Lab 02: Application capture using the GUI method: using the App Volumes Manager and Agent

Objective and Tasks

Capture and publish a new App Volumes application package, complete post-capture configuration, and validate application delivery.

  1. Prepare the packaging machine for application capture.
  2. Create a new application and package in App Volumes Manager.
  3. Capture the application on the packaging machine.
  4. Finalize and verify successful package capture.
  5. Configure post-capture settings, including the Current marker and assignments.
  6. Validate application delivery from a Horizon virtual desktop session.
Expand or collapse content Task 1: Prepare the packaging machine for capture

Power ON the packaging machine by connecting to the vCenter-01 from the Chrome Browser, use the shortcut in the bookmark bar. Accept any notifications presented at the logon screen.

  1. Go to vCenter-01 from the vSphere browser tab
  2. Revert the App Volumes packaging virtual machine to the 'av_agent' snapshot and power on the VM
    • Navigate to vcenter01 > DC1 > Cluster1
    • Locate and select the appvolprov-01a VM
    • In the center panel, select the Snapshots tab
    • From the Snapshots tab select 'AV_Agent' snapshot
    • Click the 'REVERT' option from the toolbar above
    • Confirm by clicking on 'REVERT'
    • Confirmation message received in the 'Recent Tasks' section with Status: Completed
  1. Power ON the Appvolprov-01a VM
    • In the center panel, click on the Summary tab
    • Click the Power On green button next to the 'appvolprov-01a' vm name
  1. Navigate to the Appvolprov-01a provisioning virtual machine and carry out the following tasks
    • As the VM is already powered ON, click on the Launch Web Console button
    • The packaging machine 'appvolprov-01a' is now open in a separate browser tab

Once at the login screen (Do not log in to the VM, till the new App Volumes Application and Package have been created in the next task)

Expand or collapse content Task 2: Create a new Application and Package from the App Volumes Admin console

With the appvolprov-01a packaging machine powered ON, the next section will take you through creating an Application and a blank Package, assign it to the packaging machine to capture an application, initiated from the App Volumes Manager admin console.

  1. Navigate back into the App Volumes Manager admin console open in the browser tab
  2. Create an Application and a Package for the new app to be captured.
    • Click on INVENTORY and Applications tab
    • Initiate a clean up task
      • Select the checkbox next to the application 'np++'
      • Click the DELETE button and again on the confirmation pop-up
    • From the Applications tab, click on the CREATE button
  3. Update the following under Create Application
    • Name: Notepad++
    • Leave the remain as default selections
    • Click on the CREATE button
    • Click on the CREATE button on the confirmation pop-up
  4. Provide the Package details
    • Name: NotepadPP-8-9-6-2
    • Accept the remaining default settings and click on the CREATE button
    • Click on the CREATE button on the confirmation pop-up
  5. Assign the packaging machine to the blank Notepad++ package
    • Click on the INVENTORY > Packages tab
    • The first stage of a newly created Package. Wait for the Status tab to change to Unpackaged.
    • Expand the NotepadPP package
    • Click on the PACKAGE button
    • In the search bar, type APPVOLPROV-01A
    • Select the radio button next to the Status 'Available'
    • Click on the PACKAGE button
    • Confirm by clicking on START PACKAGING
    • Returning to the Package tab, now the Status indicates Packaging

Keep an eye out at the top right corner of the App Volumes Manager admin console screen. For App Volumes environments configured to use VHD In-Guest mode machine manager configuration, the Packaging VM will need an additional reboot after you click on START PACKAGING in the above step.

Expand or collapse content Task 3: Capture the application on the Packaging Machine

Next steps are to log in to the packaging VM, confirm the app capture has initialized, and is ready to capture. Initiate the application installation and capture the package.

  1. Connect to the Appvolprov-01a VM
    • Toggle to the appvolprov-01a browser tab
  2. Initiate reboot of the Appvolprov-01a VM
    • Click on the Restart option from the bottom right corner of the logon screen to reboot the VM
  1. Once rebooted, log into the Appvolprov-01a VM and start the packaging process
    • Username: administrator
    • Password: Pa$$w0rd
    • Wait for the "Packaging..." notification to pop up on the bottom right of the screen.
  1. Install the Notepad++ Application
    • Open the File Explorer
    • Navigate to the folder location \\Labfiler\resources\software\N++
    • Double-click and run the installer npp.8.9.6.2.installer.x64.exe
  2. Instructions while installing Notepad++
    • On the installer prompt, click on OK
    • Click Next
    • Click I Agree
    • Click Next on the Install Location screen
    • Click Next on the Choose Components screen
    • Check the box 'Create Shortcut on Desktop'
    • Click on Install

To deliver an App Volumes Package using the Apps On-Demand method, the installed application should be configured with a 'Desktop Icon' or be listed in the 'Start Menu'

  1. Post installation
    • Observe the Notepad++ application icon is now available on the Desktop
    • Uncheck 'Run Notepad++ v8.9.6.2'
    • Click Finish

If after the installation you open the application, this will trigger the auto-update, choose the 'Never' option and close the application.

