Lab 04: Updating an existing App Volumes Package using the GUI method

Objective and Tasks

This lab will take you through the steps required to upgrade an App Volumes application. From the App Volumes admin console, identify the package to upgrade, target the packaging machine, and walk through the application upgrade process. This is followed by post-capture tasks: setting the CURRENT Marker to the newly upgraded Package. Since the Assignment already targets the CURRENT package version, when an assigned user logs on, they will get the package designated with the CURRENT marker.

  1. Preparing the packaging machine for capture, to upgrade an existing package
  2. Identify the Application and existing Package, initiate a Package Upgrade
  3. Packaging Machine: Upgrading the Package
  4. Confirm success, carry out post capture configuration from the App Volumes admin console
  5. Explore the App Volumes user feedback mechanism set as optional tasks within this lab
  6. Validate application is assigned and accessible with a Horizon virtual desktop session
Expand or collapse content Task 1: Prepare the packaging machine for capture

If you have the lab from the previous session, ignore all the steps under point-1 listed below. Else proceed to 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. Navigate to vCenter identify and Power ON the packaging machine
    • Log in to the ControlCenter VM
    • Username: administrator
    • Password: Pa$$w0rd
    • Open the Google Chrome browser from the desktop
    • Click on vCenter-01 link from the bookmark bar to connect to the vCenter https://vcenter01.omnissatraining.com
    • Login using the following credentials
    • Username: [email protected]
    • Password: Pa$$w0rd
  2. Within the vCenter web console, identify and Power ON the App Volumes packaging virtual machine
    • Navigate to vcenter01 > DC1 > Cluster1
    • Right-click on the appvolprov-01a VM

If you have successfully completed Lab 03, then follow the next steps, as the Appvolprov-01a VM has already been reverted to the 'av_agent' snapshot

  • From the menu, select Snapshots
  • Select on Revert to Latest Snapshot in the sub-menu
  • Ensure the snapshot reflects 'AV_Agent'
  • Uncheck the 'Suspend this VM when reverting to selected snapshot'
  • Click on the REVERT button
  • Right-click on the appvolprov-01a VM
  • Select Power > Power On
  • Go back to the Summary 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: Identify the Application and existing Package, initiate a Package upgrade

From the App Volumes admin console, look for Notepad++, identify the package version, initiate an upgrade of package. This creates a copy of the existing package, which can be attached to the packaging machine for upgrade.

  1. Log into 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
  2. Locate the current Notepad++ Application and the Package version from the admin console, and initiate a package upgrade
    • Navigate to the INVENTORY > Applications tab
    • From the Applications list, Notepad++ is listed as 'np++'
    • Navigate to the INVENTORY > Packages tab
    • From the list of packages, the Notepad++ package is listed as 'np-8.9.1'
    • This represents the current version of Notepad++ at ver.8.9.1.
  3. This lab will focus on upgrading the existing Notepad++ version 8.9.1 to 8.9.6.2.
    • Expand the package 'np-8.9.1'
    • Select the UPDATE button
  4. Provide the details of the upgrade version
    • Change the Name to np-8-9-6-2
    • Click on the UPDATE button
    • And provide confirmation by clicking on the UPDATE button
  5. At the INVENTORY Packages tab, refresh the list, by clicking the refresh icon next to the "Show 10" drop-down list.
    • Observe the np-8-9-6-2 package change its Status from Creating to Unpackaged
    • Expand the package np-8-9-6-2
    • Click on the PACKAGE button
    • Type and search for APPVOLPROV-01A
    • Select the radio button next to the Status 'Available'
    • Click on the PACKAGE button
    • Confirm by clicking on START PACKAGING
    • The second stage of the Package is now shown under the Status tab 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: Packaging Machine: Upgrading the Package

Log into the packaging machine from the vCenter01, validate and upgrade the existing package

  1. Connect to the Appvolprov-01a VM
    • Toggle to the vCenter browser tab
    • Click on the Launch Web Console button
  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
  3. 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.
  4. Confirm existing Notepad++ 8.9.1 is mounted, then initiate the upgrade
    • Wait for the application to virtualize and the existing Notepad++ desktop icon to appear on the Desktop
      • Do not launch the old Notepad++ application from the desktop
  5. Install the Notepad++ Application
    • Open the File Explorer, navigate to the software repository '\\Labfiler\resources\software\N++'
    • Run the Notepad++ installer
    • Double click and launch the Notepad++ application  'np.8.9.6.2.Installer.x64.exe'
    • Accept all the default settings, until you reach the final screen

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'

  • Before you click on the Install button, check the box to 'Create a Shortcut on the Desktop'.
  • Upon completing the Notepad++ 8.9.6.2 installation
    • Uncheck the RUN Notepad++, click on the Finish button
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
    • 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
    • Await the workflow process to confirm the package creation process success
    • On confirmation, 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 Optional Task 5: Providing feedback - Operations tasks

As this is a newer version of the Notepad++ package, let's assign this package to the App Volumes UAT user group and have them provide feedback on usage of the newer version of Notepad++.

