Lab 01: Installing the App Volumes Agent to an existing Virtual Desktop Pool (IC)

Objective and Tasks

You have set up the App Volumes Manager Server. Now connect to an existing Horizon 8 environment and assess the existing virtual desktop pool. Update the golden image with the App Volumes Agent and update the virtual desktop pool.

  1. Identify the current golden image and snapshot associated with an existing desktop pool
  2. Using the vCenter, update the identified golden image with the App Volumes Agent
  3. Update the desktop pool with the new snapshot
  4. Validate the registration of the desktop pool within the App Volumes Manager admin console
Expand or collapse content Task 1: Identify the current golden image and snapshot associated with an existing desktop pool

All tasks within this lab will be carried out from the ControlCenter VM.

  1. Connect to ControlCenter VM
    • On the right-hand side of the browser pane, select the Resources tab.
    • Select and log in to the ControlCenter VM
    • Username:OMINISSATRAINING\Administrator
    • Password: Pa$$w0rd
  2. Connect to Horizon Admin console (horizon-02a)
    • Launch the Google Chrome browser from the ControlCenter desktop
  3. Login to the Horizon 8 Admin Console
    • From the browser bookmark bar, click on Horizon-02a
    • Accept the 'Attention' notification by clicking on I AGREE
    • Username: administrator
    • Password: Pa$$w0rd
    • Click on SIGN IN
  4. Proceed to identify the Golden Image and Snapshot for the existing Desktop Pool
    • On the left side of the admin console, navigate to the Inventory > Desktops
    • View the available Desktop Pools: Win11-Site2
    • Click on Win11-Site2
    • In the Summary tab, scroll down to vCenter Server
    • Identify the Golden Image in vCenter: W11PreBuilt
    • Identify the Snapshot: Horizon_IC_Ready
Expand or collapse content Task 2: Using the vCenter, update the identified golden image with the App Volumes Agent

All the actions carried out in this section will be on vCenter-01

  1. Navigate to vCenter-01 identify and Power ON the virtual machine identified in the previous task as the Golden image.
  2. Within the vCenter web console, identify and Power ON the W11PreBuilt virtual machine
    • Navigate and expand vcenter01 > DC1 > Cluster1
    • Right click on the W11PreBuilt VM
    • Select Power > Power On
  3. Connect to the Win11PreBuilt virtual machine
    • Select the Win11PreBuilt
    • Under the Summary tab > click on the LAUNCH WEB CONSOLE button
  4. This opens up a new browser tab to the virtual machine, login and initiates the application installation
    • Click on the 'Send Ctrl+Alt+Delete' button on the top left section of the browser window
    • You will be automatically logged into the W11PreBuilt VM
  5. Install the App Volumes Agent on the golden image
    • Open the File Explore within the W11PreBuilt VM
    • Navigate to the file path: \\labfiler\resources\software\appvolumes\appvol2603
    • Go to the installation folder
  6. Initiate the App Volumes Agent installation
    • Double-click on Setup.msi
    • Acknowledge the start of the setup wizard, click on Next
    • Choose 'Install App Volumes Agent'
    • Click on Install
    • At the User Account Control pop-up, acknowledge and click on Yes
    • Continue the setup wizard, click on Next
    • Management Mode screen, choose 'Managed (Connects to App Volumes Manager)'
    • Click on Next
    • Package Access Mode screen, choose 'Shared Storage'
    • Click on Next
    • At the Server Configuration screen
    • App Volumes Manager: appvol-02a.omnissatraining.com
    • accept the remaining defaults
    • Click on Next
    • Machine Type: accept the defaults
    • Click on Next
    • Click Install
    • Click on Finish
    • Shutdown the virtual machine and close the W11PreBuilt browser tab
  7. At the vCenter tab, take a snapshot of the current state of the W11PreBuilt VM
    • Click on the W11PreBuilt VM
    • Confirm the VM is in the powered OFF state
    • Click on the Snapshots tab
    • Click on the TAKE SNAPSHOT button
    • Name: av_agent
    • Click on CREATE
    • Observe the 'Recent Tasks' to get a 'Completed' status next to 'Create virtual machine snapshot' is displayed
Expand or collapse content Task 3: Update the desktop pool with the new snapshot

With the Golden image being updated with the App Volumes Agent and a new snapshot taken, let's update the existing virtual desktop pool by pointing to the new snapshot

  1. Log back in to the Horizon admin console for horizon-02a
    • Open a new tab on the Google Chrome browser or refresh the existing Horizon Admin page.
    • Click the bookmark on the bookmark bar for horizon-02a
    • This will connect you to the Horizon administrator console at https://horizon-02a.omnissatraining.com/admin
  2. Login to the Horizon admin console.
    • Username: administrator
    • Password: Pa$$w0rd
    • Domain: OmnissaTraining
  3. Put the virtual desktop pool into maintenance and update the pointer to the newly created 'av_agent' snapshot
    • Navigate to Inventory > Desktops
    • Click on the Desktop Pool: Win11-Site2
    • From the menu bar, click on the MAINTAIN drop-down
    • Select Schedule
    • Select the radio button next to snapshot: av_agent
    • Image section - click on NEXT
    • Schedule section - select 'Force users to log off' and click on NEXT
    • Ready to complete section - click on FINISH

The rebuild process of the instant clone virtual desktop, can be observed from vCenter-01. This process of pool update involves, creating a new CP-Template VM, from the golden image and new snapshot. Followed by creating a CP-Replica VM. From which the existing desktops in the pool will be deleted and new desktop VMs built out.

Approx. time to rebuild the desktop pool is ~15 minutes.

Expand or collapse content Task 4: Validate the registration of the desktop pool within the App Volumes Manager admin console

Validate the success of the pool update and App Volumes Agent registration from;

  • Horizon 8 Admin console - desktop pool setting
  • App Volumes Manager admin console
  1. Confirm the successful update of the Win11-Site2 desktop pool
    • From the Horizon 8 admin console for horizon-02a
    • Under the Win11-Site2 desktop pool settings
    • Click on the Machines tab
    • Review the provisioning of three virtual desktops, and the App Volumes Agent Version tab, reflects the Agent version 4.21.0.5081
  2. Log in to the App Volumes Manager admin console
    • Open a second browser tab within Google Chrome
    • Select appvol-02a from the bookmark bar
    • Username: administrator
    • Password: Pa$$w0rd
    • Click login
  3. Validate that the registration of the virtual desktop pool machines within the admin console
    • Click on DIRECTORY
    • Under the Active tab
    • Note the three desktop pool VMs: Win11-S2-1$, Win11-S2-2$ and Win11-S2-3$ are now listed along side other VMs with App Volumes Agents installed and registered to this App Volumes Manager.
    • This confirms that the virtual desktop pool has been successfully updated, and the new VMs are registered and active in the App Volumes Manager admin console.

This concludes this lab.

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