Microsoft SoftGrid App Virt 4 2 and 4 1 SP1 Trial Guide

Trial Guide
Microsoft SoftGrid Application Virtualization Trial Guide
Important Notice
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Patents
Certain software described in this document is protected by issued and pending U.S. and foreign patents.
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Server, Application Management Lifecycle, Application Management for the Always-On Enterprise, and
Take Control of Your Software are registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. Other
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IMPORTANT NOTICE .............................................................................................................................................. 2
INTRODUCTION TO THE TRIAL GUIDE .................................................................................................................... 4
TRIAL SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS .............................................................................................................................. 6
INSTALLING SYSTEM CENTER VIRTUAL APPLICATION SERVER ................................................................................ 8
INSTALLING SOFTGRID CLIENT FOR WINDOWS DESKTOPS ................................................................................... 15
TESTING THE DEFAULT APPLICATION ................................................................................................................... 16
SOFTGRID CLIENT FOR TERMINAL SERVERS ......................................................................................................... 20
INSTALLING SOFTGRID SEQUENCER ..................................................................................................................... 21
SEQUENCER FILES ................................................................................................................................................ 23
SEQUENCING ADOBE ACROBAT READER.............................................................................................................. 24
SEQUENCING A SUN PLUG-IN FOR INTERNET EXPLORER ...................................................................................... 31
TROUBLESHOOTING............................................................................................................................................. 35
ACCESSING THE MICROSOFT SUPPORT KNOWLEDGE BASE .................................................................................. 36
CONTACTING MICROSOFT TRAINING ................................................................................................................... 36
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Introduction to the Trial Guide

This Trial Guide is designed to help you quickly set up and evaluate a Microsoft® SoftGrid® Application
Virtualization environment. This guide outlines steps necessary to install System Center Virtual
Application Server components, install SoftGrid Client for Windows Desktops and Terminal Servers,
publish the shortcuts of sequenced applications, and then stream and run these virtual applications on
SoftGrid clients. You will also be able to virtualize a select set of applications using SoftGrid Sequencer.
To help this process flow as smoothly as possible we recommend that you read this guide before
installing the SoftGrid platform.
Obtaining Microsoft SoftGrid Application Virtualization

For Microsoft SoftGrid Application Virtualization for Desktops, please download the Microsoft Desktop
Optimization Pack for Software Assurance 2007. For Microsoft SoftGrid Application Virtualization for
Terminal Services, please download Microsoft SoftGrid 4.1 SP 1. Both are available at Microsoft Volume
Licensing and are also currently available on MSDN. MDOP 2007 can be downloaded from MSDN under
the Servers branch (Desktop Optimization Pack 2007). Microsoft SoftGrid for Terminal Services can also
be downloaded from MSDN by searching the site for Microsoft SoftGrid 4.1 SP1.
Audience for This Guide

This guide was written for Microsoft® Windows® system administrators. As an information technology (IT)
professional, you should have sufficient knowledge and experience to accomplish the following tasks:
 Set up operating systems and computers.

 Add computers to domains.
 Set up and work comfortably with Active Directory® directory service and Microsoft DNS.
Hardware and software requirements are documented in the section "Trial System Requirements" on
page 7 of this guide.
Overview of the SoftGrid Application Virtualization Platform

The SoftGrid platform lets you deploy, update, and support applications as services in real time, on an as-
needed basis. When you use the SoftGrid platform, you transform individual applications from locally
installed products into centrally managed services. Applications become available everywhere they need
to be—no computer preconfiguration or changes to operating system settings are required.
System Center Virtual Application Server

System Center Virtual Application Server delivers SoftGrid-enabled applications on-demand to SoftGrid
Client. One or more SoftGrid Virtual Applications servers can share a single SoftGrid SQL data store. The
System Center Virtual Application Server authorizes and authenticates requests and provides the
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security, metering, monitoring, and data gathering that you need. The server uses Active Directory and
supporting tools to manage users and applications.
SoftGrid Management System

The SoftGrid Management System includes SoftGrid Management Console and SoftGrid Management
Web Service. Administrators use SoftGrid Management Console (a Microsoft Management Console, or
MMC, snap-in) to configure System Center Virtual Application Servers. Using SoftGrid Management
Console, administrators can add and remove applications, change File Type Associations (FTAs), and
assign access permissions and licenses to users and groups. SoftGrid Management Web Service is the
communication conduit between SoftGrid Management Console and the SoftGrid SQL data store.
SoftGrid Client
SoftGrid Client automatically sets up and manages virtual environments for SoftGrid-enabled
applications, publishes the applications to the user's desktop, and manages connections to System
Center Virtual Application Server. SoftGrid Client stores user-specific virtual application settings in each
user's profile—for example, registry and file changes.
SoftGrid Sequencer
SoftGrid Sequencer is a wizard-based tool administrators use to create SoftGrid-enabled applications.
The sequencer produces the application ―package,‖ which consists of several files. These files include a
SoftGrid-enabled application (.sft) file, one or more Open Software Description (.osd) "link" files, one or
more icon (.ico) files, and a SoftGrid project (.sprj) file. The .sft, .osd, and .ico files are stored on System
Center Virtual Application Servers; these files are the keys that SoftGrid Client uses to access and run
SoftGrid-enabled applications.
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Trial System Requirements

