Taking a Snapshot

AdminStudio 2025 | 29.0 | Automated Application Converter

After you have run the Virtual Machine Preparation setup on a virtual machine, you need to shut it down and create a snapshot. This enables the Automated Application Converter to revert the virtual image to a clean state after each repackaging run.

note

If you do not take a snapshot of the virtual image, the Automated Application Converter will be unable to revert the image to a clean state after completing a repackaging run. Therefore, while the first repackage on the virtual machine would be on a clean image, all subsequent repackaging runs would be run on a “dirty” virtual image.

Links to instructions on how to create a snapshot of a virtual machine are presented in the following table.

note

Make sure that the following steps are executed before starting the conversion process:

Windows updates are up to date on the virtual machine before taking snapshot.
Firewall needs to be disabled on guest agent machine.

Platform	Link
VMware Workstation	To take a snapshot: Open VMware Workstation. On the <span class="UI_Element">VM</span> menu, point to <span class="UI_Element">Snapshot</span> and click <span class="UI_Element">Take Snapshot</span>. Name the snapshot <span class="Code">AutoRepack_Base</span>. You can optionally add a description to record notes about the virtual machine state captured in the snapshot. Click <span class="UI_Element">OK</span>.
VMware ESX or ESXi Server	To take a snapshot on the VMware ESX or ESXi server, perform the following steps: To take a snapshot: Open the VMware infrastructure client. On the <span class="UI_Element">Inventory</span> menu, point to <span class="UI_Element">Virtual Machine</span> and <span class="UI_Element">Snapshot</span>, and then click <span class="UI_Element">Take Snapshot</span>. Name the snapshot <span class="Code">AutoRepack_Base</span>. You can optionally add a description to record notes about the virtual machine state captured in the snapshot. Click <span class="UI_Element">OK</span>. For more information, see the VMware Knowledge Base article entitled Understanding virtual machine snapshots in VMware ESX: http://kb\.vmware\.com/kb/1015180

Platform

Link

VMware Workstation

To take a snapshot: Open VMware Workstation. On the VM menu, point to Snapshot and click Take Snapshot. Name the snapshot AutoRepack_Base. You can optionally add a description to record notes about the virtual machine state captured in the snapshot. Click OK.

VMware ESX or ESXi Server

To take a snapshot on the VMware ESX or ESXi server, perform the following steps: To take a snapshot: Open the VMware infrastructure client. On the Inventory menu, point to Virtual Machine and Snapshot, and then click Take Snapshot. Name the snapshot AutoRepack_Base. You can optionally add a description to record notes about the virtual machine state captured in the snapshot. Click OK. For more information, see the VMware Knowledge Base article entitled Understanding virtual machine snapshots in VMware ESX: http://kb\.vmware\.com/kb/1015180