Expand or collapse content Task 4: Confirm and close the app capture process
  1. Close the App Volumes capture process walking through the instructions provided by the App Volumes Agent notification screen.
    • Click on OK, to the 'Omnissa App Volumes - Packaging in progress' pop-up window in the bottom right corner
    • Click on OK again to the next prompt
    • Click on Yes
    • Confirm the version listing: 8.9.6.2

The 'View Package Report' provided an HTML version of the files/folders/registry entries captured during the packaging process. This can be exported before closing the capture process.

  • Click on the Finalize button
  • Click OK to restart the machine
  1. On reboot, log into the packaging machine with the same user/password
    • Username: administrator
    • Password: Pa$$w0rd
    • Wait for the workflow process to confirm the package creation process success
    • With the confirmation of 'Packaging successful', click on OK
    • Shutdown the virtual machine from within the OS, clicking on Start Button > Power button > Shutdown
  2. Go to the vCenter tab and revert the snapshot to 'av_agent'
    • On the vCenter
    • Click on the appvolprov-01a vm
    • Go to the Snapshots tab
    • Select the 'AV_Agent' snapshot
    • Click on the REVERT button
    • Confirm REVERT
    • The confirmation is displayed at the bottom of the browser screen, under 'Recent Tasks.'
Expand or collapse content Task 5: Carry out post capture configuration

In this section, confirm the successful package created, carry out CURRENT marker and assignment tasks

  1. Navigate to the App Volumes Manager admin console browser tab and configure the Package CURRENT marker setting
  2. Check for the Package under INVENTORY > Packages
    • Confirm, NotepadPP-8-9-6-2 exists, Status = Enabled
      • If not, hit the refresh button and review the change in Status
  1. Status now has changed to Enabled
  • Expand the NotepadPP-8-9-6-2 package
  • Click the SET CURRENT button on the right pane
  • Confirm the CURRENT marker setting is reflected next to NotepadPP-8-9-6-2
  1. Configure a User ASSIGNMENT to the capture application
    • Navigate to INVENTORY > Applications
    • Expand the application: Notepad++
    • Click on the ASSIGN button
    • Search for 'AppVol_PRODUCTION_Users' AD Group
    • Select the checkbox next to the 'AppVol_PRODUCTION_Users' entry
    • Select Assignment Type = Marker
    • Click on the ASSIGN button
    • Confirm ASSIGN
Expand or collapse content Task 6: Log in to a Horizon virtual desktop and validate the delivery of the App Volumes Package

This section we will have you log into Horizon, via the Horizon Client from the ControlCenter Desktop. Launch an assigned virtual desktop and validate that Notepad++ has been delivered successfully to the user's session.

  1. Connect to a Horizon 8 virtual desktop (installed with the App Volumes Agent in the previous lab)
    • Minimize the browser and any applications open within the ControlCenter VM
    • From the Desktop, double-click and launch the Omnissa Horizon Client
  2. The Horizon Client is already configured to connect to Horizon 8
    • Double-click on the horizon-02a.omnissatraining.com connection icon within the Horizon Client
  3. Active Directory student IDs from (Student1 to Student5) belong to the AD Group AppVol_PRODUCTION_Users
    • Authenticate using username: Student1
    • Password: Pa$$w0rd
    • Click Login
    • You should be connected and have the virtual desktop pool: Win11-Site2 and NotepadS2 application listed
  1. Connect to the virtual desktop Win11-Site2 and launch the Notepad++ application, and confirm the App Volumes package has been attached
    • Double-click on the Win11-Site2 icon
    • Wait for the desktop session to log you in
  2. Once logged in, you will see the Notepad++ application icon on the desktop
    • Double-click and launch the Notepad++ application
      • Cancel the auto-upgrade pop-up screen
    • Notice the App Volumes Agent mount information box pop-up in the bottom-right corner of the desktop
    • Followed by the launching of the Notepad++ application
    • Minimize the Horizon Client virtual desktop session from the Horizon Client toolbar at the top of the screen
    • Proceed to the validation steps shown below
  1. Validate the Package Attachment in the App Volume admin console
    • Maximize the Google Chrome browser, in the App Volumes Admin console browser tab
      • Navigate to the Inventory > Attachments tab
      • Validate that the Package/Volume 'NotepadPP-8-9-6-2' corresponding to Application ' Notepad++' and is reporting as attached to a target Windows 11 virtual desktop.
  1. Go back to the Horizon Client, log out of the connection to the virtual desktop session and log out of the Horizon Client (close the application).

This concludes this section of the lab to capture an application initiated from the App Volumes Manager admin console using the GUI method

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