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A golden image is a template virtual machine (VM) with a Syteca Client already installed, used to clone many identical VMs at once. Cloning a Client normally creates a duplicate Client entry for every clone, because each clone shares the same internal Client identifier. Golden Image mode solves this on both sides:
  • On the Client, a one-time preparation step clears the identifier before the image is captured, so each clone generates its own identifier the first time it starts.
  • On the Application Server, Golden Image mode automatically unassigns the license from a Client as soon as it goes offline, so licenses return to the pool for the next clone instead of piling up on VMs that no longer exist.
Use this when:
  • Deploying Syteca Clients through a VDI master image (VMware Horizon Composer, Citrix Provisioning Services, Hyper-V, AWS WorkSpaces).
  • Cloning a physical or virtual machine that already has a Syteca Client installed, for any reason.
  • Running floating endpoint licensing across virtual desktops, where licenses need to circulate automatically as desktops are created and destroyed.
Pair it with VDI monitoring for the full picture of supported virtual desktop platforms, and with Assign endpoint licenses for how floating licenses move between Clients.
These instructions apply to Syteca version 6.37 and later. On Windows Client agent versions older than 7.23.70, a duplicate agent entry may still appear after the first deployment from a golden image; no further duplicates should occur after that. Agent version 7.23.70 and later avoids the issue entirely. Update the agent version in your templates to 7.23.70 or later before capturing a golden image.

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Configure the Client golden image

Do this once, on the Client machine that will become the golden image, before capturing the image.
1

Download the Client installation package

In the Management Tool, open the Clients page, click Install Clients (top right), then Download Installation File.
2

Select Windows and download

On the Installation File Download page, select Windows, then either Windows Client installation Package (.ini+.exe) to generate an installation package, or Windows Client installation (.exe) to download the installer directly.
3

Install the Client on the golden image machine

Copy the installation package or file to the computer that will serve as the golden image, and install the Client on it. See Install Windows Clients locally for the installation procedure.
4

Rename the Client executable

On the golden image machine, open the Client installation folder (by default C:\Program Files\Ekran System\Ekran System\Client) and rename EkranClient.exe to EkranClient1.exe.
5

Stop the Client services

Open Windows Services and stop both the EkranClient and EkranController services.
6

Set the Golden Image registry value

Open Windows Registry Editor, go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\EkranSystem\Client, and:
  • Delete the AgentGUID value.
  • Add a new DWORD value named GoldenImageMode with data 1.
Save the changes.
7

Restore the Client executable name

Rename EkranClient1.exe back to EkranClient.exe.
Do not restart the EkranClient service after this step. It must stay stopped until the next system reboot — restarting it early gives the image a new ID and causes duplicates.
Once these steps are complete, the image can be used to clone the virtual machine without creating duplicate Clients in the Management Tool.
Installation File Download page with Windows operating system selected and installation package options

Selecting the Windows installation package on the Installation File Download page.

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Automatically add cloned Clients to a Client group

Optionally, configure cloned Clients to join specific Client groups automatically (in addition to the default All Clients group), so each clone inherits that group’s settings immediately.
NOT AVAILABLE IN SAAS. Since the EkranServer.Settings.config file isn’t available in SaaS deployments, contact your Syteca vendor or the Syteca Support team to enable this behavior in a SaaS environment.
1

Enable auto-assignment

Add the following key to EkranServer.settings.config (located in C:\Program Files\Ekran System\Ekran System\Server):
2

Define the auto-assignment rule

Add a second key specifying the target Client group ID and the hostnames or IP addresses that should match it:
Find a Client group’s ID on the Clients page, Client Groups tab, by clicking the group’s name. To auto-assign to multiple groups, add one key per group, each with its own ID.
The value list accepts patterns as well as exact matches:
  • 192.168.1.* matches every address starting with 192.168.1.
  • 192.168.1.30-75 matches every address in that range.
  • syteca-pc-* matches every hostname starting with syteca-pc-.
3

Restart the Application Server

Restart the EkranServer service to apply the changes.
A cloned Client whose hostname or IP address matches the rule is added automatically to the specified Client group and inherits all of that group’s settings.

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Enable Golden Image mode on the Application Server

With Golden Image mode enabled on the Application Server, the server automatically unassigns a Client’s license as soon as that Client goes offline — the mechanism that lets floating licenses circulate correctly across a fleet of cloned virtual desktops. See Assign endpoint licenses for how this fits into the broader floating-licensing model.
NOT AVAILABLE IN SAAS. Since the EkranServer.Settings.config file isn’t available in SaaS deployments, contact your Syteca vendor or the Syteca Support team to enable this feature in a SaaS environment.
1

Stop the Application Server

Right-click the Syteca Server icon in the Windows System Tray and select Stop, or stop the EkranServer service from Task Manager.
2

Open the settings file

On the Application Server computer, open EkranServer.Settings.config (located in C:\Program Files\Ekran System\Ekran System\Server) in a text editor.
3

Add the Golden Image key

Add the following key:
Save the file.
4

Start the Application Server

Start the EkranServer service to resume normal operation.

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Alternative: unassign the license on virtual machine shutdown

If a golden image’s master snapshot gets reused many times, Golden Image mode isn’t the only way to avoid wasting licenses on machines that no longer exist — a shutdown script can unassign the license directly on the Client side instead.
NOT AVAILABLE IN SAAS.
1

Create the uninstall script

Create a .cmd file (for example uninstall_client.cmd) containing:
For example:
2

Turn on the virtual machine

Start the VM that will become the golden image.
3

Configure the system and install required software

Set up the machine as normal.
4

Install the Client with Protected mode disabled

Install the Syteca Client (remotely or locally) with Enable Protected mode deselected.
5

Clear the Client's AgentGUID

In Registry Editor, go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\EkranSystem\Client, right-click the AgentGUID value, and select Delete.
6

Copy the script to the VM

Copy uninstall_client.cmd to a target folder on the virtual machine.
7

Register the script as a shutdown script

Run cmd.exe as administrator, enter gpedit, and in the Local Group Policy Editor go to Computer Configuration > Windows Settings > Scripts (Startup/Shutdown) > Shutdown. Click Add, select uninstall_client.cmd, and click OK.
8

Create the master snapshot

The golden image is now ready.
From this point on, every VM started from this image connects to the Application Server as a new Client and gets a license assigned automatically. When the VM shuts down, the shutdown script runs and the license is unassigned.
To unassign the license on logoff instead of shutdown, configure the equivalent logoff script under User Configuration > Windows Settings > Scripts (Logon/Logoff) > Logoff.

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Alternative: rename the hostname after cloning

For a one-off Windows VM clone rather than a repeatable golden image, a simpler manual fix avoids the full Golden Image mode setup above. Every Windows Client gets a unique ID the first time it connects to the Application Server. Cloning a VM copies that ID along with it, so the clone can’t connect until it looks different to the Application Server.
1

Rename the cloned VM

After cloning, change the VM’s hostname.
2

Reboot

Restart the VM.
3

Confirm registration

Once it restarts, the Client registers as new, receives its own unique ID, and appears on the Clients page.
Skipping the rename means the clone can’t connect at all — the Application Server rejects it because a Client with that same hostname and ID already exists, and logs an error on the System Health page.

VDI monitoring

Supported virtual desktop platforms and floating-licensing patterns.

Assign endpoint licenses

How floating licenses circulate between Clients automatically.

Client groups

Group Clients to apply shared settings.

Windows Clients

Installing and configuring Windows Clients.