Dynamic Environment Manager and printer management without Microsoft Print Server

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Among the many features of DEM (Dynamic Environment Manager) to manage the roaming of user profiles (especially when we talk about Horizon Pool Instant Clone), there is the possibility to manage the mapping of printers.

Using this feature is tied to using a Printer Server (at least you must specify the path to the printer with a UNC)

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So if we need to map printers that are not managed by print server we can do as follows:

Mapping scripts

We create a mapping script and place it in a network share, reachable by all the Instant Clone VDI that must use it.

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The script uses two Windows commands, located in the folder: %WINdir%\System32\printing_Admin_Scripts\en-US\

(en-IT depends on the language used on the Windows 10 environment)

cscript %WINdir%\System32\printing_Admin_Scripts\en-US\prnport.vbs -a -r <name of the thing> -h <IP address> -o -raw -n 9100
cscript %WINdir%\System32\printing_Admin_Scripts\en-us\prnmngr.vbs -a -p “<printer name>” -m “< driver to use>” -r “<thing name>”

The share must have the following permissions:

  • At the share level Everyone FullControl
  • At the file system level, the group that needs to install the printer must have:
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Now we access DEM and configure the part of logon Task

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In my case I also impose a condition that only the user fstorni can perform this task

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We save everything

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At the next logon the user fstorni will map the printer, and we can check from the DEM logs:

While all other users will not be able to map the printer

Dynamic Environment Manager and printer management without Microsoft Print Server

vSphere DRS functionality was impacted due to an unhealthy state vSphere Cluster Service

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If you see such an error on the Cluster object of a vSAN (in my case it appeared on two vSAN clusters managed by the same vCenter)

vSphere DRS functionality was impacted due to an unhealthy state vSphere Cluster Service …….

an unhealthy state of the Service cluster

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Errors such as the following in the EAM log. vCenter LOG

EAM.log:

2023-01-26T13:16:39.996Z |  INFO | vim-monitor | VcListener.java | 131 | Retrying in 10 sec.
2023-01-26T13:16:41.432Z | ERROR | vlsi | DispatcherImpl.java | 468 | Internal server error during dispatch
com.vmware.vim.binding.eam.fault.EamServiceNotInitialized: EAM is still loading from database. Please try again later.
        at com.vmware.eam.vmomi.EAMInitRequestFilter.handleBody(EAMInitRequestFilter.java:57) ~[eam-server.jar:?]
        at com.vmware.vim.vmomi.server.impl.DispatcherImpl$SingleRequestDispatcher.handleBody(DispatcherImpl.java:373) [vlsi-server.jar:?]
        at com.vmware.vim.vmomi.server.impl.DispatcherImpl$SingleRequestDispatcher.dispatch(DispatcherImpl.java:290) [vlsi-server.jar:?]
        at com.vmware.vim.vmomi.server.impl.DispatcherImpl.dispatch(DispatcherImpl.java:246) [vlsi-server.jar:?]
        at com.vmware.vim.vmomi.server.http.impl.CorrelationDispatcherTask.run(CorrelationDispatcherTask.java:58) [vlsi-server.jar:?]
        at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor.runWorker(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:1149) [?:1.8.0_345]
        at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor$Worker.run(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:624) [?:1.8.0_345]
        at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:750) [?:1.8.0_345]
2023-01-26T13:16:50.007Z |  INFO | vim-monitor | ExtensionSessionRenewer.java | 190 | [Retry:Login:com.vmware.vim.eam:b55a7f93b59f0f7e] Re-login to vCenter because method: currentTime of managed object: null::ServiceInstance:ServiceInstance failed due to expired client session: null
2023-01-26T13:16:50.007Z |  INFO | vim-monitor | OpId.java | 37 | [vim:loginExtensionByCertificate:913aec585658e328] created from [Retry:Login:com.vmware.vim.eam:b55a7f93b59f0f7e]
2023-01-26T13:16:51.440Z | ERROR | vlsi | DispatcherImpl.java | 468 | Internal server error during dispatch
com.vmware.vim.binding.eam.fault.EamServiceNotInitialized: EAM is still loading from database. Please try again later.


