CA Client Automation - 14.0

PDF
English

Updating the Golden Template

Contents
cla140
Contents
As a desktop support analyst, your responsibilities include updating the golden templates when you want to add or remove software packages from the golden template. Updating the golden templates updates the VMware View Clone, Citrix PVS streamed virtual desktop, or MCS-based virtual desktop.
Perform the following tasks to update the golden template:
Verify Prerequisites
To update the golden template, verify the following prerequisites:
  • Verify that you have already prepared and deployed one or more golden templates.
  • Verify that the virtual desktop agent is installed on the golden template computer.
    A sound working knowledge of virtual desktop solutions such as VMware View and Citrix XenDesktop is required for this scenario.
  • Verify that the Citrix PVS target device is installed if you want to create Citrix vDisk-based virtual desktops.
Deploy or Remove Software on the Golden Template
You can deploy or remove software packages from the golden template in one of the following ways:
  • Do the changes directly on the golden template computer. This method is applicable for VMware View and Citrix MCS which are snapshot-based.
  • Update a vDisk that is created from the golden template. This method is applicable for Citrix XenDesktop virtual desktops that are streamed by Citrix provisioning services. The following considerations apply:
    • The vDisk must be booted in private mode to a computer that has the same configuration as the golden template computer.
    • The target device that is used to boot the vDisk in private mode in the Citrix Provisioning server is assigned with personality data to indicate that the vDisk is booted for template management. For more information about Personality data, see Configure the vDisk Target Device Personality Data.
    • When you boot the vDisk in private mode for the first time, the vDisk is added as a managed entity in
      CA Client Automation
      . You can then deploy or remove packages from the vDisk using software delivery.
    • The vDisk appears as a computer record under the DSM Explorer, All Computers with the following naming convention:
      <FarmName>-<StoreName>-<vDiskName>
      If the computer record is not found in the DSM explorer, see The vDisk Record Is Not Found in the DSM Explorer.
    • The same computer record is used for the vDisk anytime you boot the vDisk in private mode on any computer for template management.
    • If the computer hosting the vDisk in private mode is already a managed computer in
      CA Client Automation
      , the software deployments are only done on the vDisk and not on the computer.
      When the computer is booted with the vDisk in private mode, all the software jobs wait until the computer boots with the local drive.
Also, you can update the golden template itself, create a vDisk out of it, or override an existing vDisk for updating the virtual desktops.
(For Xendesktop PVS) Configure the vDisk Target Device Personality Data
Configure the vDisk target device personality data in the Provisioning Server console so that
CA Client Automation
 can treat the vDisk booted in the private mode as a golden template.
Follow these steps:
  1. Open the Properties dialog of the Target Device in Citrix Provisioning Services Console to which the vDisk is assigned.
  2. Click the Personality tab and add the following parameters:
    • CA_DSM_GoldenTemplate
      Indicates whether the vDisk is a golden template or a virtual desktop in private mode. Set the value of this parameter as True.
    • ProvisioningServer
      Specifies the IP address or host name of the provisioning server.
    • ProvisioningServicesUser
      Specifies the user name that has access to the provisioning services farm or the user who is specified while connecting to the provisioning server console. Encrypt the user name using the sd_acmd encrypt command and pass the encrypted value.
    • ProvisioningServicesPassword
      Specifies the password of the provisioning services user. Encrypt the password using the sd_acmd encrypt command and pass the encrypted value.
    • ProvisioningServerPort
      Specifies the port of the provisioning server where the SOAP service runs. The default value is 54321.
    Pass the provisioning server parameters as user parameters in the CA DSM Agent VDI Support Add-On Package while pushing Install Template Mode to the golden template. Use the following format:
    /pvsserver:<server IP/Name> /pvsuser:<encrypted username> /pvspwd:<encrypted pwd> /portno:<portno>
