the template update has been successfully created
and enables you to change the default location of the template update. By default, it is placed to
the X:\vz\Templates\__cache folder on the Hardware Node where X denotes the disk
drive set for storing Parallels Virtuozzo Containers program files. You can change this location
by selecting the Save template to another location check box and specifying the path to the
desired folder in the field provided. However, if you plan to install the template update on this
Node, save it to the default folder.
Click Finish to exit the wizard.

Managing Templates

Notes:
1. The information you specify during the template update creation is stored in a special XML
file and used when performing certain operations on the template update. For example, it is used
when you add the template to a Container. In this case Parallels Virtuozzo Containers checks if
the Container meets all the conditions set for the template update in its XML file (e.g., whether
all the required templates and templates updates you indicated in the Required Templates folder
on the Specify Template Information screen are installed inside the Container).
2. Keep in mind that if your original application update cannot be uninstalled separately from
the main application, you will have to forcibly remove the corresponding template update from
your Container. You can find detailed information on removing templates and their updates
from Containers in the Removing Application Templates and Templates Updates From Container
section (p. 61).

Managing Templates

Listing Templates
You may want to list the templates installed on the Hardware Node. They may be already used
or not used by certain Containers. To list the templates in Parallels Management Console,
choose the Templates item under the corresponding Hardware Node name, and select either the
OS Templates or Application Templates tab to see the list of the OS or application templates
installed on the Node, respectively.

To see the templates used by a particular Container, double-click the needed Container in the
Container list in the right pane to open this Container management window, and then again
choose the Templates item and click the OS Templates or Application Templates tab in the left
pane of the new window.
In the command line, you can use the vzpkgls utility to list the templates installed on the
Hardware Node and applied to Containers. Detailed information on this utility can be found in
the Parallels Virtuozzo Containers 4.6 Reference Guide.

Managing Templates

Adding Templates to Single
Container
After you have installed a number of application templates on the Hardware Node, you can add
them to any number of Containers. To successfully add a template to a Container, the Container
must be running. In Parallels Management Console, you can use Parallels Virtuozzo Containers
Template Installation wizard to add an application template to a particular Container. To invoke
the wizard:
1

Select the Parallels Virtuozzo Containers item to open the list of Containers in the
Management Console main window.

2 Right-click the Container (it must be running) to which you want to add the template, and
choose Templates > Add/Update Parallels Virtuozzo Containers Templates.

In the Choose Parallels Virtuozzo Containers Templates to Install window, select one or more
templates to be added to the Container. This window is divided into two parts:


The table in the top part of the window lists all the templates compatible with the given
Container. You can view all the templates (both compatible and incompatible with the
Container) installed on the Hardware Node by clearing the Show only the templates
compatible with the OS template of the Container check box. To schedule a template for
installation, select its check box in the table, and click Next. You can also make use of the
Select All/Deselect All buttons to select/deselect all listed templates at once.

Managing Templates



The table at the bottom of the window displays the information on the Container where the
selected template is to be added:
Column Name

Description

Container

The name assigned to the Container.

The OS template the Container is based on.

Parent Node

The Hardware Node where the Container is residing.

Already Installed

Indicates whether the selected template is already installed inside the
Container.

Compatible

Indicates whether the Container is compatible with the selected template.

Available

Indicates whether the selected template is installed on the Hardware Node
where the given Container is hosted.
This option is relevant only for those Containers that reside on Hardware
Nodes belonging to a Parallels Group. In this case, if the selected template
is marked as unavailable (i.e. 'No' is displayed in the column), it means that
the template is installed on another Node in the Parallels Group and cannot
be added to the Container.

On the next screen, you can select the Force template installation check box to force the template
installation inside the Container. In this case, no dependencies and no available versions of the
application template will be checked during its installation, which may cause the template to
malfunction.
The last screen allows you to review the information provided by you in the previous steps. If
you are satisfied with the data entered, click Finish to start adding the template to the Container.
Otherwise, click Back, and change the necessary parameters.
You can also add a template to an individual Container by doing the following:
1

Open the list of Containers in the Management Console main window by selecting the
Parallels Virtuozzo Containers item in the Hardware Node tree.

2 Double-click the name of the Container to which you want to add a template.
3 Select the Templates item in the main tree of the opened Container Manager, click the
Application Templates tab, right-click somewhere in the top part of the Management Console
right pane, and select the Add Parallels Virtuozzo Containers Application Template option on
the context menu.
4 Follow the instructions of the wizard.
Note: Before adding an application template to a Container, carefully read the terms and
conditions set forth in the license agreement of the application that was used as the basis for the
template creation. Different licensing models used by application vendors may impose different
restrictions on the application usage. For example, you may need to obtain and install a separate
license inside each Container where you are planning to use the application.

Managing Templates

Adding Application Templates to
Group of Containers
To add an application template to a group of Containers at once, do the following:
1

In the Management Console left pane, expand the Templates item.