And you see the lack of vCLS VMs in the two vSANs

To resolve the anomaly you must proceed as follows:

  • vCenter Snapshots and Backup
  • Log in to the vCenter Server Appliance using SSH.
  • Run this command to enable access the Bash shell:

shell.set --enabled true

  • Type shell and press Enter.
  • Run this command to retrieve the vpxd-extension solution user certificate and key:

mkdir /certificate

/usr/lib/vmware-vmafd/bin/vecs-cli entry getcert --store vpxd-extension --alias vpxd-extension --output /certificate/vpxd-extension.crt

/usr/lib/vmware-vmafd/bin/vecs-cli entry getkey --store vpxd-extension --alias vpxd-extension --output /certificate/vpxd-extension.key

  • Run this command to update the extension’s certificate with vCenter Server.

python /usr/lib/vmware-vpx/scripts/updateExtensionCertInVC.py -e com.vmware.vim.eam -c /certificate/vpxd-extension.crt -k /certificate/vpxd-extension.key -s localhost -u "Administrator@domain.local"

Note: If this produces the error “Hostname mismatch, certificate is not valid for ‘localhost'”, change ‘localhost’ to the FQDN or IP of the vCenter. The process is checking this value against the SAN entries of the certificate.

Note: The default user and domain is Administrator@vsphere.local. If this was changed during configuration, change the domain to match your environment. When prompted, type in the Administrator@domain.local password.

  • Restart EAM and start the rest of the services with these commands:

service-control --stop vmware-eam

service-control --start --all

vSphere DRS functionality was impacted due to an unhealthy state vSphere Cluster Service

VMware Horizon 8 2212

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VMware has just released a new version of Horizon 2212. These are some of the features/support introduced:

  • Horizon 8 version 2212 in conjunction with App Volumes 4 version 2212 introduces Horizon Published Apps on Demand.  With this new feature, administrators can use App Volumes applications directly in their instant-clone RDS farms.  Now applications can be delivered dynamically to a generic Windows OS as users launch them. This greatly simplifies static image management and gives administrators the ability to reduce their application specific farms. This also brings the Horizon and App Volumes administration consoles closer together, allowing Horizon administrators to add App Volumes Manager servers and entitle applications to users without the need for duplicate entitlements in App Volumes. This feature creates an opportunity to reduce the time-consuming management of application installations on RDS Farms, and enables scenarios such as multiple users being able to use different versions of the same application while logged in to the same RDS Server.
  • Microsoft MAK licenses are now supported with Instant Clones.
  • When you create an automated pool of full clone desktops, you can now specify an active directory OU in which computer accounts can be created. Previously, computer accounts would get created in the default OU and administrators would manually move them after pool creation. This feature, which already exists for Instant Clone desktop pools, addresses this pain point for administrators.
  • Cloud Pod Architecture is supported with IPv6 environments for more security and added address spaces.
  • Administrators can now generate a CSR configuration file, import a CA-signed certificate to Connection Server, and monitor health of the certificate from Horizon Console.

More details here:

VMware Horizon 8 2212 Release Notes

VMware Horizon 8 2212

AppVolume Application in Pending Delete

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In some situations, removing an Application of AppVolume may not result correctly, and as a result, the state of applications from the UI may result in deleting and stalling:

In my case, I also have the advantage that they have not remained in cancellation even if the Packages

To perform the cleanup, you must work on the AppVolume Database.

To proceed we must:

  • Locate the server that hosts the DB.
    • On an AppVolume server, in 64-bit ODBC, there is an SRVMANAGER entry edit the entry and identify the server’s name and its DB name.
  • Shut down each server with the App Volume Manager role of the App Volume Manager service.

  • Connect with SQL Management Studio to AppVolume DB.
  • Back up your DB.
    • Using the native SQL tool or third-party backup tools.
  • Remove the rows corresponding to the application in the dbo.app_products table.
    • In some situations, it may not be enough the name and then in the removal query we indicate the status that is deleting.

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If there are also packages in a state of deleting also proceed with the removal of the corresponding rows that we can find in the dbo table .app_packages.