For this evaluation, one computer will run Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS), the SoftGrid
Management Web Service, the SoftGrid Management Console, and System Center Virtual Application
Server. A second computer will run SoftGrid Client for Windows Desktops. You will need to set up a third
computer as a Windows domain controller with Windows DNS. You will need two additional computers for
testing SoftGrid Sequencer and SoftGrid Client for Terminal Servers. All of the computers must be
members of the common domain (Figure 1). Note that you can use virtual machines on a single physical
computer that meets the system requirements of this trial.
Figure 1. SoftGrid trial in an isolated network
In this trial, we assume that you set up SoftGrid in a test lab, completely separate from your production
network. The purpose of this evaluation is for you to acquire basic experience with the SoftGrid platform.
You can address any questions relating to integration into your production environment, such as security
concerns and enterprise-level design, later. Also, only basic platform functionality will be covered in this
guide, to simplify and focus on proof of concept. The SoftGrid platform is covered in its entirety by
Microsoft Training courses.
The following sections list the basic software and hardware requirements for this trial evaluation.
System Center Virtual Application Server
Hardware
 Intel Pentium III 1 GHz or later CPU
 512 MB or more RAM
 10 GB or more available hard disk space
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Software
 Microsoft Windows® 2000 Server/Windows Advanced Server with Service Pack 4 (SP4) or later, or
Windows Server® 2003 with SP1 or later
 Microsoft Data Access Components (MDAC) 2.7 or later
 Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS) 5.0 or later
 Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0
 Microsoft Management Console (MMC) 3.0
Note The computer host name of this server should not begin with a number.
SoftGrid Client for Window Desktops
Hardware
 Intel Pentium III 700 MHz or later CPU
 128 MB or more RAM
 4 GB or more available hard disk space (includes space for cache)
Software
 Microsoft Windows 2000®; Windows® XP Pro; or Windows Vista® Business, Enterprise, or Ultimate
(version 4.2 only) editions
 Microsoft® Internet Explorer® 6 or later installed on the operating system
SoftGrid Sequencer Hardware & Software

The hardware and software requirements for SoftGrid Sequencer are identical to those of SoftGrid Client
for Windows Desktops except that a real partition or Q drive needs to be available on the sequencer
computer.
Windows Domain Controller
Hardware
 Meet or exceed the recommended Microsoft hardware requirements.
Software
 Microsoft operating system providing a Windows 2000 or Windows Server 2003 domain with
Microsoft DNS setup
Although SoftGrid supports Microsoft Windows NT® Server 4.0 domains, Windows NT Server hardware
and software requirements, and related installation instructions are not included in this guide.
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Installing System Center Virtual Application Server

The section guides you through the step-by-step process of installing System Center Virtual Application
Server.
Before You Begin

The following items must be present on the server computer before installing System Center Virtual
Application Server:
 Windows 2000 Server, Advanced Server with SP4 or later, or Windows Server 2003 with SP1 or later
 IIS 5.0 or later (must be installed prior to installing MDAC and Microsoft® .NET Framework)
 MDAC 2.7 or later
 Microsoft Management Console (MMC) 3.0
 Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0 or later
 Specified Active Directory objects
Microsoft Management Console (MMC) 3.0

SoftGrid requires that MMC 3.0 be installed on the computer from which SoftGrid Management Console
will be executed. You can download MMC 3.0 from Microsoft Help and Support.
MDAC and Microsoft .NET

If you are using the Windows 2000 operating system, install MDAC 2.7 or later. Windows 2003 does not
need an updated, or current, version of MDAC installed to work with SoftGrid at this time. Make sure you
have properly installed IIS 5.0 or later. After installing the required versions of MDAC and IIS, install
Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0 or later on Windows 2000 Server computers. Windows 2003 Server
computers will already have .NET Framework 1.1 installed; you will need to upgrade to Microsoft .NET
Framework 2.0.
You can download the latest versions of these components from www.microsoft.com.
After installing IIS, MDAC, and Microsoft .NET, restart your computer before proceeding.
Do not "lockdown" these or any component of this server, or try to reuse your standard server image. The
purpose of this limited trial is to evaluate SoftGrid in a test lab—not to determine whether SoftGrid will run
in your production environment.
Active Directory
Before you install SoftGrid Application Virtualization Server, you must create the following objects in
Active Directory:
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 Organizational Unit (OU): Create an OU in Active Directory for SoftGrid-specific groups, and for the
necessary SoftGrid domain account. We recommend that you name this OU "MicrosoftVirtualApps."
 Domain Test User Account: This account will be the user test account for SoftGrid end-user
functionality.
 SoftGrid Administrative Group: SoftGrid requires you to select an Active Directory group to use as a
SoftGrid Administrators group. You can use any existing group or you can create a new Active
Directory SoftGrid Administrators group for controlling administrative access to SoftGrid Management
Console. Add to this group every user who needs to access SoftGrid Management Console. You can
choose any name for this group or you can choose a name from a list during installation. You cannot
create this group directly from the SoftGrid installer. For the purposes of this guide, we will use the
name "SoftGrid Administrators" for this group.
Note For the purposes of this guide, only a single domain setup is supported in your test lab
environment. If you create groups, create them as global groups. Multi-domain and multi-forest
scenarios require a different setup and are covered in Microsoft Training courses.
 SoftGrid Active Directory Browser User: You must create a user account set not to expire for the
SoftGrid platform to use to browse Active Directory. The account user name and password cannot
contain the # character, or the SoftGrid installer will fail. For the purposes of this guide, we will use
the account name "sgbrowser."
 SoftGrid Users Group: SoftGrid requires that all user accounts that access SoftGrid functions be a
member of a provider policy associated with a single group for general platform access. You can use
an existing group or create a new group (such as ―SoftGrid Users‖). For the purposes of this guide,
we will use the Domain Users group.
 Application Groups: SoftGrid associates the right to use an individual application with a group. For
this guide, we will associate all test applications with the Domain Users group, even though many
other options exist for production use.
Note It is essential that you add your domain test user account to each of the groups discussed in the
previous list. If you do not, application shortcuts on the SoftGrid client will not display in your test user
account.
Verify Microsoft .NET Registration

