CA Client Automation - 14.0

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How to Deploy Virtual Application

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Contents
After the virtual application package that you created with the Virtual Application Package Registration Wizard is included in the Software Package Library, you can then deploy it and manage it using standard software delivery methods. Virtual application packages can be registered on the enterprise (EP) management tier or the domain management tier. A virtual application package should not be registered on both the EP and domain management tiers. If you register a virtual application package on the EP management tier, it can then be distributed to the domain management tiers and lower levels.
Virtual application package deployment goes through the following general stages:
  1. The administrator verifies that vendor infrastructure software is installed on target computers.
    You may need to reboot the target server after installing the Microsoft System Center Application Virtualization Streaming Server. The Streaming Server set-up process initiates this reboot.
  2. The administrator creates software jobs to deploy the virtual application packages to target computers. The administrator can create software jobs for virtual application packages using the same methods used to create software jobs for regular application packages.
  3. The administrator deploys the virtual application Staging package to the scalability server. The scalability server also functions as the streaming server.
    If the target computer roams to a new scalability server, the new server must have the Staging package installed as well. For more information on roaming, see the
    Software Delivery Administration Guide
    .
  4. The administrator deploys the Standalone and Streaming packages from the domain manager to the target computers. The administrator can also stage packages on the scalability server before deployment to target computers. The administrator can use standard software delivery deployment methods to deploy virtual application packages to target computers.
For more information about virtual application deployment, see the
Software Delivery Administration Guide
.
Preparing a Target Computer for Deployment of a Microsoft App-V Virtual Application
Before you can deploy a Microsoft App-V virtual application package to a target computer, you need to verify that the target computer is ready for the virtual application. The following sections explain the preparation of the target computers.
Dependencies
 -- The following table identifies the dependencies for virtual application packages created from Microsoft App-V images.
Package Type
Dependencies
Server Staging
Microsoft System Center Application Virtualization Streaming Server
Client Standalone or Streaming
Microsoft Application Virtualization Desktop Client
Microsoft SML Parser 6.0
Microsoft Visual C++ 2005 SP1
Client Standalone or Streaming for Remote Desktop Services
Microsoft Application Virtualization Desktop Client
Microsoft SML Parser 6.0
Microsoft Visual C++ 2005 SP1
The infrastructure components must be available on the target servers and clients in order for the virtual application to work. You can use your own local procedures to make these components available on the target computers, or you can use
CA Client Automation
 to create Software Delivery packages for the infrastructure components of Microsoft App-V. These infrastructure packages can then be imported into the Software Package Library using existing software delivery methods. (For more information on creating these infrastructure packages, see the
Software Delivery Administration Guide
.)
Server configuration for streaming communications
 -- For virtual applications that are streamed to target computers, the target computer must recognize the name of the streaming server. The DSM scalability server acts as the App-V streaming server. Therefore, the App-V streaming server must be installed on the DSM scalability server.
The Microsoft App-V streaming server uses two protocols for streaming communications: RTSP (not secured) and RTSPS (secured). The default protocol and port for the Microsoft App-V streaming server are RTSP and port 554. If you want to use the secured RTSPS protocol with port 322, you must configure the streaming server. If you are using the CA-provided infrastructure package templates, you must configure the streaming server before including it in the template. For information about configuring the Microsoft App-V streaming server, see the Microsoft product documentation.
Client configuration for streaming communications
 -- The default protocol and port for the Microsoft App-V client are RTSP (not secured) and port 554. If you want to use the secured RTSPS protocol with port 322 (for example, to match the streaming server configuration), you can set the Deploy Virtual Applications Policy Group accordingly and apply it to the agents. (See the description of the Deploy Virtual Applications Policy Group.) Then, if a new Microsoft App-V virtual application package is registered and deployed with the default protocol and port, the agent replaces the default settings with the protocol and port specified in the policy. For an existing application installation on the target computer, you must deploy the Streaming package again using the procedure "reinstall", which is part of the Streaming package. This procedure uses the new protocol and port when the user launches the application. Also, the shortcuts on the target computer are updated the next time the user logs onto the computer.
You can deploy virtual application packages on target scalability servers and target computers running the Windows operating system, but not UNIX or Linux operating systems.
The Microsoft App-V sequencer does not support Windows 2000. Thus, Windows 2000 cannot be supported as a client for running AppV virtual applications.
Microsoft Application Virtualization Desktop Client Version 4.51 does not support 64-bit Windows operating systems. Thus, computers with 64-bit Windows systems cannot be supported for running App-V virtual applications (Standalone and Streaming packages).
Authorization
 -- The end user on the target computer needs authorization to access a virtual application, which is located on a network drive on the scalability server. Authorization can be achieved by a trusted connection between the target computer and the server. If a trusted connection does not exist, the end user will be prompted for a user name and password.