AppVolume Application in Pending Delete

Horizon Instant Clone -VM Replica and Template in inaccessible state

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In the various maintenance activities of a Horizon infrastructure, it can happen to find VMs of the instant clone chain in an inaccessible state. (Caused by issues on hosts or vCenter such as sudden shutdowns without properly maintaining Horizon Desktop Pools.)

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In the VMware Horizon solution there is a tool, from the command line, that allows the cleaning of these objects.

The tool is present in the directory

C:\Program Files\VMware\VMware View\Server\tools\bin>

of one of the connection servers of the Horizon infrastructure

The command is iccleanup.cmd

The first step is to connect to the vCenter in question by launching the following command

iccleanup.cmd -vc <fqdn of vCenter> -uid <administrative user>

Once you have entered the password you will have the possibility to list the VMs of the instant clone infrastructures implemented on that vCenter with the LIST command

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Or delete objects in an inaccessible state, for example:

With the delete –index 2 command

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After the completion of the cleaning, the situation will be as follows:

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Horizon Instant Clone -VM Replica and Template in inaccessible state

I updated my Home Lab with the gift of Cohesity and the vEXPERT community

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Until a few weeks, my Home Lab was composed of two physical ESXi nodes (respectively an INTEL NUC NUC8i3BEH and an HP Desktop HP ProDesk 600 G2 DM), with 32 GB of RAM each and 5 TB of total disk.

For my testing activities, especially in VDI (Horizon) and some vSAN (implemented a 2-node cluster to test the operation of Shared Disks for Microsoft clusters) could be enough.

But the desire to test vSphere 8 (vSAN etc …) and the possibility of trying the Kubernetes world was pushing me to evaluate an expansion of my Home LAB ……….

………. And thanks to COHESITY and the vEXPERT community at VMware EXPLORER in Barcelona I was able to have my expansion…. a beautiful Maxtang NX6412 NX6412-Maxtang-A premier manufacturer (maxtangpc.com)

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here’s how I activated the new HW:

  • Equipment
    • Being barebones I had to buy RAM and DISK, taking advantage of Black Friday I bought:
      • Timetec 1TB SSD 3D NAND TLC SATA III 6Gb/s M.2 2280 NGFF 512TBW
      • Transcend JM3200HSE-32G 32GB DDR4 3200MHz SO-DIMM 2Rx8 1.2V

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For the RAM I will proceed to evaluate an expansion with an additional 32GB bank

  • Installation
    • Updated vCenter to version 8
    • Installed ESXi version 8 on a USB stick (Using VMware Workstation and installing ESXi from an ISO on my USB stick) and used it to boot from Maxtang.

At this point I encountered the first problem, the two network cards are not compatible… I had to use a USB dongle -> Ethernet and I managed to start everything (Thanks also to the community drivers USB Network Native Driver for ESXi | VMware Flings

    • I finally added ESXi to my vCenter
  • First use
    • The first thing I did was use William Lam’s script to deploy a vSAN 8

Automated vSphere & vSAN 8 Lab Deployment Script (williamlam.com)

    • I configured the HA of my vCenter
    • Now I’m trying to improve my know-how on Tanzu and WorkSpace One

So THANK YOU vEXPERT, VMware and COHESITY

I updated my Home Lab with the gift of Cohesity and the vEXPERT community

AppVolume DB – How to see User – Application association

fabio1975Leave a comment

I need to find on AppVolume DB the association from User and Application.

I took a look at my APPvolume test DB and I think it looks like this:

  • In the table dbo.app_assignment_entities I find the mapping:

user (target_id) –> assigning the application (app_assignment_id)

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  •  In the dbo.users table I find my users, so from that table I associate the target_id (ID column of the table) to my user:

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  • while in the dbo.app_assignments table I translate the application assignment id (app_assignment_id, in this table it is l’id, found in the dbo.app_assignment_entities table) into the actual application id (app_product_id)

  • I translate the defined ID of the application (app_product_id) to the name of the application in Table dbo_app_products

I give a practical example my user “Piccoli Brividi” has 3 applications associated so:

  • In the table dbo.app_assignment_entities I find in column target_id three times the value 2
  • in the dbo.users table I find that id 2 corresponds to “Piccoli Brividi”

at this point we translate the application, “Piccoli Brividi” has the apps_Assignment_id 9,15 and 16

  • In the dbo.app_assignments table I find that ID 9 is associated with app_product_id 5, 15 7 and 16 2
  • I go to the table dba_approducts and find out the name of the applications associated with my user “Piccoli Brividi”

App_product_id (id) 5 –> FoxitWin11

App_product_id (id) 7 –> IBM personal communication

App_product_id (id) 2 –> notepad++

and I correspond to what I see from GUI.

