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App Volumes 4 user guide

How to make Applications and Packages with App Volumes 4

Short overview of App Volumes 4

Note: UiO is transitioning from App Volumes 2.x to App Volumes 4.

Summary: App Volumes 4 vs. App Volumes 2.x

By ">" we mean "contain"

App Volumes 2.x:      Appstacks > software programs
App Volumes 4:         Applications > Packages > Programs (software programs)

The components and terminology of App Volumes 4

  • A Program is a piece of captured software program (f.ex. Notepad++, Matlab, Audacity, etc.)
  • A Package is a collection of one or more captured Programs.
    • It resembles an Appstack from App Volumes 2.x
    • It can be mounted onto virtual machines to give the logged-in users access to additional software. A Package is attached to a machine as an extra virtual disk.
    • When created, it can have Delivery type "Classic" or "On-demand". This affects how/when assigned Packages are being mounted.
  • An Application consists of one or more versions of a Package. 
    • In an Application, one Package - usually the one containing the most recent software updates - can be marked with the CURRENT tag, to make it the default Package of that Application.
    • Assignments to a Package happen via the Application containing that Package.
  • Assignments: 
    • Any Active Directory entity can be assigned to a Package, though the usual choice is a user or a user group.
    • Within the same Application, a user or user group can only be assigned to one Package at a time.
    • If the chosen Assignment type is "Marker" then users are by default assigned the CURRENT Package. Otherwise, Assignment type "Package" lets you choose from the list of all Packages within that Application. 
  • Mounting a Package: 
    • An assigned Package is either mounted at machine start-up when the user next logs in (Delivery "Classic"), or when the user launches one of its Programs (Delivery "On-demand")

Getting access to the App Volumes service

Get access to the service by contacting vdi-core

When access is granted, you can reach the App Volumes Manager via web browser from most computers on UiO network, such as a "scientific" VDI machine or DriftVDI. Authenticate with your driftsbruker.

Creating an Application

Before creating a Package, you need an Application to add that Package to. If a suitable Application does not already exist, you can create one in the following manner.

  1. Log in to the App Volumes Manager.
  2. Go to INVENTORY in the top menu, then the Applications tab, then Create. Create an Application
  3. Fill out the form
    1. Name the application with regards to the naming standard.
    2. In the "Description" field (1) list the specifics of all the programs that this Package is to contain and (2) explain who the users of this Package are. 
      • If none of the programs are licensed and there is no reason why others can not make use of this Package, one might write "Free for all users"
      • Example: If the Package contains MATLAB, which is licenced, the user group is limited to those with access to this license. Furthermore, since MATLAB can be installed with a varied combination of MATLAB packages, including a list of said MATLAB packages in the Package description would be useful.
    3. Un-check the "Allow multiple package attachment on multi-session RDS" box
      • This option is currently not relevant.
    4. If you want to create the first Package in this Application right away, check the "Create a Package" box
    5. When finished, click Create.
    • Example 1: a one-program Application, called unigine-heaven-benchmark, meant only to contain the program "Heaven Benchmark" from UNIGINE Fill out the Application creation form
    • Example 2: a multi-program Application, called itavd-gaming-prep, and its Package(s) will contain the two programs "Steam" (from Valve Corporation) and "Heaven Benchmark" (from UNIGINE) Fill out the Application creation form

Creating a Package

If you just checked the "Create a Package" box while setting up an Application and are now in the Package form, you can skip to Step 4 below. 

  1. Log in to the App Volumes Manager.
  2. Go to INVENTORY in the top menu, then the Applications tab, and open the Application you want to add a Package to. Create a Package by first finding the correct Application, then clicking "Create Package"
  3. Click Create Package.
  4. Fill out the form 
    • Note: Do not change the fields "Base package", "Storage", "Path" and "Stage". They should be as depicted in the example below.
    1. Name the application with regards to the naming standard.
    2. The chosen template should be appvolumes/packages_templates/template.vmdk (20GB)  
    3. For "Delivery", see the Mounting a Package part of the overview above
    4. In the "Description" field (1) list the specifics of all the programs that this Package is to contain and (2) explain who the users of this Package are. 
      • If none of the programs are licensed and there is no reason why others can not make use of this Package, one might write "Free for all users"
      • Example: If the Package contains MATLAB, which is licenced, the user group is limited to those with access to this license. Furthermore, since MATLAB can be installed with a varied combination of MATLAB packages, including a list of said MATLAB packages in the Package description would be useful.
    5. Click Create
    • Example 1: a Package called Unigine Heaven Benchmark 4.0 (part of the Application unigine-heaven-benchmark)Fill out the Package creation form
    • Example 2: a Package called itavd-gaming-prep-v1 (part of the Application itavd-gaming-prep) Fill out the Package creation form
    1. In the "Confirm Create Package" window that pops up, select Wait for completion, then click Create.
      • It doesn't really matter which option you select.
      • Example: Choose whether to perform Package creation in the background or to wait for completion
    2. Next you need to choose a packaging machine (formerly known as a provisioning machine).
      1. Search for vdi-appv-pXX (where XX is either 01, 02 og 03), select a machine with status "Available" and click Package. Example: Choose a packaging machine
      2. Click Start packaging in the confirmation pop-up window.
      3. If you check out this Package (INVENTORY -> Packages), you will see that it has status "Packaging". Example: A Package with status "packaging" is ready for installations
    3. Now you are ready for packaging!

