ISL AlwaysOn will work in environments where computer cloning is performed, allowing access to cloned computers once they get online. For clones to work correctly (cloned computer appears in the list of available computers) the master computer has to be set up correctly before being cloned.
Procedures differ slightly depending on the environment the computers are cloned. Please refer to the section that best fits your use case:
Standard Clone (performed on: Master Computer)
- Install ISL AlwaysOn on the Master computer
- Grant access to the computer to all desired users and groups (specified users will have access to cloned computers)
- Make all the necessary changes to the settings and configuration
- Stop ISL AlwaysOn service
- Windows: Open "Command Prompt" and type "net stop isl_always_on"
- Close any open ISL AlwaysOn windows and dialogues
- Delete the following registry key:
- Windows 64bit: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\ISL Online\ISL AlwaysOn\uid
- Create the following registry key (name: _ghost_, type: binary content, value: 01)
- Windows 64bit: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\ISL Online\ISL AlwaysOn\_ghost_
- Shut down the computer
- Important: Do not turn on the master computer before you clone it, as new identifiers will be generated and you will have to perform the preparation steps again
- Clone the computer
Note: For Windows 32bit registry key path remove \Wow6432Node
VDI Clone (performed on: Master Computer)
- Install ISL AlwaysOn on the Master computer, use the plain installer without grant blob (https://www.islonline.net/download/ISLAlwaysOn - Note: Self-hosted users should insert their server address)
- Make all the necessary changes to the settings and configuration
- Stop ISL AlwaysOn service
- Windows: Open "Command Prompt" and type "net stop isl_always_on"
- Close any open ISL AlwaysOn windows and dialogues
- Delete the following registry key (if present):
- Windows 64bit: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\ISL Online\ISL AlwaysOn\uid
- Enable the "Constant UID" feature (see the Notes section below this procedure for details).
This allows ISL AlwaysOn to differentiate cloned computers. It can be enabled in one of the two ways:- 1) Set the following registry key to "true": HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\ISL Online\ISL AlwaysOn\constant_uid
- 2) Set the "ISL AlwaysOn constant uid generation" field to either "always" or "virtual" in the specific customization via ICP administration pages.
- *(optional) Create the following registry key (name: master_constant_uid, type: string value, value: hostname_uid (can be found in aon_service.out)).
- Windows 64bit: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\ISL Online\ISL AlwaysOn\master_constant_uid
- *(optional) Set ISL AlwaysOn\master_hostname
- Use hostname detected in aon_service.out
- Set ISL AlwaysOn\delay_start=true
- This is a Windows-only setting, which delays the service start for about 2 minutes.
- Set ISL AlwaysOn\grant\1 = [grant blob]
- See notes below on where to get the grant blob
- Create the following registry key (name: password, type: binary value, value: MD5 hash of the selected password)
- Windows 64bit: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\ISL Online\ISL AlwaysOn\password
- Create the following registry key (name: 1, type: string content, value: URL decoded grant blob)
- Windows 64bit: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\ISL Online\ISL AlwaysOn\grant\1
- Shut down the computer
- Important: Do not turn on the master computer before you clone it, as new identifiers will be generated and you will have to perform the preparation steps again
- Clone the computer
Notes:
1) Grant blob can be found in the link as part of Set Unattended Access via Link guide.
You can decode the grant blob URL using the preferred online URL decoder.
2) For Windows 32bit registry key path remove \Wow6432Node
3) Constant UID setting:
'always' -> all computers have constant UID generated
'virtual' -> only virtual machines will have constant UID generated
4) *(optional) - These options can be used to prevent ISL AlwaysOn writing its uid during master image provisioning in VDI environment or preparing master image used for cloning.
We recommend against changing the Registry individually, but instead edit this example Registry file (Windows 64bit) and run it:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00 [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\ISL Online\ISL AlwaysOn] "uid"=- "constant_uid"="true" "password"=hex:XX,XX,XX... [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\ISL Online\ISL AlwaysOn\grant] "1"="<URL_decoded_grant_blob>"
Fixing Cloned Computer with incorrect UID (perform on Cloned Computer)
Most common issue that happens during cloning is that the master computer is not prepared according to the instructions above and the cloned computers end up with the same UID. ISL AlwaysOn is then unable to differentiate among different computers meaning you will not know which clone you connected to, once the session is established.
Follow the steps below to generate new UID on the cloned computer:
- Stop ISL AlwaysOn service
- Windows: Open "Command Prompt" and type "net stop isl_always_on"
- Close any open ISL AlwaysOn windows and dialogues
- Delete the following registry key:
- Windows 64bit: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\ISL Online\ISL AlwaysOn\uid
- Windows: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\ISL Online\ISL AlwaysOn\uid
- Create the following registry key (name: _ghost_, type: binary content, value: 01)
- Windows 64bit: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\ISL Online\ISL AlwaysOn\_ghost_
- Windows: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\ISL Online\ISL AlwaysOn\uid\_ghost_
- Start ISL AlwaysOn service
- Windows: Open "Command Prompt" and type "net start isl_always_on"
Once ISL AlwaysOn starts a new UID will be generated.
Note: You can use the following registry file which modifies the registry keys. This is useful if you have created a large number of cloned computers that you need to fix:Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00 [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\ISL Online\ISL AlwaysOn] "uid"=- "_ghost_"="01"