2 In the Management Console right pane, click the Application Template tab to see the list of
application templates installed on the Node.
3 Select the templates to install holding down the CTRL or SHIFT keys.
4 Right-click the selection, and choose the Install Into Containers option.

5 Select the check boxes of the Containers where the application template is to be added, and
click Next. You can use the Select All/Deselect All buttons to select/deselect all Containers
listed in the Choose Target Containers window. When choosing, keep in mind the following:


Only running Containers are displayed in the table of the Choose Target Containers
window since Parallels Virtuozzo Containers allows you to add templates to running
Containers only.



By default, the table in the Choose Target Containers window shows only those
Containers that are compatible with the OS template used for the creation of these
Containers. To view all the Containers existing on the given Hardware Node, clear the
Show only Containers check box.

6 On the Set Template Installation Options screen, click Next.

Managing Templates

7 The last window allows you to review the information provided by you on the previous
steps. If you are satisfied with the data entered, click Finish to start adding the application
template to the Container. Otherwise, click Back, and change the necessary parameters.
Another way of adding application templates to Containers is the following:
1

In the Management Console left pane, select the Containers item under the corresponding
Hardware Node name.

2 In the Management Console right pane, select the Containers where the template is to be
added using the CTRL and SHIFT keys.
3 Right-click the selection, and choose Templates > Add/Update Parallels Virtuozzo Containers
Templates.
4 In the Choose Parallels Virtuozzo Containers Templates to Install window, select the
application template to be installed, and click Next.
5 In the Set Template Installation Options window, select the Force template installation check
box, if necessary.
6 In the Review Parallels Virtuozzo Containers Templates Installation Settings window, review
the information provided by you in the previous steps. If you are satisfied with the data
entered, click Finish to start adding the application template to the Container. Otherwise,
click Back and change the necessary parameters.
In the command line, the vzpkgadd utility is used to add application templates to existing
Containers. Detailed information on the vzpkgadd utility is provided in the Parallels
Virtuozzo Containers 4.6 Reference Guide.
Notes:
1. You can as well do without templates and install virtually any application directly inside any
Container by using the Microsoft Terminal Services Client or Remote Desktop Connection, but
this approach limits the scalability of the system.
2. If you are running the 64-bit version of Parallels Virtuozzo Containers, you should use only
64-bit application templates to add them to your Containers.

Managing Templates

Copying Templates to Another
Hardware Node
Parallels Management Console allows you to copy OS and application templates between any
Hardware Nodes registered in Parallels Management Console. To do this:
1

Select the Templates item, and click either the OS Templates or Application Templates tab
depending on whether you want to copy an OS or application template, respectively.

2 In the Management Console right pane, right-click the template, and choose Tasks > Copy to
Another Hardware Node.

The table in the Copy Parallels Virtuozzo Containers Templates window lists all Hardware
Nodes registered in Parallels Management Console. You can copy the template to any of the
listed Nodes provided it is compatible with the Host OS installed on this Node. To do this,
select the check box next to the template name, and click the Copy button to the right of the
table.

Managing Templates

Removing Application Templates
and Template Updates From
Container
Parallels Management Console allows you to remove an application template or any of its
updates from a Container. To do this:
1

Open the list of Containers in the Management Console main window by selecting the
Parallels Virtuozzo Containers item under the corresponding Hardware Node name.

2 Double-click the name of the Container wherefrom you want to delete the template/template
update. The Container Manager opens.
3 Select the Templates item, and click the Application Templates tab to see the list of
application templates/template updates applied to the Container.
Note: If the application template you want to remove from a Container has one or more
template updates, first delete these updates in the order reverse to the order of their creation,
and only then delete the application template itself.
4 Right-click the application template/template update, and choose Delete.

5 In the Remove Parallels Virtuozzo Containers Template window, confirm your decision by
clicking the Remove button. If you have any problems with removing the template/template
update (e.g., if you are deleting a template update created from the application update that
cannot be uninstalled separately from the main application), you can select the Force
removal check box to force the template/template update deletion.

Managing Templates

Besides, you can use the vzpkgrm utility to remove application templates and their updates
from Containers. Detailed information on the vzpkgrm utility can be found in the Parallels
Virtuozzo Containers 4.6 Reference Guide.

Removing Templates From
Hardware Node
Parallels Virtuozzo Containers allows you to remove those OS and application templates that are
not needed any more from the Hardware Node. To do this:
1

Select the Templates item under the corresponding Hardware Node name in the Parallels
Management Console main tree.

2 Click on either the Application Templates or OS Templates tab to display the list of all
application or OS templates installed on the Node, respectively.
3 Right-click the template you want to delete in the right pane, and choose Delete.

Keep in mind that you cannot remove the templates currently applied to one or more
Containers on the Hardware Node.
4 In the Remove Parallels Virtuozzo Containers Template window, confirm your decision by
clicking the Remove button. If you have any problems with removing the template, you can
select the Forced removal check box to force the template deletion from the Hardware Node.