  3. Save the changes.
    The vDisk target device personality data is configured as a golden template.
View the vDisk Inventory
After you boot the vDisk in private mode, it is added as a managed entity in
CA Client Automation
. Here is an example for Citrix XenDesktop.
Follow these steps: (in DSM Explorer):
  1. Navigate to the Computers and Users, All Computers,
    vDisk_name,
     Inventory, Operating System node.
    • vDisk_name
      Specifies the vDisk name in the
      FarmName
      -
      StoreName
      -
      vDisk.Name
      format.
  2. Select the Template Settings subfolder to view the values for the following attributes:
    • IsGoldenTemplate
      Indicates whether an Agent is a golden template (True) or a virtual desktop (False). The value is set to true when a master vDisk or clone of a master vDisk is booted in private mode for template management.
    • TemplateHostUUID
      Specifies the host UUID of the golden template. For a master vDisk, the Host UUID is golden template and master vDisk for cloned vDisk.
      For more information, see How vDisk Clones are Handled.
    • TemplateName
      Specifies the name of the golden template.
    • TemplateTag
      Indicates the date and time at which the golden template was last tagged.
  3. Click the Template History node to view the template history for the vDisk. You can see the history of updates to the golden template.
  4. Click Virtualization, Citrix XenvDisks.
    The farm, store, and site of the vDisk is displayed.
Follow these steps: (in Web Console)
  1. Navigate to the Computers, Inventory, Discovered Inventory, and click Operating System.
  2. Click Template Settings under the More Details tab to view the values of the IsGoldenTemplate, TemplateName, TemplateTag, and TemplateHostUUID attributes.
  3. Click Template History under the More Details tab to view the template history.
You have reviewed the relationship information and template history.
Tag the Template after the Update
Tagging helps you track the version of the template that is used by the virtual desktops. Tag the template to generate a template tag and associate the clones with their parent golden template.
Follow these steps:
  1. Drag-and-drop the Tag Template procedure from the CA DSM Agent add-on VDI Package to the golden template on DSM Explorer.
  2. Do
    one
    of the following actions depending on the virtual desktop solution:
    • (For XenDesktop based on Citrix PVS) Shut down the machine, so that the updates are saved to the vDisk.
    • (For VMware View and Citrix MCS) Shut down the virtual machine and create a snapshot.
      This action associates the snapshot with the template tag.
Update the Virtual Desktop Group or Pool
Update the virtual desktop group or pool that uses the golden template that you updated. For more information about updating the virtual desktop group or pool, see VMware View or Citrix XenDesktop documentation. After the virtual desktop group or pool is updated, the golden template updates are propagated to the virtual desktops on the next reboot.
Assign the updated vDisk or the snapshot to virtual desktops to propagate the golden template updates on the next reboot.
Follow these steps: (for VMware View)
  1. Shut down the golden template.
  2. Take a snapshot of the golden template.
  3. Perform a pool recompose operation using the new snapshot.
Follow these steps: (for Vdisk based Virtual Desktops)
  1. Shut down the vDisk computer.
  2. Remove the vDisk assignment from the computer.
  3. Change the vDisk mode to standard or differential.
  4. Assign the updated vDisk to virtual desktops.
  5. Restart the virtual desktops; otherwise, the changes take effect whenever the virtual desktops restart.
    Alternately, the updated vDisk can be assigned to the virtual desktops using either the automatic or the Citrix provisioning services incremental vDisk update feature.
Follow these steps: (for MCS-based Virtual Desktops)
  1. Shut down the golden template.
  2. Take a snapshot of the golden template.
  3. Update the Pooled catalog with the new snapshot.
Verify the Software Updates of the Virtual Desktop
View the virtual desktop software to verify whether the updates you made to the golden template are available on virtual desktops.
Follow these steps:
  1. Navigate to the Computers and Users, All Computers,
    Virtual-Desktop,
     Software, Installed Packages node.
    In the right pane, verify whether the changes you made to the golden template or vDisk are reflected in the virtual desktop.
The updates to the golden template are complete.