Month: May 2015

VMware User Environment Manager Application Profiler

~ vDelboy ~ 3 Comments

One of the great benefits to the new User Environment Manager from VMware is the ability to be able to manage user setting at an application level for each individual applications. There are a number of ways in witch you can configure your applications to be managed by the UEM solution. The quickest and easiest is to use the Application Profiler that is available with the UEM download.

The VMware UEM Application Profiler is an extra software install that you install on a desktop or virtual machine where you have your user software installed. Once installed the application profiler can be used to quickly create the standard application settings that can be easily rolled out to your users.

As the UEM Application Profiler is not part of the standard install this blog will document just how to install and configure the UEM Application Profiler.

This blog post assumes that you have already configured User Environment Manager in your environment and everything is working as designed, if you do not have UEM installed and running then please see my blog on the VMware website Here

Capturing Application Settings

  1. Log in to the desktop where you have installed the Application Profiler software
  2. Install the Application that requires a profile
  3. Launch the Application Profiler

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  1. Click Start Session

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  1. Select the Application that requires a Profile and click OK

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  1. The Application will automatically launch
  2. Make any changes to the Application that will be required as part of the application profile
  3. Once the Application is configured correctly switch to the Application Profiler and click Stop Analysis

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  1. Click OK

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  1. Click Save and save the config file with the predefined settings

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  1. Copy the 3 saved files to the \\UEMServer\UEMShare\general\applications
    • Configuration file
    • Flag file
    • Icon file
  2. In the VMware User Environment Manager – Manager click refresh tree

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  1. The new Application will now appear in the application tree

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My good friend and colleague Stephane Asselin created some good video’s on the process that can be found here https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfr3uvmY7hBwGeHiVIfo7rGA7rk4yemEV

To read more from Stephane check out his blog here http://myeuc.net/?wref=bif

Application Profiler Configuration Procedure

The following should be installed on all of the PC’s that will be required to run the Application Profiler.

  1. Run the VMware UEM Application Profiler x.exe file
  2. Click Next

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  1. Accept the License Agreement and click Next

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  1. Confirm the destination folder and click Next

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  1. Click Install

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  1. Click Finish

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VMware User Enivronment Manager SyncTool

~ vDelboy ~ Leave a comment

The VMware User Environment Manager SyncTool provides support for users that are not always connected to the network such as Laptop users. The SyncTool is also recommended when users are at remote offices that have slow or limited bandwidth.

As the User Environment Manager SyncTool is not part of the standard install this blog will document just how to install and configure the UEM SyncTool.

This blog post assumes that you have already configured UEM in your environment and everything is working as designed, if you do not have UEM installed and running then please see my blog on the VMware website Here 

SyncTool Configuration Procedure

  1. Configure the following SyncTool GPO’s, these GPO’s can be found at; User Configuration > Policies > Administrative Templates > VMware UEM > SyncTool
  2. Run VMware UEM SyncTool during logon as Group Policy Extension

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  1. Watch local profile archive changes

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  1. Synchronization Intervals

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  1. Synchronization retry intervals

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  1. Synchronization Profile Archive Backups

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  1. Local Sync Path

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  1. Sync Local FlexEngine log file to network at logoff

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SyncTool Installation Procedure

The following should be installed on all of the PC’s that will be required to run the SyncTool.

  1. Run the VMware UEM SyncTool x.exe file
  2. Click Next

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  1. Accept the License Agreement and click Next

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  1. Confirm the destination folder and click Next

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  1. Click Install

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  1. Click Finish

12For more information on the VMware User Environment Manager SyncTool please see the documentation here. https://www.vmware.com/pdf/uem-860-synctool-admin-guide.pdf

Adding a Second Connector to VMware Workspace

~ vDelboy ~ Leave a comment

Recently I was asked by a customer if it was possible to add an untrusted Domain to their current VMware Workspace deployment to easily manage access to applications that are currently being managed by Workspace.

Workspace does give you the option to add a non trusted Active Directory Domain by adding a second connector to that domain as an Identity Provider.

The following figure shows the high level architecture of both a Multi-Forest Domain and separate Active Directory Domain utilizing VMware Workspace.

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The following steps document how to add a second connector to your VMware Workspace environment.

Before Installing a Second Connector

The following is required before you configure a second connector for Workspace

  1. Workspace is currently up and running in your environment
  2. Create a IP address in DNS for the second connector and make sure its using reverse lookup.

Procedure for Adding a Second Connector

  1. Within vCenter Deploy a new OVF Template
  2. Browse to the OVF file and click Next
  3. Confirm the OVF Details and click Next
  4. Accept the License Agreement and click Next
  5. Enter the Name of the connector and select the correct location with in vCenter and click Next
  6. Select the Cluster and click Next
  7. Select the Resource Pool and click Next
  8. Select the Storage and click Next
  9. Select the Disk Format and click Next
  10. Select the Network and click Next
  11. On this screen it is important to select Connector Only Install, enter the Network Properties and click Next

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  1. Confirm everything is correct, select Power on after deployment and click Finish
  2. While the OVF is installing connect to the Admin portal of the original Workspace deployment
  3. Click on Settings, Identity Providers and Add Identity Provider

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  1. Add the fully qualified domain name of the second connector and click Save

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  1. Copy the Activation Code as you will need this during the configuration of the second connector
  2. In a second web browser connect to the second connector
  3. On the Getting Started Page click Continue
  4. Configure the passwords and click Continue
  5. Paste the Activation Code and click Continue

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NOTE: If you are using self signed certificates then you will need to copy the root certificate from the first Workspace Appliance and paste it in the Root Certificate box that will show up

  1. Configure the new Active Directory and click Continue
  2. Configure the User Attributes and click Continue
  3. Select the users and click Continue
  4. Select the AD groups and click Continue
  5. Confirm everything is correct and click Push to Workspace
  6. Click Finish