hp client automation enterprise in a virtual desktop infrastructure

©2010 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. The information contained herein is subject to change without notice

HP Client Automation Enterprise in a virtual desktop infrastructure

Jorge VillasenorSenior Consultant, Evergreen Systems

• Company Introduction & Background

• The Initiative

• The Objective

• Out of the Box Solution: RADSKMAN Switches

• Advanced Solution: Customized GUI

• Results

• Lessons Learned

• Questions

Agenda

17 June 2010 2

17 June 2010 3

Evergreen Systems, Inc. – Introduction

IT Process & Technology Consulting Firm

• NDW, Corp founded in 1997 – Providing High End Security & WAN services to Financial

Institutions and Utility Companies

• 1999 – Started Implementing EDM / Radia (now HP Client Automation) Solutions for Novadigm

• 2004 – Became HP Software Elite Partner

• 2006 – Became Opsware Partner (HP purchased Opsware in 2007)

• June 2008 – NDW, Corp merged with Evergreen Systems to expand HP portfolio services

offering

• June 2008 – Named HP Emerging Partner of the Year at HP Software Universe

• 2008 – Became HP Platinum Partner & Reseller

• June 2009 – Named HP Service Management Partner of the Year at HP Software Universe

• Current Service Areas and Consulting: HP Business Service Automation (including: Client

Automation, Server Automation, Network Automation and Operations Orchestration), IT Service

Management (ITSM), and IT Asset Management (ITAM) Product Centers and ITIL Consulting

Services

Introduction: Speaker Background

17 June 2010 4

• Jorge Villasenor:

– AIS Certified Senior Consultant at Evergreen Systems

– 9 years experience with HP Client Automation Enterprise for design, implementation, operations, administration, and packaging

– Customer assignments and background experience focused on customers in Entertainment and Automotive Industries

Introduction: Automotive Customer

• Customer primary objective is to optimize

their Information Technology processes

across the board

• VDI Initiative was given the green light not

just because of its potential of reducing

costs but because of the flexibility it offers

to the business

The Initiative: VDI Environment

17 June 2010 6

• Driver 1 – Reduce TCO:

– Staffing of remote sites

– Maintenance costs

• Driver 2 – Improve Flexibility:

– Access from anywhere, anytime

• Driver 3 – Disaster Recovery:

– User data decoupled from OS

The Objective: Leverage HPCAE

17 June 2010 7

1. Use or Augment Existing HP Client Automation Enterprise (CAE) Infrastructure– Upgrade version 7.2 Classic model to 7.8 Core-Satellite model

2. Leverage Existing Policy Model– Preserve Policy Model using Active Directory/LDAP

3. Enhance/streamline processes for Virtual Environment– Decoupling of OS, Patches, Software and User Data

– Automation of Policy Assignments

4. Take Advantage of New/Advanced HPCAE Features– RALF (HPCA Registration and Agent Loading Facility)

– ThinApp Updater

5. Use existing packages– Whenever possible utilize existing packages or make minimal

modifications

Objective 1: HPCAE Infrastructure

17 June 2010 8

• Proof of Technology Phase– Standalone 7.5 Environment with Temporary

Hardware

– Imaged HP Thin Clients using RALF/OS Manager

• Proof of Concept/Pilot– Existing 7.2 Infrastructure

– Thin Clients imaged with RapiDeploy (Altiris)

• Production Implementation– HPCAE 7.8 Core-Satellite

Objective 2: Leverage Existing Policy Model

17 June 2010 9

• Original Design

edmPolicy

+SOFTWARE/BAS_TIMER

+SOFTWARE/BAS_OFFICE (2003)

+SOFTWARE/BAS_WINZIP

+SOFTWARE/BAS_FLASHPLAYER

edmPolicy

+SOFTWARE/OPT_DREAMWEAVER

edmLink

CN=BASEAPPS,OU=Base,OU=Software,DC=acme,DC=com

CN=MARKETINGAPPS,OU=Base,OU=Software,DC=acme,DC=com

edmPolicy

+SOFTWARE/OPT_PHOTOSHOP

+SOFTWARE/OPT_ILLUSTRATOR

memberOf

CN=OPT_DREAMWEAVER,OU=Apps,OU=Software,Dc=acme,DC=com

Objective 2: Leverage Existing Policy Model

17 June 2010 10

• VDI MasteredmPolicy

+SOFTWARE/BAS_TIMER




edmPolicy


edmLink

CN=BASEAPPS,OU=Base,OU=Software,DC=acme,DC=com


edmPolicy



memberOf

CN=OPT_DREAMWEAVER,OU=Software,OU=Apps,Dc=acme,DC=com

edmPolicy

+SOFTWARE/BAS_TIMER_VM



+SOFTWARE/BAS_FLASHPLAYER_VA

memberOf

CN=VMMAHMVBOX3001,OU=VDI,OU=Base,OU=Software,Dc=acme,DC=com

edmPolicy

+SOFTWARE/OPT_ITUNES_VA

+SOFTWARE/OPT_FIREWORKS

edmLink

CN=BASEVMAPPS,OU=Base,OU=Software,DC=acme,DC=com


Objective 3: Enhance Processes

17 June 2010 11

• Decoupling OS from Hardware– Achieved by procuring a virtual machine instead of

physical asset

• Decoupling of Base Apps and Patches– Base Apps and Patches managed only on Master