    Packaging a Package

    Before installing software on the packaging machine (formerly known as a provisioning machine), be sure to prepare the installations files.

    Prepare the installation files

    This is the part where you download the software that the Package is supposed to contain.

    You can not download installation files directly from inside the packaging machine. Instead you transfer them there by first downloading the necessary installation files to a computer connected to the UiO network and then moving them to the network directory: \\app-evs\vdi-appvolumes\Installers. Put the installation files somewhere you can also access them from inside the packaging machine

     

    Start packaging

    1. In the App Volumes Manager, under INVENTORY -> Packages, find the Package you want to install the software on. Make sure it has the correct status.
      • The Package is ready for packaging if its status says "Packaging" 
      • If some time has passed since the Package was created, its status might change to "Unpackaged". Open the Package, click Package and choose a packaging machine again.
    2. Log in to the chosen packaging machine via RDP (Remote Desktop Connection) and authenticate with your normal UiO user. 
      1. Fill in the name of the packaging machine you chose above: vdi-appv-pXX.
      2. Make sure to authenticate with a user that has access to the packaging machine. If the default user does not, you can click Show options and switch.
      3. Click Connect.
      • Example: Connect to the packaging machine via Remote Desktop Connection
      • Note: When connected to the packaging machine, DO NOT click "OK" in the small "Packaging..." window until all necessary software is installed.Do not click OK until the installations are finished
    3. Open  \\app-evs\vdi-appvolumes\Installers in File Explorer. You can install the software you want directly from there.
    4. You can double-check that the installations succeeded by for instance opening the "Add or remove programs" Windows feature and searching for the software.
    5. Finalize the packaging:
      1. Click OK in the "Packaging..." window when you are finished, then Yes in the next if you are absolutely sure.After all installations are finished, click "OK" in the small finalization window
      2. In the following "Finalize Package" window, the "Name" drop-down menu should contain all the programs you installed. 
        1. Select the "main" program of this Package,  
          • This choice is of little consequence, except for which version the Package will be registered with following finalization. (See the App Volumes Manager -> INVENTORY -> Packages.)
          • App Volumes is normally able to register the version of each captured program, and will automatically update the "Version" field depending on the chosen program.
        2. Click Finalize. 
        • Example: Choose the "main" program of the Package
      3. Click OK in the "Packaging in progress: Restart required" window. The packaging machine needs a restart as part of the finalization process.Restarting the packaging machine is required before packaging can be finalized
        • The finalization is not done yet! 
      4. Log back in to the packaging machine. After a short wait, the small window will change from "Packaging in progress: Finalizing package..." to "Packaging complete: Packaging successful!". Click OK and sign out of the packaging machine.  Packaging successful
        • Now the finalization is finished! 

    Note: Remember that the packaging machine has to be reset after use. If you do not have the access to reset it on your own, please contact vdi-drift group (either in the Mattermost channel or via email to vdi-drift@usit.uio.no)

    Note: See the App Volumes Manager -> INVENTORY -> Packages for a list of all Packages. Here you can for instance see which Application a Package belongs to and which version it is registered with.

    User assignments

    Assign users to Applications/Packages

    1. Log in to the App Volumes Manager -> INVENTORY -> Applications 
    2. Find the Application, whose Package(s) you want to assign users to, in the list and click Assign. Example:Choose an Application and select the "Assign" option
    3. Select users and package
      1. Use the search field to find users 
      2. Select all users you want the assignment to apply for
        • They will show up in the "Entities" field.
      3. Choose assignment type
        • This choice decides the list of suitable Packages
      4. Select an available Package 
      5. Click Assign.
      • Example: Select users and package for the assignment
    • Note: User assignments of Packages in an Application can be viewed by expanding/opening either the Application or the specific Package in the App Volumes Manager.

    Unassign users from Applications/Packages

    1. Log in to the App Volumes Manager -> INVENTORY -> Applications 
    2. Find the Application, whose Package(s) you want to unassign users from, and click Unassign. Example: Find the Application you want to unassign users from
      • If there are no assignments for this Application, Unassign will not be an available option ??????
    3. Select which user assignments from the list to end. Example:Select the user assignments you want to terminate

    Other guides to come...

    • Enabling a volume for Windows Server OS
    • Updating volumes
    • Creating writable volumes
    •  

     

     

    Published Dec. 9, 2024 1:59 PM - Last modified Jan. 6, 2025 12:26 PM
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