Dependent VHDs

You can also create dependent VHDs-multiple VHDs that depend on a parent VHD. Why would this be useful? Suppose you have 10 employees, but they basically use three configurations:

• Office admin configuration
• Graphics configuration
• Developer configuration

With a dependent VHD approach, you could create one parent VHD (the common company configuration, which might have your companystandard email/web software, antivirus software, network configuration, user accounts, and so forth). Then you could create the three dependent VHDs, one for each configuration:

• Office admin VHD, containing finance software
• Graphics VHD, containing graphic editing software
• Developer VHD, containing a complete programming environment

You could then distribute these VHDs to company employees as appropriate, standardizing software usage across your company with no trouble. To create dependent VHDs, you'll need to follow the steps outlined in the section "Creating a VHD" earlier in this tutorial, but add one additional parameter when you create the VHD. In step 6, add the parameter

Then complete the rest of the steps as described.