Sequencing Reflection 2008 as a Virtual Application with Microsoft Application Virtualization 4.5 (App-V) on Vista

This technical note describes one way to sequence Reflection 2008 so that it can run as a virtual application streamed from a Virtual Application Server or deployed with installer technology using Microsoft Application Virtualization 4.5 (App-V).

Note: Other methods not described in this technical note can be used to successfully sequence and deploy Reflection 2008 as a virtual application.

Phase I. Document a Customized Reflection 2008 Installation Before Sequencing

Before you use the Sequencer Package Configuration Wizard to sequence Reflection 2008, you should document your sequencing requirements and steps. Some Reflection application components may not be needed. To determine your requirements for sequencing, install Reflection on another PC to help identify and document the sequencing steps.

Note the following:

• The sequencing steps described in this document were performed on 32-bit Windows Vista SP1 with .NET Framework 3.5. If Reflection 2008 has any service packs, ensure that the service pack installer file, .MSP, is available for installation during the sequencing process.
• Reflection 2008 Productivity Microsoft Office Tools have not been tested to work with Microsoft Office streamed as a virtual application.

Follow these best practices:

• Always use a clean sequencing PC that has not yet been used for sequencing an application.
• Install as a User with local administrator rights on the PC used for sequencing.
• Turn off Windows Defender, Anti-virus software, Automatic Windows Update, and Windows Security Alerts. If User Account Control is used on the client PC, then it should be turned on during the sequencing process.
• Sequence on the same operating system type, version, and patch level as the App-V Desktop Client systems.

Creating Companion Packages, Permissions Files, and Transforms

Use the Attachmate Customization Tool to create companion packages, to define permissions files, and to create transforms; the basic steps are listed below. Refer to the following technical notes as resources:

• Technical Note 2369 – Creating and Deploying Transforms and Companion Packages Using the Attachmate Customization Tool.
• Technical Note 2396 – Unable to Create a Companion Installer Containing Permission Files in Reflection 2008 Using the Attachmate Customization Tool (ACT)

Note: In the section below, the steps for using the Attachmate Customization Tool assume that you have set up a Reflection 2008 Administrative Installation. If you do not plan to use an Administrative Install to automate parts of the installation and add user session documents, then proceed to Phase II. Sequence Reflection 2008 Using the Sequencer Package Configuration Wizard.

Create a Companion .MSI File Using the Attachmate Customization Tool

Use the Attachmate Customization Tool to create a companion .MSI file.

1. Navigate to your Reflection Administrative Installation and run Setup.exe /Admin to launch the Attachmate Customization Tool.
2. Select "Create a new Companion installer." Click OK.
3. In the left pane, click "Specify install locations."

1. Under Installation type, select the "Installs only for the user who installs it" option.
2. In the Default installation folder drop-down list, select [AppDataFolder].
4. In the left pane, click Add files to add files to [AppDataFolder]. Click the Add button to add files that you may want to include, such as your pre-configured Reflection session documents (.RD3X, .RD5X, .RDOX, .RFW, or .RWSP settings files, for example).
5. Click File > Save As. Save the companion.msi file in the same location as Setup.exe.

Define Permissions Files

Use the Attachmate Customization Tool to define permissions files.

1. If the companion file that you created in the previous section is no longer open, open the companion.msi file.
2. In the left pane, click "Specify install locations" and verify that "Installs only for the user who installs it" is selected. (This option may be dimmed; as long as it is selected, there is no cause for concern.)
3. In the left pane, click "Modify user settings" to define *.access permission files. For example, you may want to define .RD3X.access to restrict TN3270Basic or TN3270Advanced settings.
   1. Select the Application – Settings to modify and click the Define button.
   2. Select the Group from the Groups drop-down list. You can allow or restrict accessibility for each item listed.
   3. Repeat steps a and b until you have configured the permissions for your environment. Click Next.
   4. Optional: Select Additional security options for Session file encryption.
   5. Click Finish.
4. Click File > Save and save the companion.msi in the same location as Setup.exe.

Use the Attachmate Customization Tool to Create a Custom Transform File

To prepare Reflection 2008 as a virtual application, you can use the Attachmate Customization Tool to create a custom transform file.