On a Windows 2003 Server computer, to ensure that Microsoft .NET is properly registered with IIS,
perform the following steps:
1. From Administrative Tools click Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager.

2. Expand Internet Information Services | {server_name}, and then click Web Service Extensions.
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3. Right-click ASP.NET v.X.X.XXXX, and then click Allow, if necessary. If ASP.NET is not available,
then Microsoft .NET is installed but ASP.NET has not been installed. Perform the following steps:
a. In Control Panel, click Add or Remove Programs.
b. Click Add/Remove Windows Components.
c. Select Application Server, and then click Details....
d. Select the ASP.NET check box, and then click OK.
e. Click Next.
f. Click Finish.
On a Windows 2000 Server computer, to ensure Microsoft .NET is properly registered with IIS,
perform the following steps:
1. Open a command-line tool.

2. Go to %SystemRoot%\Microsoft.NET\Framework\%VersionNumber%.
3. Type aspnet_reg /i.
Server Installation
1. Verify that the name of the computer does not start with a number.
2. Insert the MDOP 2007 CD.
3. On the Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack for Software Assurance page, click Microsoft
SoftGrid Application Virtualization.
4. Click Install the Microsoft System Center Virtual Application Server.
5. On the Welcome page, click Next.
6. Read and accept the license agreement, and then click Next.
7. Type a user name and organization in the corresponding boxes, and then click Next.
8. On the Setup Type page, click Typical install, and then click Next.
9. On the Required Web Service Extensions warning page, click Next.
10. On the Database Server page (Figure 2), leave the default Install MSDE, and then click Next.
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Figure 2. Database Server selection page
11. On the Database Password page (Figure 3), enter and confirm an Administrator Password for the
Microsoft SQL Server™ Desktop Engine (MSDE) database. This password is for the database "SA"
Administrator account.
12. Type and confirm a User Password for System Center Virtual Application Server. This password is
used by System Center Virtual Application Server to access the database for the Microsoft account
you created.
You will need these passwords to update or modify the SoftGrid platform. Because you are installing
SoftGrid on a completely isolated network, we recommend that you choose the default passwords
"sa" and "Microsoft" for the database password and user password, respectively, because they are
easy to remember for this trial.
Note Do not use the # character in either of the passwords or anywhere else in the installation
program. This will cause the SoftGrid installer to fail.
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Figure 3. Database Password page
13. Click Next.

14. On the Directory Server page (Figure 4), the installer will automatically populate the Domain Name
box.
15. Enter the user name and password for the browser account that you created ("sgbrowser"), and then
click Next.
Figure 4. Directory Server page
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16. On the Administrator Group page, type the name of the SoftGrid Administrators group, and then
click Next.
You can also type the first few letters and then click Next to select from a list of groups (Figure 5).
Click the relevant group from the list, and then click Next. For simplicity, you can also choose the
"Domain Users" group for this trial.
Figure 5. Select Administrator Group page with list of groups
17. On the Default Provider Group page, type the name of the SoftGrid Users group, and then click
Next. This is the group to which all users must belong for access to SoftGrid-enabled applications.
You can also type the first few letters of the group, and then click Next to display a list of groups.
Click the relevant group from the list, and then click Next. For simplicity, you can also choose the
"Domain Users" group for this trial.
18. On the Server Group page, accept the default, and then click Next.
19. On the Content Path page (Figure 6), accept the default location of the SoftGrid ―content‖ folder, and
then click Next.
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Figure 6. Content Path page
20. The wizard now has all the information it needs to perform the installation. Click Install.
The wizard will copy the necessary files, install services, and create a database as specified in the
preceding steps. When the wizard finishes, the SoftGrid Management Console shortcut is displayed
in the Administrative Tools group.
21. In Windows Explorer, go to C:\ProgramFiles\Softricity\SoftGrid Server\ and share the content

folder. Ensure that Read access to this folder is given to Everyone. In this guide we will share the
folder using Windows file-sharing settings; however, in a production environment you might chose a
different means of sharing the folder.
Note You must share the SoftGrid ―content‖ folder.
You now have installed System Center Virtual Application Server. If you encountered any errors
during the process, please refer to the ―Troubleshooting‖ section at the end of this guide.
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Installing SoftGrid Client for Windows Desktops

The section guides you through the step-by-step process of installing the Windows Desktops version of
SoftGrid Application Virtualization Client.

