Sequencing EXTRA! 9.0 or 9.1 as a Virtual Application with Microsoft SoftGrid (App-V) 4.2

This technical note describes one way to sequence EXTRA! 9.0 or 9.1 so that it can run as a virtual application streamed from a SoftGrid (now called App-V) Virtual Application Server using Microsoft SoftGrid Application Virtualization 4.2. Note: This approach is one example; there are other recipes that you can follow to successfully sequence EXTRA! 9.0 or 9.1.

Note: For information about sequencing EXTRA! 9.2 as a virtual application, see KB 7021706.

There are three main phases to create an application, like EXTRA!, to run as a virtual application:

1. Document EXTRA!'s installation requirements for sequencing. Understand EXTRA!'s sequencing requirements by documenting which EXTRA! components and features are needed for your users.
2. Use SoftGrid's Sequencer Package Configuration Wizard to sequence EXTRA!, and then create the required files.
3. Copy the sequenced package files to the SoftGrid Application Server content folder, and then publish and assign the application package files to users.

Document a Customized EXTRA! Installation Before Sequencing

Before you use the Sequencer Package Configuration Wizard to sequence EXTRA!, you should document which EXTRA! components and features are needed for your users. Many EXTRA! components are not required, such as host or connection types other than TN3270 or TN5250. To determine your requirements for sequencing, install EXTRA! on another PC to help determine and document the sequencing steps.

Note the following:

• The sequencing steps described in this document were performed on Windows XP SP2. The steps should work for other operating systems, but may need some adjustments.
• If EXTRA! Productivity Microsoft Office Tools are used with EXTRA! Sessions, then on the SoftGrid Client PC, Microsoft Office should be installed, launched, and pre-configured locally to the PC, not streamed as a virtual application. EXTRA! Productivity Microsoft Office Tools have not been tested to work with Office streamed as a virtual application.
• Prior to sequencing any application, test the SoftGrid installation environment with the SoftGrid Default Application that installs with the SoftGrid Virtual Application Server.

Use the Sequencer Package Configuration Wizard

To prepare EXTRA! as a virtual application, use SoftGrid's Sequencer Package Configuration Wizard to sequence EXTRA!, and then launch the sequenced application to create the .OSD files, which are required for streaming EXTRA!

Sequence EXTRA!

Use the Sequencer Package Configuration Wizard to begin the sequencing process for EXTRA!

1. For Package Information provide the Suite Name, Title, Comments and Server URL information.
2. Select the Operating System on which EXTRA! is run.
3. Choose the Default Sequencing parameters: Not Compressed and 32 KB.
4. Click the Begin Monitoring button.
5. Start the installation of EXTRA! by running Install.exe.
6. Click "Install Attachmate EXTRA! X-treme 9" on the installer screen.
7. Choose your Setup Language, enter your Access Code, and then read and accept the License Agreement.
8. Enter company information and install the application for "Anyone who uses this computer (all users)."
9. Change the Destination Folder to C:\Program Files\Attachmate\<anyname>. For example: C:\Program Files\Attachmate\ACCT1. It is important that <anyname> be unique so that it doesn’t conflict with any other streaming application or other versions of EXTRA!

10. For the User Data Location, select the Application Directory.
11. Select the Setup Type as Custom.
12. Select the following options based on your host type:

• For IBM Mainframe, clear all Connection types except TN3270. Clear the Utilities option.
• For IBM AS/400 Midrange, clear all Connection types except TN5250. Clear the Samples and Utilities options.
• For VAX/VMS, UNIX, or asynchronous, clear all Connection types except Telnet.

13. Clear these options: APPN Node, Application Options and Migration Options.
14. Complete the installation by clicking Finish; then exit the EXTRA! installer screen.
15. On the Sequencer Installation Wizard, click Stop Monitoring.
16. Browse to the installation folder and select <anyname> from C:\Program Files\Attachmate\<anyname>.
17. After the virtual environment is downloaded and Monitoring is finished, click Next.
18. Accept the default option to add Microsoft Installer files to the virtual file system (VFS).
19. Click Finish, and then click Next to begin the sequencing process of launching applications.

Launch the Sequenced Application

You must launch the EXTRA! sequenced application to create the SoftGrid .OSD files, which are used for streaming the application.

1. Remove any applications that are not needed but were captured during the sequencing process.

• Typical application components that are not needed: Notepad, Migration Wizard, Macro Editor, Dialog Editor Application, Attachmate Session Monitor Utility, and ROOTCAS.
• If AS/400 Batch file transfer is not required, then remove Batch File Transfer and AS/400 Communications.

2. Click Next to Launch Applications. (Do not click Launch All.) Then launch Attachmate EXTRA! X-treme. You may need to run EXTRA! several times.
3. Create any TN3270, TN5250, or VT sessions for users using the EXTRA! New Session Wizard.
4. Verify that the connections work and then Save the sessions in the default application folder, which is C:\Program Files\Attachmate\<anyname>\Sessions.
5. Disconnect and end any configured sessions.
6. Click Back to open the Browse Application Path dialog box and browse to the location of the saved TN3270, TN5250, or VT sessions.
7. Add the sessions to create .OSD files used for streaming applications by SoftGrid. Note: It is important that each .OSD file name be unique.
8. After adding each session, click Next to launch any remaining applications, including the newly added TN3270, TN5250, or VT sessions.
9. After launching the rest of the applications, click Next, and then click Finish to end the sequencing process.

Modify the .OSD Files

Once the .OSD files have been created, you must modify the CODEBASE parameters.

1. Click the OSD tab of SoftGrid Sequencer to modify saved session CODEBASE parameters.
   1. First find the IMPLEMENTATION\CODEBASE parameters of Attachmate EXTRA! X-treme and locate the FILENAME parameter, which is <anyname>\EXTRA.exe.
   2. Then for every EXTRA! session that is expected to be streamed find the CODEBASE parameters, and modify the FILENAME as <anyname>\EXTRA.exe with its PARAMETERS as the saved session name without the path. For example, if you saved the session as ACCT_MF.EDP, then CODEBASE parameters are: FILENAME <anyname>\EXTRA.exe, PARAMETERS ACCT_MF.EDP.
2. Click File > Save As to save your work.

Publish EXTRA! with SoftGrid Management Console

Once EXTRA! has been sequenced and configured for streaming, copy the sequenced package files to the SoftGrid Application Server content folder, and then prepare EXTRA! for publishing.

1. Move the SoftGrid package of EXTRA! files to the SoftGrid Application Server content folder, including the following files:

• Saved session .OSD files
• SoftGrid package of EXTRA! .ICO icon files
• SoftGrid project .SFT asset files

2. Use the SoftGrid Management Console to create the EXTRA! Package and Application.
3. Publish EXTRA! for users running the SoftGrid Client software.

Verify that EXTRA! Streams Correctly

From the client computer, double-click the shortcut icon for EXTRA! If a Launch Failed dialog box opens, click the box for details, and troubleshoot as appropriate.

Accessing APIs

If an emulator is running in a virtual environment, APIs (like COM and HLLAPI) cannot be accessed by client applications that are running on the desktop outside of the virtual environment. Client applications like these that depend on components found in the directory where the emulator is installed will not work unless they are also installed on the server where the emulator software is located.

Legacy KB ID

This article was originally published as Attachmate Technical Note 2266.