1. Use the Attachmate Customization Tool to create a new custom.mst transform file by navigating to your Reflection installation and running Setup.exe /Admin.
2. Select "Create a new Setup customization file for the following product."
3. In the Welcome pane, under Setup, click "Install location and organization name." In the Default installation folder field, enter a location on Q:\ (for example, Q:\R2008SE).
4. Under Setup, click "Licensing and session metering." Complete the licensing agreement and accept the Session Metering setting defaults.
5. Under Setup, click "User interface." Select the "Use this customization with interactive installs using setup.exe" option. Also, verify that the user interface level is Full, the default.
6. To add a chained companion.msi to your installation, under Setup, click "Add installations and run programs." Add a companion.msi file (using the UNC path) to the installation command. For example:

7. Under Setup, click "Modify setup properties." INSTALLDIR_Custom should display with a Value of Q:\R2008SE (step 3 above).
8. Under Features, click "Set feature installation states." Select the Reflection 2008 features you will install. Since user interface level is set at Full (step 5 above), you should be able to also select or de-select features during installation while in the sequencing process.
9. Save the custom.mst file in the same location as Setup.exe.

Phase II. Sequence Reflection 2008 Using the Sequencer Package Configuration Wizard

Use the Application Virtualization Sequencer to start the sequencing process.

1. Create a new Package; click File > New Package and enter a Package Name.
2. If you select "Show Advanced Monitoring Options," then accept the default 32K Block Size on the next screen.
3. Click Next; click Begin Monitoring.
4. Create the primary install directory, for example: Q:\R2008SE, and click OK.
5. Wait for the Virtual Environment to load.
6. When "Please begin installation" displays above the status bar, navigate to Reflection 2008 and install it by clicking Setup.exe.
7. On the Install Attachmate Reflection 2008 screen, click Continue.
8. Read and accept the License Agreement; then click Continue.
9. Personalize the installation by completing the Full name, Organization, and VPA number fields.
10. On the File Location tab, change the File Location by clicking the Browse button. Following the example in this technical note, File Location is specified as Q:\R2008SE.
11. On the Feature Selection Tab, de-select any features not needed so that they will not install. For example, de-select the following:

12. On the Advanced Tab verify that "Install to this PC" is enabled. Then click the Install Now button.
13. When the Installation has completed successfully, click the Close button.
14. If you have a chained companion *.msi package, allow the package to install.
15. If you have a Reflection 2008 *.msp update file, then click the file to install the patch. If there is no *.msp update to install, then click Stop Monitoring.
16. When the virtual environment is downloaded and monitoring is finished, click Next.
17. Click Next on Additional Files to Map to Virtual File System (VFS).

Configure and Launch the Sequenced Applications

Launch the Reflection sequenced application to create the virtualization .OSD files, which are used for streaming the application.

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

2. Click the Add button to add any Reflection 2008 session documents that were installed by the companion *.msi file. To find the files, browse to the Q:\R2008SE \VFS\CSIDL _APPDATA folder.
3. After adding any session documents, click Next to Launch Applications. (Do not click Launch All.) Then launch Reflection Workspace.
4. If you need to create any additional session documents, you can use the Create New Document wizard. Save the session in, for example, Q:\R2008SE\VFS\CSIDL _APPDATA.
5. If you create any new Reflection 2008 session documents, you must click the Back button to add them to the application package, as in step 2 above.
6. Launch and then close each session document to create .OSD files that will be used for streaming.

7. Once you have completed launching the session document applications, you can click Back to remove any applications that will not be published to users. For example, you can remove Reflection Workspace and Reflection FTP Client since users have pre-configured session documents while Reflection 2008 is running in the App-V Desktop Client environment.
8. After all the applications and Reflection 2008 Session documents have been launched and closed, click Next to complete the sequencing.
9. Click Finish when sequencing is completed.
10. Enter deployment information on the Deployment Tab of the Sequencer.
11. Click File > Save.

Note: Instead of using a Virtual Application Server to deploy the application, you could also create an .MSI package when you save Reflection 2008 sequenced as a virtual application. Instead of streaming the virtualized application, this method uses .MSI installer technology to load and configure virtual applications onto PCs running the App-V Desktop Client.

Phase III. Publish Reflection 2008 with Virtual Application Management Console

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

1. When moving the package of Reflection 2008 files to the Virtual Application Server content folder, include the following files:

• Saved session .OSD files
• Reflection for IBM 2008 .ICO icon files
• Project .SFT asset files
• Manifest XML and .SPRJ files

2. Use the Virtual Management Console to create and configure the Reflection 2008 Package and Application.
3. Publish Reflection 2008 for users running the Application Virtualization Desktop Client software.

Verify that Reflection 2008 Streams Correctly

From the client computer, double-click the shortcut icon for Reflection 2008. If a Launch Failed dialog box opens, click the box for details, and troubleshoot as appropriate.

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