3. Click Install Microsoft SoftGrid Application Virtualization for Desktops.
5. Read and accept the license agreement, and then click Next.
6. On the Destination Folder page, leave the default installation location, and then click Next.
7. On the Cache Settings page, leave the default data storage setting. Note that SoftGrid Client can
handle a persistent application cache size up to 65,535 MB (65 GB).
8. Leave the Skip advanced data storage settings and accept defaults check box selected, and then
click Next.
9. On the Desktop Configuration Server page (Figure 7), select Setup a Desktop Configuration
Server now.
10. In the Display Name box and in the Host Name box type the host name of the SoftGrid server, and
then click Next.
Figure 7. Desktop Configuration Server page
11. Click Install to begin the installation of SoftGrid Application Virtualization Client.
12. When the installation is complete, click Finish.
13. To complete the configuration, click Yes when prompted to restart the computer (required).
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Testing the Default Application

You are now ready to test the basic functionality of the system by launching the Default SoftGrid
Application on a SoftGrid client. The Default SoftGrid Application was automatically installed during
SoftGrid platform installation.
Perform the following on the SoftGrid Application Virtualization server that contains your test user
account:
1. From Administrative Tools, click SoftGrid Management Console. SoftGrid Management Console
is installed on the System Center Virtual Application Server by default. In a production environment,
you can install SoftGrid Management Console on any system capable of running Microsoft
Management Console (MMC).
2. In SoftGrid Management Console, in the Actions pane, click Connect to SoftGrid System (Figure
8).
3. In the Manage SoftGrid Systems dialog box, type localhost to connect to the SoftGrid Management
Web Service, and then click OK.
Figure 8. Connect to SoftGrid System
Note The account you are using to log on to the SoftGrid server computer must be a member of the
SoftGrid Administrators Group in Active Directory, unless you chose to allow members of the Domain
Users group or some other group to administer SoftGrid during this evaluation. Advanced options in
the Connect dialog box require additional setup and are beyond the scope of this guide.
4. In the console tree, expand localhost, and then click Applications (Figure 9).
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Figure 9. SoftGrid Management Console
5. In the details pane, click Default SoftGrid Application and, in the Actions pane, click Properties.
6. In the OSD Path box, type the path to the ―content‖ share immediately before the .osd filename
(\\[server name]\CONTENT\DefaultApp.osd). Type the same path immediately before the .ico
filename directory in the Icon Path box. Make sure you specify network paths that are accessible to
your SoftGrid client (Figure 10).
Figure 10. Default Application SoftGrid Properties page
7. Click the Access Permissions tab. You might want to add the Domain Users group if it is not already
added.
8. Click the Shortcuts tab, and then select Publish to User’s Desktop.
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9. Click OK to accept the changes for the default application.
Perform the following on the SoftGrid client:
10. From Administrative Tools, click SoftGrid Client Management Console.

11. In the console tree, click Desktop Configuration Servers (Figure 11).
Figure 11. SoftGrid Client Management Console
12. In the details pane, right-click [server name], and then click Refresh Server.
13. On the desktop, double-click the Default SoftGrid Application shortcut. A status bar, displayed
above the notification area, reports the application is being launched. If a "Launch Failed" message
displays, click the message to see more information about the error. After a successful launch, the
title screen for the Microsoft Default Application displays (Figure 12).
Figure 12. Microsoft Default Application dialog box
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14. Click OK to close the dialog box. The SoftGrid system is now running. If you have encountered any
errors performing these procedures, please refer to the ―Troubleshooting‖ section at the end of this
guide.
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SoftGrid Client for Terminal Servers

The installation and operation of SoftGrid Client for Terminal Servers is almost identical to that of SoftGrid
Client for Windows Desktops.
Installation
Install the SoftGrid Terminal Server client (softgrid-ts-setup.msi) using the Add/Remove Programs wizard
in Control Panel. Then, follow the remaining setup instructions for SoftGrid Client for Windows Desktops.
Testing Applications
You can log on to the Terminal Server multiple times using Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) and test the
various applications simultaneously. For more information, follow the test instructions for the SoftGrid
Client for Windows Desktops.
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Installing SoftGrid Sequencer

SoftGrid Sequencer packages the SoftGrid-enabled applications that are streamed to SoftGrid clients.
Before You Install SoftGrid Sequencer

The sequencer computer must meet the same minimum requirements as SoftGrid Client for Windows
Desktops, but a fast workstation-class computer will significantly speed up the sequencing process. The
workstation should be set up with one or more hard disk drives with ample disk space.
There are two main methods for setting up the sequencer computer:
Option 1: Virtual Machine