– Reduced impact to user by decreasing HPCAE agent connection times


17 June 2010 12

• Decoupling of Optional Applications– Use of CATEXP Radksman argument

– VDI VM’s have a LinkedClone value in their registry

– Value is created by a VB script

– VB Script is called by a batch file specified in VMware View Manager

– This batch file can contain only one line

– LinkedClone registry value is read by REXX script to append catexp=catgroup:VAPP to radskman command if value is present

– Optional apps to be decoupled from other apps in VDI machines will

have VAPP value on catgroup ZSERVICE field


17 June 2010 13

• Automation of Policy Assignments– OU for computer object specified in VMware View

Manager

– VB Script will assign computer object to VDI Pool Group based on Computer Name


17 June 2010 14


17 June 2010 15

LA1MKTGVBX001LA1MKTGVBX002


17 June 2010 16

• VDI Link CloneedmPolicy

+SOFTWARE/BAS_TIMER




edmPolicy


edmPolicy



edmPolicy





memberOf


edmPolicy



edmLink


CN=MARKETINGAPPS,OU=Base,OU=Software,DC=acme,DC=commemberOf



17 June 2010 17


17 June 2010 18


+SOFTWARE/BAS_TIMER




edmPolicy


edmPolicy



edmPolicy





memberOf


edmPolicy



edmLink



memberOf


LA1MKTGVBX001 LA1MKTGVBX002

CATEXP=VAPP

CATEXP=VAPP

CATEXP=VAPP


17 June 2010 19


+SOFTWARE/BAS_TIMER




edmPolicy


edmPolicy



edmPolicy






memberOf


edmPolicy



edmLink



memberOf


LA1MKTGVBX001 LA1MKTGVBX002

CATEXP=VAPP

CATEXP=VAPP

CATEXP=VAPP

+SOFTWARE/BAS_WINRAR



edmPolicy

+SOFTWARE/BAS_TIMER_VM+SOFTWARE/BAS_OFFICE (2003)+SOFTWARE/BAS_WINZIP


17 June 2010 20

• VDI MasteredmPolicy

+SOFTWARE/BAS_TIMER




edmPolicy


edmPolicy




memberOf


edmPolicy



edmLink



memberOf


LA1MKTGVBX002

CATEXP=VAPP

CATEXP=VAPP

CATEXP=VAPP

+SOFTWARE/BAS_WINRAR



edmPolicy



17 June 2010 21


+SOFTWARE/BAS_TIMER




edmPolicy


edmPolicy




memberOf


edmPolicy



edmLink



memberOf


LA1MKTGVBX002

CATEXP=VAPP

CATEXP=VAPP

CATEXP=VAPP

Objective 4: Use New HPCAE Features

17 June 2010 22

• RALF (HPCA Registration and Agent Loading Facility)– Preparation

– Software is pre-loaded in HP thin clients

– All is needed is virtual IP/DNS alias for “hpcaserver” to point to Satellite server

– Pros– Out of the box manageability with HP thin clients

– Cons– Different experience with WinPE images vs. Linux based images

Objective 4: Use New HPCAE Features

17 June 2010 23

• ThinApp Integration– ThinApp packaging

– Workflow will be familiar to HPCA packagers (Setup Capture Wizard similar to Installation Monitor Mode)

– File based configuration (package.ini)

– HPCA Publisher (7.8 and 7.5 with additional preparation) will be aware of ThinApp MSI’s

– ThinApp updater– ThinApps have their own auto-update technology: AppSync

– HPCA can take over this functionality and enhance it (Streamed with Caching Deployment Method)

– VMware AppSync.exe component has to be published and entitled prior to publishing any ThinApp services

Objective 5: Use Existing Packages

17 June 2010 24

• Redirection of user data– Existing challenge as user’s windows profile and data

has been moved to D: drive because of decoupling of user’s data and system/application files

– So far, less than 5% of packages had to be re-created

– Reworked packages identified with _VM suffix

• ThinApps– Created when application isolation is required

– 50+ Packages created so far

– Identified with _VA suffix

Results

17 June 2010 25

• User Experience– Reduced downtime involved with support issues

– Reduced downtime spent waiting for PC to start up

– Higher customer satisfaction

• Technical Benefits– Regular refreshes of Virtual Machines keep systems healthy,

reducing problems

– Virtual desktops are highly available and easily refreshed in the event of a malfunction

• Business Benefits– Projected reduction on TCO about 8% lower than desktops

– Reduced downtime involved with software deployments

– Need for resources on large deployments significantly reduced

Results

17 June 2010 26

• Estimated annualized time lost per user

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

Traditional Desktop Virtual Desktop

PC Downtime

Security Patches

Startup

71 hours

10 hours

Hours

Lessons Learned

17 June 2010 27

• Integration of HPCAE on a VDI environment– Technology and staff skill set can be readily applied to a VDI

environment

– However, migration to a Core-Satellite implementation of version 7.5 or higher is recommended to take full advantage of what HPCAE has to offer

– Idiosyncrasies of individual components:

– Example: Batch file on linked clone can have only one line and it has to be a batch file

– All the usual best practices apply:

– Back up user data

– Phased adoption (POT, POC, Pilot, etc)

– Investment on initial training

Questions and Wrap-up

17 June 2010 28

Contact Information:

Jorge Villasenor

Senior Consultant

Evergreen Systems

[email protected]

Steve Williams

Enterprise Solution Director

Evergreen Systems

[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]



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hp client automation enterprise in a virtual desktop infrastructure

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