Instant Clone Virtual
Machines
The instant clone
operation creates a running virtual machine that continues running from the
current state of the source virtual machine. There is no delay to power on the
cloned virtual machine.
An instant clone virtual machine
is a kind of linked clone with these characteristics:
- The clone starts out powered on and running.
- The clone replicates the memory of the source virtual machine.
- The clone shares memory pages with the source virtual machine as long as they remain unmodified.
The instant clone operation
facilitates rapid deployment of virtual machines for low-latency response to
peak computing demand. It also uses memory and disk space as efficiently as
possible.
Because the clone replicates the
running state of the source virtual machine, it usually requires customization
of some network properties in the guest operating system to eliminate conflicts
with the source. An instant clone virtual machine may also require new backings
for some dedicated virtual devices, such as serial ports, parallel ports, or
optical drives.