Do a fresh install of a supported operating system to a virtual machine (VM). Do not use your "standard
desktop image" or install any other applications on this image at this time. Then follow the product specific
steps below.
Microsoft Virtual Server product: Add a second dynamically expanding virtual hard disk. Within the
virtual machine, set the drive letter to "Q." Enable Undo disks and commit the existing configuration. After
each time you sequence an application, turn off the virtual machine and discard the undo disk to this VM
to get back to a "clean" operating system.
VMware product: Edit the virtual machine settings and add an independent persistent virtual disk. Within
the virtual machine, set the drive letter to "Q." Create a snapshot of the VM. After each time you
sequence an application, you will "revert" to this snapshot to get back to a "clean" operating system.
Option 2: Local Image

Create at least two partitions on the hard disk. Make the first partition at least 4 GB in size for the
operating system. The second partition should consume the remainder of the hard disk space, preferably
more than 10 GB in total size. Set the drive letter to "Q" for the second partition. Do a fresh install of a
supported operating system to the first partition. Do not use your "standard desktop image" or install any
other applications on this image at this time. Using a utility like Symantec Ghost, store a disk image of the
first partition on the second partition. This method lets you rapidly restore the sequencing computer to a
"clean" installation of your operating system, after each time you sequence an application.
Why a Q Drive?
Why sequence to a Q drive? The purpose is for the core application installation path to remain constant
across all computers in the enterprise, which might not have constant system drives; for example, drive M
for terminal servers and drive C for desktop computers. This is accomplished by using a real drive or
partition on the SoftGrid Sequencer computer and a virtual drive on SoftGrid clients. The virtual drive on
SoftGrid clients is created by SystemGuard virtualization technology and not by a disk partitioning tool.
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The Q drive is the default drive letter and can be changed if needed in a production rollout. Microsoft has
a method to handle applications that must be installed to a fixed drive; this is explained in Microsoft
training courses.
Installing SoftGrid Sequencer

Be sure that the sequencer computer is joined to the common domain.
Note Do not install SoftGrid Sequencer on a computer that hosts SoftGrid Server or SoftGrid Client.

3. Click Install Microsoft SoftGrid Application Virtualization for Sequencer.
5. Read and accept the licensing agreement, and then click Next.
6. Accept the default installation path, and then click Next.
7. Click Install.
8. When the installation is complete, click Finish. SoftGrid Sequencer will start.
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Sequencer Files
To enable a Windows application for SoftGrid, the sequencer produces the following files:
ICO – The .ico (icon) file specifies the icon that appears on the SoftGrid client desktop. When you
double-click the icon, you are actually launching the shortcut to the corresponding .osd file, described
below, that begins the data streaming and application launch process. From the user perspective, the
experience of launching a SoftGrid-enabled application is identical to launching a locally stored
application.
OSD – The .osd (Open Software Description) file provides the information necessary to locate the .sft file
for the application and set up and launch the application. This information includes the application name,
the name and path to the executable file, the name and path to the .sft file, the suite name, the supported
operating systems, and general comments about the application.
SFT – The .sft (SoftGrid) file contains the asset files that include one or more Windows applications.
SoftGrid Sequencer, without altering the source code, packages these asset files into chunks of data that
can be streamed to the SoftGrid client. The file is divided into two distinct blocks. The first block, called
Feature Block 1 (FB1), consists of the application’s most-used features. FB1 is streamed to the SoftGrid
client the first time the user launches the application. The remainder of the application is in Feature Block
2 (FB2). FB2 is streamed to the SoftGrid client on demand. By default, the blocks are divided into 32 KB
"chunks" of data.
SPRJ – The .sprj (Sequencer project) file is generated when a project is saved. The .sprj file contains a
list of files, directories, and registry entries that are excluded by the sequencer. Load this file in the
sequencer to add, change, delete, or upgrade any of the applications in the suite. A common example of
when you might use the .sprj files is when you add service packs to an application.
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Sequencing Adobe Acrobat Reader

This section walks through a simple sequencing. You can use Adobe Acrobat Reader as a test case that
you can easily and quickly deploy using the SoftGrid platform.
1. Download Adobe Acrobat Reader 8 from www.adobe.com and copy the installer to a temporary
directory on the sequencer computer.
2. Create a directory on the sequencer desktop called AdobeAcrobatReader8. In this directory you will
save the output of the sequencer.
3. Click Start | All Programs | Softricity | SoftGrid Sequencer to open SoftGrid Sequencer (Figure
13).
Figure 13. SoftGrid Sequencer
4. Click File | New Package....

5. When prompted for assistance, click Yes. The Package Configuration Wizard displays.
7. On the Package Information page, enter the following information:
a. Suite Name: Adobe Acrobat Reader 8. The suite name is a common label for all the applications
in the software suite; for example, the suite Microsoft® Office 2000 includes Microsoft Word,
Microsoft PowerPoint®, etc.
b. Title: Acrobat Reader. This is the name of the application you are sequencing.
c. Comments: Use this field to specify information such as the person who sequenced the
application. You can also include the name and location of the installation document.
d. Server URL:
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i. Host Name: Enter the host name of the SoftGrid server (SGSERVER). The host name
defaults to an environment variable (%SFT_SOFTGRIDSERVER%). To use the variable, you
must have previously set the variable on the SoftGrid client to the host name of the SoftGrid
server.
ii. Path: AdobeAcrobatReader8. In a production environment, you could further organize
applications within additional subdirectories, such as EMEA and APAC.
Figure 14. Package Information page
8. Click Next.
9. On the Operating Systems page (Figure 15), click the operating systems on which you intend this
package to run and use the right arrow to move the selected items to the right pane.
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Figure 15. Operating Systems page
10. Click Finish.