Glossary
Application template is a template used to install a set of applications in Containers. See also
Template.
Container (or regular Container) is a virtual private server, which is functionally identical to an
isolated standalone server, with its own IP addresses, processes, files, its own users database, its
own configuration files, its own applications, system libraries, and so on. Containers share one
Hardware Node and one OS kernel. However, they are isolated from each other. A Container is
a kind of ‘sandbox’ for processes and users.
Container 0 is used to designate a Hardware Node where the Parallels Virtuozzo Containers
software is installed.
Hardware Node (or Node) is a server where the Parallels Virtuozzo Containers software is
installed for hosting Containers. Sometimes, it is marked as Container 0.
Host Operating System (or Host OS) is an operating system installed on the Hardware Node.
MAC address stands for Media Access Control address, a hardware address that uniquely
identifies each Node in a network. The MAC layer interfaces directly with the network media.
Consequently, each different type of network media requires a different MAC layer.
OS template (or Operating System template) is used to create new Containers with a preinstalled operating system. See also Template.
Parallels Virtuozzo Containers is a complete server automation and virtualization solution
allowing you to create multiple isolated Containers on a single physical server to share
hardware, licenses, and management effort with maximum efficiency.
Virtuozzo File System (VZFS) is a virtual file system for mounting to Container private areas.
VZFS symlinks are seen as real files inside Containers.
Parallels Virtuozzo Containers license is a special license that you should load to the Hardware
Node to be able to start using the Parallels Virtuozzo Containers software. Every Hardware
Node must have its own license installed.
Parallels Infrastructure Manager is an obsolete designation of Parallels Virtual Automation.
Parallels Management Console (or Management Console) is a Parallels Virtuozzo Containers
management and monitoring tool with graphical user interface. It is used to control individual
Hardware Nodes and their Containers. Management Console is cross-platform and runs on both
Microsoft Windows and Linux workstations.
Parallels Power Panel is a means for administering personal Containers with the help of a
standard Web browser (Internet Explorer, Mozilla, etc.) on any platform.
Parallels Virtual Automation is a tool designed for managing Hardware Nodes and all
Containers residing on them with the help of a standard Web browser on any platform.

Glossary

Private area is a part of the file system where Container files that are not shared with other
Containers are stored.
TCP (TCP/IP) stands for Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol. This suite of
communications protocols is used to connect hosts on the Internet.
Template is a set of original application files (packages) repackaged for mounting over
Virtuozzo File System. There are two types of templates. OS Templates are used to create new
Containers with a preinstalled operating system. Application templates are used to install an
application or a set of applications in Containers.
Virtual Environment (or VE) is an obsolete designation of a Container.
Virtuozzo Control Center (or VZCC) is an obsolete designation of Parallels Virtual Automation.
Virtuozzo Power Panels (or VZPP) is an obsolete designation of Parallels Power Panel.
Virtual Private Server (or VPS) is an obsolete designation of a Container.
Parallels Agent (or Parallels Agent Protocol) is an XML-based protocol used to monitor and
manage a Hardware Node. The Parallels Agent software implements this protocol and is a
backend for the Parallels Management Console.

Index
Container - 16

A
About Parallels Virtuozzo Containers - 5
About Parallels Virtuozzo Containers
Templates - 9
About This Guide - 6
Adding Application Templates to Group of
Containers - 57
Adding Templates to Single Container - 55
Applications - 10, 16, 29

C
Container
private area - 11
Copying Templates to Another Hardware Node
- 59
Creating and Installing Application Template
Updates - 43
Creating Application Templates - 13
Creating Template From Installed Application
Data - 16
Creating Template From Manually Added Data
- 29

D
DNS server - 16, 43
Documentation Conventions - 7

F
Feedback - 8

G
Getting Help - 8
Glossary - 62

H
Host OS - 62

I
Installing New Parallels Virtuozzo Containers
Templates on Hardware Node - 36
Internet Explorer - 62
IP Address

L
Launching Parallels Virtuozzo Containers
Template Creation Wizard - 15
Listing Templates - 54

M
Managing Templates - 35
Modifying Templates - 38
Mozilla - 62

N
Node
Hardware - 36

O
Organization of This Guide - 6

P
Parallels Power Panel - 62
Parallels Virtual Automation - 62
Parallels Virtuozzo Containers License - 62
overview - 62
Preface - 4

R
Registry - 16, 29, 38
Removing Application Templates and
Template Updates From Container - 60
Removing Templates From Hardware Node 61

S
Service Container - 62

T
Template
application - 10, 13, 36, 43, 54, 57, 60
creating - 13, 16, 29
installing - 36, 57
listing - 54
OS (Operating System) - 54
removing - 60
Template Creation Restrictions - 14
Template Lifecycle - 12

Index

Templates Overview - 10

U
Understanding Templates Basics - 11

X
XML - 16, 38, 62

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