AppVolume DB – How to see User – Application association

VMware ThinAPP

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ThinApp is an application virtualization (Agent-Less) solution.

Application virtualization, therefore, the use of ThinApp, allows us to:

  • Coexist different versions of the same application on the same Operating System
  • Use Windows 7 and Windows XP applications on Windows 10 and Windows 11 systems and thus simplify the migration from outdated operating systems to a modern OS
  • Reduce IT support and related Help Desk costs
  • Increase user mobility
  • Stream applications

In detail, ThinApp captures the installation of one or more applications (including files and registry keys that are modified) in an ecosystem that looks like a single executable file.

The executable file is portable on other systems (of the same version or different) and we can control the level of interaction with the operating system on which we are going to run the application and with other applications in our system.

ThinApp allows various ways of isolation using a sandbox:

  • FULL
  • MERGED
  • WRITE

During the creation of the virtualized package, we can choose only two of the previous options (MERGE and WRITECOPY) the third (FULL) we can activate by modifying an INI file post-capture of the installation

In the following diagrams, we find the three modes

The Sandbox is our box where changes to the ThinApp package that the end user performs during use can (depending on the isolation mode chosen) be saved.

The sandbox is:

  • Customizable the path where it resides
    • Editable in .ini file that generates application capture
    • Can reside in the same directory as the ThinApp EXE
    • Can be on a network share
    • By default is %appdata%\thinstall\application
  • Each user has his own sandbox
  • Resetting application configurations is executable by deleting the sandbox

The distribution of a ThinApp is feasible in several ways:

  • Using a network share and running application streaming
  • Using it from a USB device
  • Copying it to your computer

The use of the network share for the distribution of ThinApp packages allows an easy updating of the packages themselves.

VMware ThinAPP

Using Secondary Image on Instant Clone Desktop Pool (VMware Horizon)

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In the management of a pool of Instant Clone (IC) VMs in a VMware Horizon infrastructure, one of the most useful aspects for a system administrator is the ability to make updates by modifying the GoldImage, subsequently generating a new Snapshot of it and applying it to all the VM ICs of the Pool.

Since version 2111, we have the possibility to use a “second image” in the same Pool to allow the deployment of this second image in a “selective” way on only some VMs.

This allows us to test the changes made only on a limited number of users.

Let’s see how it works, in my Home Lab where I have a Pool of type IC with Guest OS Windows 11.

The VMs (in this case there are 2) point to the following snapshot of the GoldImage:

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Let’s proceed to update the VMware Tools on the Gold image, where the version is currently present

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Post update we have the following version

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We proceed with turning off the GoldImage and create the snapshot to use.

Once the snapshot is created, we go to the Desktop Pool and proceed to assign the snapshot created as a secondary image.

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We select the option to publish it as a second image

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If we want to select now the VM IC on which to push we put the flag to:

In my case we will select after the VMs ICs

We wait for the secondary image to be ready for deployment

When it is ready we will be able to see the following in the details of the pool

!

At this point in the “Machines (Instant Clone Details)” menu, you will enable the following option:

We select the VM on which we want to apply the image and proceed:

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And we wait for this to be applied

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Let’s try to connect with two different users to the same pool to see the differences between the two VMs and we will notice that one IC has the updated VMware tools and the other does not

Once all the tests of the changes have been carried out, we have three possibilities:

  • Apply the default image to the VM on which we tested the subimage
  • Authorize the second image as Default
  • Delete the second image because it doesn’t meet your needs

Apply the default image to the VM on which we tested the subimage

Authorize the second image as Default

Delete the second image because it doesn’t meet your needs

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Using Secondary Image on Instant Clone Desktop Pool (VMware Horizon)