11. On the Welcome to the Installation Wizard page, click Next.
12. On the Sequencing Parameters page, click Next.
13. On the Monitor Installation page, click Begin Monitoring... (Figure 16). This action minimizes the
sequencer so you can start the application installation process.
Figure 16. Monitor Installation page
Note Open instances of Windows Explorer and command prompts will not be monitored. In the
following steps you can install the application using Windows Explorer.
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14. Open a new instance of Windows Explorer, go to the Q drive, and create a new folder called
acrd8.001.
15. Run the Adobe Acrobat Reader 8 installer and continue until the Destination Folder page (Figure
17) displays.
Figure 17. Adobe Reader Destination Folder page
16. Click Change Destination Folder. Replace the existing folder path to Q:\acrd8.001 and finish the
installation.
17. If the installation wizard prompts you for a restart, click Yes. The sequencer will catch the restart
request and prevent it.
18. Restore the minimized SoftGrid Sequencer, and then click Stop Monitoring.
19. In the Browse for Folder dialog box, go to Q:\acrd8.001 (the installation folder...), and then click OK.
20. SoftGrid Sequencer will scan the computer for changes. When monitoring is complete, click Next.
For applications using Microsoft® Windows® Installer, include the current version of installer file
libraries to eliminate version conflicts on client computers.
21. On the Additional Files to Map to the VFS page, click Finish.
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Figure 18. Additional Files to Map to the VFS page
22. On the Welcome to the Application Wizard page, click Next.
The Application Wizard detects and lists shortcuts created by the application installer. SoftGrid
Sequencer creates an .osd and .ico file for each shortcut. Using the Configure Applications page, you
can edit, remove, or add shortcuts.
23. In the console tree, click Applications.
Figure 19. Configure Applications page
24. In the details pane, click Adobe Reader 8, and then click Edit.
25. In the Edit Application dialog box, set the following .osd file properties (Figure 20), and then click
Save.
a. Name: Adobe Acrobat Reader 8.1.
Page | 28
b. Version: 1.0
c. OSD Filename: Adobe_Acrobat_Reader_8.osd.
Figure 20. Shortcut settings of Acrobat Reader 8.1
26. Click Save.

27. In the console tree, expand Adobe Acrobat Reader 8.
28. Click File Type Associations to view the File Type Associations (FTAs) the sequencer has recorded.
29. Click Shortcuts to view where the shortcuts for this application will be located on SoftGrid client
desktop.
30. When you are done viewing this information, click Next.
The Launch Applications page lets you launch the applications associated with the shortcuts SoftGrid
created. This will determine Feature Block 1 (FB1), which contains the portion of the application
required to launch the application on the SoftGrid client.
31. Click Adobe Acrobat Reader 8, and then click Launch.

32. Accept the license agreement, and then close the Beyond Adobe Reader page.
33. When the application opens, click Edit | Preferences.
34. In the resulting dialog box, under Application Startup, clear the Show splash screen check box,
and then click OK.
35. Close the application; the status bar will show the procedure as complete. (If the status bar does not
change for more than 30 seconds, you might need to click Stop, and then click Terminate.)
36. Click Next, and then click Finish.
37. You can now use SoftGrid Sequencer to view the results. Click each tab and review the following
information:
Page | 29
a. Properties: Provides basic information, such as Creation date, Max Block Size, Launch Size,
Compression Algorithm, and Block Size.
b. Files: Shows the files the application copied, modified, or created and where those files reside.
c. Virtual Registry: Displays every registry setting that was created or modified. You can view and
change the settings, and manually create and delete new keys and values.
d. Virtual File System: Displays the hierarchical directory of the files that comprise the package in
common system folders.
e. Virtual Services: Displays information about any Windows NT services that were detected and
that are included as part of the sequence.
f. OSD: Displays a hierarchical representation of the .xml descriptor file contents. You can modify
the values to suit the application. By clicking the CODEBASE key in the left pane, the right pane
displays the connection details.
38. Click File | Save, go to the folder AdobeAcrobatReader8 that you created on the desktop and save
your work as acrd8.sprj.
The files produced by SoftGrid Sequencer (.ico, .osd, .sft, and .sprj) must be in the shared "content"
directory on the System Center Virtual Application Server (the default location is C:\Program
Files\Microsoft\SoftGrid Server\content).
39. Copy the folder AdobeAcrobatReader8 to the "content" share on the application server.
40. Add the new application to SoftGrid Management Console, following the instructions provided with
the presequenced application.
41. On the SoftGrid client, trigger a refresh of the virtual application and then launch the new sequence of
Adobe Acrobat Reader 8. If needed, follow the instructions in the section "Testing the Default
Application" earlier in this guide.
Page | 30
Sequencing the Sun Java Runtime Environment (JRE) for Internet