For more information about virtual application deployment, see the
Software Delivery Administration Guide
.
Preparing a Target Computer for Deployment of a VMware ThinApp Virtual Application
Before you can deploy a VMware ThinApp virtual application package to a target computer, you need to verify that the target computer is ready for the virtual application. The following sections explain the preparation of the target computers.
Dependencies
 -- The following table identifies the dependencies for virtual application packages created from VMware ThinApp images.
Package Type
Dependencies
Server Staging
No dependencies
Client Standalone or Client Streaming
ThinReg.exe utility
ThinApp virtual application Staging packages for the server do not need any prerequisites. However, the Standalone and Streaming packages that deploy ThinApp packages to target computers call the ThinReg.exe utility.
The ThinReg.exe utility must be found in the PATH environment on the target computer. If it is not, the deployment of the virtual application package on the target computer is not successful.
You can use your own local procedures to make the ThinReg.exe utility available on the target computers, or you can use
CA Client Automation
 to create a software delivery package for the ThinReg.exe utility. This infrastructure package can then be imported into the Software Package Library using existing software delivery methods. (For more information on creating these infrastructure packages, see the
Software Delivery Administration Guide
.)
You can deploy virtual application packages on target scalability servers and target computers running the Windows operating system, but not UNIX or Linux operating systems.
Authorization
 -- The end user on the target computer needs authorization to access a virtual application, which is located on a network drive on the scalability server. Authorization can be achieved by a trusted connection between the target computer and the server. If a trusted connection does not exist, the end user will be prompted for a user name and password.
For more information about virtual application deployment, see the
Software Delivery Administration Guide
.
Deploy a Virtual Application Software Package
You can use the following overall procedure, along with the standard software delivery deployment methods, to deploy a virtual application package.
To deploy a virtual application software package
  1. Verify that the target servers and clients are ready for deployment of virtual applications.
    Vendor infrastructure software must be installed on the target servers and clients. You can complete this step using your own local procedures or you can use the infrastructure package templates provided with
    CA Client Automation
    . See the following descriptions for more information: Preparing a Target Computer for Deployment of a Microsoft App-V Virtual Application and Preparing a Target Computer for Deployment of a VMware ThinApp Virtual Application.
    You may need to reboot the target server after installing the Microsoft System Center Application Virtualization Streaming Server. The Streaming Server set-up process initiates this reboot. 
  2. Verify that there are three software packages - Staging (SG), Standalone (SA), and Streaming (SM) - in the Software Package Library for the virtual application that you want to deploy.
  3. Deploy the Staging package to all required scalability servers (servers connected to target computers where a streamed virtual application is deployed).
    You should deploy any infrastructure packages first.
    After you install a Microsoft App-V Staging package on a scalability server, there may be a delay (possibly up to 30 minutes) before the package becomes available for use. If the end user launches an App-V Streaming virtual application before the Staging package is available, an error message appears.
  4. Deploy a Standalone or a Streaming package to each target computer.
    You should deploy any infrastructure packages first.
    The virtual application software packages are installed.
When you uninstall a Standalone virtual application, uninstall the SA package first from the target computer and then uninstall the SG package. For a Streaming virtual application, uninstall the SM package on the client first and then uninstall the SG package on the server.
The end user on the target computer should not start a Microsoft App-V virtual application by double-clicking on the .osd file. If the user does so, the communications with the streaming server may not function properly. The user should start the application by using the desktop shortcut or the Start menu.
Deploy a Virtual Application Software Package Update
You can use the following overall procedure, along with the standard software delivery deployment methods, to deploy a virtual application package update.
To deploy a virtual application software package update
  1. Verify that the target servers and clients are ready for deployment of virtual applications.
    Vendor infrastructure software must be installed on the target servers and clients. You can complete this step using your own local procedures or you can use the infrastructure package templates provided with
    CA Client Automation
    . See the following descriptions for more information: Preparing a Target Computer for Deployment of a Microsoft App-V Virtual Application and Preparing a Target Computer for Deployment of a VMware ThinApp Virtual Application.
    You may need to reboot the target server after installing the Microsoft System Center Application Virtualization Streaming Server. The Streaming Server set-up process initiates this reboot.
  2. Verify that there are two software packages - Staging (SG) and Standalone (SA) - in the Software Package Library for the virtual application update that you want to deploy.
    Staging and Standalone packages only are needed for virtual application updates. The Streaming package contains only links to the Staging package and the virtual application. These links do not need to be updated.
  3. Deploy the Staging package to all required scalability servers (servers connected to target computers where a streamed virtual application is deployed).
  4. Deploy the Standalone package to each target computer where it is required.
    The virtual application software package updates are installed.