  1. From the App Volumes Manager admin console, validate the new Notepad++ package, assign the newer version to the 'Appvol_UAT_users' AD Group and configure the Package 'Prompt for Feedback' option.
    • From the Google Chrome browser bookmark bar, launch appvol-02a
    • Log into the App Volumes Manager admin console
    • Username: administrator
    • Password: Pa$$w0rd
  2. Confirm current user ASSIGNMENT to the Notepad++ application
    • Navigate to INVENTORY Applications
    • Expand the Notepad++ application: np++
    • Confirm '2 Packages' listed
    • And confirm '1 Assignments' present
    • Confirm the assignment 'AppVol_PRODUCTION_Users' has the CURRENT marker set to Notepad++ version. 8.9.1
  1. Navigate to the Packages under INVENTORY > Packages
    • Confirm, Notepad++ has two packages listed, np-8-9-1 and the newly updated np-8-9-6-2 packages both exist, and their Status=Enabled
  2. Assign the UAT users to test and provide feedback on the new Package np-8-9-6-2
    • Navigate to INVENTORY > Applications
    • Expand the application 'np++', click on the 'ASSIGN' button
    • Search and select the AD Group 'AppVol_UAT_Users' using the 'Search Directory Service' field.
    • Select the 'Assignment Type' = 'Package'
    • Select the package = 'np-8-9-6-2'
    • Click on the ASSIGN button
    • And confirm assignment
  1. Enable the App Volumes Package feedback mechanism to get feedback from the UAT testing group of users.
    • Navigate to the INVENTORY > Packages tab
    • Expand the package 'np-8-9-6-2' and click on the 'EDIT' button
    • In the Package properties, enable the 'Prompt for Feedback' with the default settings
    • Click on the SAVE button
Expand or collapse content Optional Task 6: Providing feedback - User Acceptance Testing

This section we will have you log into Horizon, via the Horizon Client from the ControlCenter VM. Login as a UAT user, launch an assigned virtual desktop and validate that Notepad++ 8.9.6.2 is working and provide a feedback.

Students (6,7 and 8) are part of the Active Directory group AppVol_UAT_users

  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
    • Authenticate using username: Student6
    • Password: Pa$$w0rd
    • Click Login
    • You should be connected and have the virtual desktop pool: Win11-Site2 listed
  3. Connect to the virtual desktop 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
  4. Once logged in, you will see the Notepad++ application icon on the desktop
    • Launch the Notepad++ application
    • Now close the Notepad++ application to get the below feedback prompt
    • Select your desired feedback and provide a comment as shown below
    • Click on 'Submit' to provide feedback to the App Volumes Administrator
  1. Check the Package feedback status
    • Navigate to INVENTORY > Packages
    • Click on the package 'np-8-9-6-2'
    • Scroll down to 'Feedback' section to see the comment, UAT user account and endpoint details.
Expand or collapse content Task 7: Log in to a Horizon virtual desktop and validate the delivery of the App Volumes Package

On confirmation of  successful UAT testing of the newly updated package, validate the change in CURRENT marker to the newer version of the package logging in with Production Users

Students (1 to 5) are part of the Active Directory group AppVol_PRODUCTION_users

  1. With successful test results, change the CURRENT marker from the package np-8-9-1 to the newly updated np-8-9-6-2
    • Go to the INVENTORY > Packages
    • Expand the np-8-9-6-2 package
    • Click the SET CURRENT button on the right pane
    • Confirm SET CURRENT
    • Validate the change of the CURRENT marker from np-8-9-1 to np-8-9-6-2

As the Notepad++ Application already has an AD Group assigned to receive the CURRENT package version of the application, log into a virtual desktop using any user from the 'AppVol_PRODUCTION_Users' AD Group.

  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
    • 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
  3. Connect to the virtual desktop 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
  4. Once logged in, you will see the Notepad++ application icon on the desktop
    • Double-click and launch the Notepad++ application
    • 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
  5. Finally, validate the Package Attachment in the App Volume admin console
    • From the ControlCenter, log back into the App Volumes Admin console
    • Navigate to the Inventory > Attachments tab
    • Validate that the Package/Volume 'np-8-9-6-2' corresponding to Application ' Notepad++' is reporting as attached to the target Windows 11 virtual desktop.

This concludes this lab to upgrade an application by updating the existing package, resulting in a second package with a newer version of the application. Followed by validating a successful package capture (upgrade) and carried out post capture configuration tasks.

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