Explorer
This section walks you through a creating a virtual environment for Windows® Internet Explorer® with the
Sun Java Runtime Environment (JRE) included. The Sun Java Console will not appear when a local copy
of Internet Explorer is started; but only within the virtual copy. Note that Internet Explorer is part of the
operating system, and therefore we will point to the local Internet Explorer executable file on each
SoftGrid client, and apply the changes within the virtual environment on top of the local environment.
1. Download the Windows XP/Vista/200/2003 Offline Java installer from

http://www.java.com/en/download/manual.jsp.
2. Copy the Sun Java Runtime Environment (JRE) installer to a temporary directory on the sequencer
computer.
3. Create a directory on the sequencer desktop called IEwithJava. You will save the output of the
sequencer to this directory.
4. Click Start | All Programs | Softricity | SoftGrid Sequencer to open SoftGrid Sequencer.
5. Click File | New Package....
6. When asked if you would like assistance, click Yes. The Package Configuration Wizard displays.
8. On the Package Information page, provide the following information:
a. Suite Name: IE with Java. The suite name is a common label for all the applications in the
software suite. For example, the suite Microsoft Office 2000 comprises Microsoft Word, Microsoft
PowerPoint, etc.
b. Title: IE with Java. This is the name of the application you are sequencing.
c. Comments: Use this field to specify information such as the person who sequenced the
application.
d. Server URL: The host name of the SoftGrid server (SGSERVER). The host name defaults to an
environment variable (%SFT_SOFTGRIDSERVER%). To use the variable, you must have
previously set the variable on the SoftGrid client to the host name of the SoftGrid server.
e. Path: IEwithJava.
9. Click Next.
10. On the Operating Systems page, click the operating systems on which you intend this package to
run and use the right arrow to move the selected items to the right pane.
11. Click Finish.
12. On the Welcome to the Installation Wizard page, click Next.
13. On the Sequencing Parameters page, click Next.
14. On the Monitor Installation page, click Begin Monitoring.... This action minimizes the sequencer so
you can start the application installation process.
Page | 31
Note Open instances of Windows Explorer and command prompts will not be monitored. In the
following steps you can install the application using Windows Explorer.
15. In a new instance of Windows Explorer, go to the Q drive and create a new folder called IEjava.001.
16. Open the Sun Java Runtime Environment (JRE) installer.
17. Select the Show advanced options panel check box, and then click Accept.
18. Click the Change button, type Q:\IEjava.001\Java\jre1.6.0_02\ for the installation directory, and then
click OK.
Figure 21. Sun Java custom installation page
19. Click Next to complete the installation.

20. Restore the minimized SoftGrid Sequencer.
21. Click Stop Monitoring.
22. In the Browse For Folder dialog box, click the Q:\IEjava.001\ installation folder you specified in the
setup wizard (note shorter path), and then click OK.
23. SoftGrid Sequencer will scan the computer for file and registry changes. Click Next to continue.
For applications using Windows Installer, include the current version of installer file libraries to
eliminate version conflicts on client computers.
24. On the Additional Files to Map to the VFS page, click Finish.
25. On the Welcome to the Application Wizard page, click Next.
The Application Wizard detects and lists shortcuts created by the application installer. SoftGrid
Sequencer creates an .osd and .ico file for each shortcut. Using the Select Shortcuts page, you can
edit, remove, or add shortcuts.
Page | 32
26. In the console tree, click Applications, and then click Add.
27. Fill in the following information (Figure 22):
a. Application Path: “C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\IEXPLORE.EXE”
b. Name: IE with Java
c. Version: 1.0
d. OSD File Name: IEwithJava.osd
Figure 22. Shortcut settings for Internet Explorer
28. Click Add.

29. In the details pane, click Java(TM) 2 Platform Standard Edition binary, click Remove, and then
click OK.
30. In the details pane, click Java(TM) Web Start Launcher, click Remove, and then click OK.
31. Click Next.
Using the Launch Shortcuts page you can start the applications associated with the shortcuts
created. This will determine Feature Block 1 (FB1), which contains the portion of the application
required to start the application on the SoftGrid client.
32. Click IE with Java, and then click Launch.

33. Press the ALT key to display the menu bar, and click Tools | Sun Java Console so the sequencer
can properly populate FB1.
34. In the Java console click Close, and then close Internet Explorer. (You might need to click Stop, and
then click Terminate.)
35. Click Next.
36. When the sequencer is finished, click Finish.
Page | 33
37. Click File | Save and save your work as IEwthJava.sprj in the IEwithJava folder on the desktop.
The files produced by SoftGrid Sequencer (.ico, .osd, .sft, and .sprj) must be located in the shared
"content" directory on the System Center Virtual Application Server (the default location is C:\Program
Files\Microsoft\SoftGrid Server\content).
38. Copy the folder IEwithJava to the "content" directory on the application server.
39. Add the new application to SoftGrid Management Console, following instructions provided with the
presequenced application. Use ―IEwithJava" as the Active Directory group.
40. On the SoftGrid client, refresh of the virtual application and then start the new sequence. If needed,
follow the instructions in the section "Testing the Default Application" earlier in this guide.
Page | 34
Troubleshooting
This section addresses some of the most common pitfalls that you might encounter when you install,
configure, and test the SoftGrid platform.
If you need additional help, search either the Microsoft Knowledge Base or the SoftGrid TechCenter.
Common Errors on SoftGrid Client

