Skip to content
Rorymon Logo
  • Blogroll
  • About
  • Contact
Menu
  • Blogroll
  • About
  • Contact
Twitter Linkedin Rss
  • All Articles
  • Applications
    • App Compatibility
    • App Deployment
    • App Virtualization
      • App-V
        • Decision Matrix
        • App-V 4.x Recipes
        • App-V 5.x Recipes
        • App-V Videos
      • AppSense StrataApps
      • Cameyo
      • Evalaze
      • Frame
      • Numecent CloudPaging
      • P-Apps
      • ThinApp
      • Turbo
      • Workspace Streaming
      • XenApp Profiling
    • Containers
    • Layering
      • App Volumes
      • Citrix App Layering
      • FlexApp
      • Unidesk
  • Citrix
    • AppDNA
    • Citrix App Layering
    • Citrix Monitoring
    • Citrix Profiling
    • Citrix XenApp
  • Microsoft
    • ACT
    • Azure
    • BitLocker
    • Hyper-V
    • inTune
    • MDOP
      • AGPM
      • APP-V
      • DaRT
      • MBAM
      • MED-V
    • RDS
    • System Center
      • SCCM
      • SCOM
    • WDS
    • Windows
      • Windows 7
      • Windows 8
      • Windows 10
      • Windows Server 2012
  • VMware
    • App Volumes
    • ThinApp
  • Downloads
  • Podcast

Unidesk with Hyper-V Setup Part 3

  • Rory Monaghan
  • March 6, 2015
Share on reddit
Share on facebook
Share on twitter
Share on linkedin
Uncategorized

With Unidesk setup and configured. Let’s start creating our layers. Unidesk as the name suggests allows us to create virtual desktops to deploy to our end users. It’s a very, very powerful solution. In order to create these desktops, we’re really deploying separate layers which merge together to give the user that kick ass Virtual Desktop.

The layers in question are the OS Layer, which will contains your Operating System of choice, any updates you’d like to apply and possibly some applications which you think belong on the image itself. The Application Layers. Each application that you want to be able to deploy to your users, can also be created into Layers. Each user is assigned a User Layer, which is like a disk which contains their application settings and user data. So the Desktop is really made of these layers brought together as one. UNI-Desk 🙂

For this post. I’m going to go through creating the OS Layer!

Create an OS Layer

Spin up a VM on your Hyper-V host with the OS you prefer. Install any updates you’d like to apply, install whatever (if any) application you’d like to have installed as part of the image. For example, I ensure .Net Framework, all version of C++ Redistribituables, Powershell and Office are on my image. This is because I like to install all relevant updates for these products. Some people like to include Java, Adobe Reader, Flash player and other commonly shared applications on the image. I prefer to have them as part of the build rather than on the image and in this case, I’d prefer to have them as application layers.

Once all updates and apps have been installed and whatever other configs you’d like. Disable Windows Updates. Delete any restore points which may have been created when running Windows updates and disable the restore too. I suggest that you also ensure you delete any User Profiles you may not want on the image. Also ensure the image is NOT on your domain!

Next run your unidesk_win_gold_image_tools_3.0.0 file.

Step1

 

Click Extract. The files will extract to C:\Windows\Setup\Scripts. If for some reason you coped the file to the machine in order to extract it. Delete it now, or you may forget to remove it, which would leave it on the image.

Browse to C:\Windows\Setup\Scripts, you can laugh the optimizer tool to optimize your VM, personally I skipped this step.

From the same directory, launch the Unattend tool. Ensure you right click on it and Run As Administrator as it needs to write to a directory which requires elevation to write to.

Step2

 

This launches Unidesk Unattend.xml Builder which is a very simple way to create the Windows unattend file which will be used to create our Desktops.

The correct OS Type(s) and OS Package should be correct when you launch it.

Enter your Registered Organization. Select your licensing type. I selected Retail with MAK for my home lab. When you edit this section of the form, a command window should appear. This is creating an Activation ID. Ensure you’ve entered a valid Product Key and move on down through the Unattend Builder.

Step3

 

In order to ensure your desktop joins to the domain. You will need to enter your Domain information, as well as an account which can join the machines to the domain. You will need to also enter a Local Administrator password, to create a local admin. Set your Time Zone and then save the file. You should get the all good message as above.

Note: This creates an Unattend file which is good for most users. However, in my case I needed to open up the Unattend file and modify it. In my home lab, I do not have my network configured for my Domain. I set the DNS config on my machines and join to the domain. This can be done via the Unattend file.

Launch the setup file under C:\Windows\Setup\scripts

Step4

 

Click Next >

Step5

 

Click Next >

Step6

 

Enter the IP Address of your Management Appliance. If you go to your Hyper-V Manager, you can click on the VM and go to the Network tab to find it. Then click Next >

Step7

 

Click Install

Step8

 

Click Finish

Now browse back to the Unidesk Management Console

Step9

 

Browse to the Layers tab, click on OS Layers and then on the far right. Click Create OS Layer

Step10

 

Enter a name for your OS Layer that’s somewhat descriptive. Give a unique version to be able to differentiate versions. You should now see the name of your Hyper VM which you used to create your ‘image’ and then click the Down arrow

Step11

 

At this step you can upload an icon file for your OS or select a default and then click the down arrow

Step12-1

 

 

Create OS Layer,Unidesk Layering
PrevPreviousUnidesk with Hyper-V Setup Part 2
NextUnidesk with Hyper-V Setup Part 4Next
Rory Monaghan

Rory Monaghan

Microsoft MVP. Citrix CTP. VMware EUC Champion & vExpert.
Twitter Linkedin Rss Vimeo Youtube Soundcloud

Speaker Sessions

I'm not speaking at any events at the moment.

Get the App-V Decison Matrix and Interactive Tool.

See what the right deployment option for your applications is.
Let's Go!
FREE TOOL
Further Reading

Windows 10 Migration Checklist

We'll virtualise your 5 most complex apps for FREE
Learn More

Let's make virtualization EASIER!

Be amongst the first to know when I publish new reviews, guides and tools to simplify your virtualization projects.

Categories
  • All Articles
  • Application Compatibility
  • Application Virtualization
  • Containers
  • Citrix XenApp
  • Application Layering
Connect
  • Blogroll
  • About
  • Contact
Twitter Linkedin Rss Vimeo Youtube Soundcloud

© Copyright Rorymon.com. All rights reserved 2022.

Privacy   |   Cookies
Marketing Services by Riabro.