The following sections list the most common errors encountered with SoftGrid Client and the most
common solutions to those errors.
 When you attempt to refresh the server you get an error that says, "The SoftGrid Client failed to
download..." and "The server could not authorize you to access the requested data..."
 The application shortcut is not on the SoftGrid Client desktop.
 The application did not stream to SoftGrid Client. If the application fails to stream you see the "Launch
Failed" error message above the notification area.
Possible Causes
 The user account used to log on to the SoftGrid client is not a member of the SoftGrid Users Group or
is not a domain user account.
 The .sft, .ico, and/or .osd files are not in the SoftGrid Server ―content‖ folder. Copy these file to
C:\Program Files\Microsoft\SoftGrid Server\content.
 Mistyped .osd and .ico paths in the application record in SoftGrid Management Console.
 The SoftGrid client cannot access the ―content‖ directory on the SoftGrid server.
 The SoftGrid client cannot access the SoftGrid server. Check network settings and cabling.
 ―Content: folder on the SoftGrid server is not set to share or to be shared with everyone who has read
access.
 The SoftGrid client is not a member of the domain.
 The user lacks necessary permissions to access the application. Reread and follow the procedure
regarding importing .osd files, paying close attention to setting the access group.
 The operating system of the SoftGrid client computer is not listed in the .osd file of the application.
If none of the above appears to be the cause of the problem, check SoftGrid Client log Sftlog.txt in
C:\Program Files\Microsoft\ SoftGrid for Windows Desktop for errors.
Page | 35
Accessing the Microsoft Support Knowledge Base

To access the Microsoft Support knowledge base and search for answers to the most frequently asked
questions, go to Microsoft Support.
Contacting Microsoft Training

To register for training courses, to obtain course descriptions, and to get information about Microsoft
certifications, go to Microsoft Training & Events.
Page | 36

Microsoft SoftGrid App Virt 4 2 and 4 1 SP1 Trial Guide

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Trial Guide

Microsoft SoftGrid Application Virtualization Trial Guide

Copyright © 2007 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

IMPORTANT NOTICE .............................................................................................................................................. 2

INTRODUCTION TO THE TRIAL GUIDE .................................................................................................................... 4

TRIAL SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS .............................................................................................................................. 6

INSTALLING SYSTEM CENTER VIRTUAL APPLICATION SERVER ................................................................................ 8

INSTALLING SOFTGRID CLIENT FOR WINDOWS DESKTOPS ................................................................................... 15

TESTING THE DEFAULT APPLICATION ................................................................................................................... 16

SOFTGRID CLIENT FOR TERMINAL SERVERS ......................................................................................................... 20

INSTALLING SOFTGRID SEQUENCER ..................................................................................................................... 21

SEQUENCER FILES ................................................................................................................................................ 23

SEQUENCING ADOBE ACROBAT READER.............................................................................................................. 24

SEQUENCING A SUN PLUG-IN FOR INTERNET EXPLORER ...................................................................................... 31

ACCESSING THE MICROSOFT SUPPORT KNOWLEDGE BASE .................................................................................. 36

CONTACTING MICROSOFT TRAINING ................................................................................................................... 36

Introduction to the Trial Guide

Obtaining Microsoft SoftGrid Application Virtualization

Audience for This Guide

 Set up operating systems and computers.

Overview of the SoftGrid Application Virtualization Platform

System Center Virtual Application Server

SoftGrid Management System

Trial System Requirements

Figure 1. SoftGrid trial in an isolated network

System Center Virtual Application Server

SoftGrid Client for Window Desktops

SoftGrid Sequencer Hardware & Software

Windows Domain Controller

Installing System Center Virtual Application Server

Before You Begin

Microsoft Management Console (MMC) 3.0

MDAC and Microsoft .NET

Verify Microsoft .NET Registration

1. From Administrative Tools click Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager.

1. Open a command-line tool.

Figure 2. Database Server selection page

Figure 3. Database Password page

13. Click Next.

Figure 4. Directory Server page

Figure 5. Select Administrator Group page with list of groups

Figure 6. Content Path page

21. In Windows Explorer, go to C:\ProgramFiles\Softricity\SoftGrid Server\ and share the content

Note You must share the SoftGrid ―content‖ folder.

Installing SoftGrid Client for Windows Desktops

1. Insert the MDOP 2007 CD.

Figure 7. Desktop Configuration Server page

Testing the Default Application

Figure 8. Connect to SoftGrid System

Figure 9. SoftGrid Management Console

Figure 10. Default Application SoftGrid Properties page

9. Click OK to accept the changes for the default application.

Perform the following on the SoftGrid client:

10. From Administrative Tools, click SoftGrid Client Management Console.

Figure 11. SoftGrid Client Management Console

Figure 12. Microsoft Default Application dialog box

SoftGrid Client for Terminal Servers

Installing SoftGrid Sequencer

Before You Install SoftGrid Sequencer

Option 1: Virtual Machine

Option 2: Local Image

Installing SoftGrid Sequencer

1. Insert the MDOP 2007 CD.

Sequencing Adobe Acrobat Reader