Introduction
This guide will show you how to prepare a Cloud App Template and configure a Cloud App Pool and publishing cloud apps.
Configure the Cloud App Server template
The Cloud App vm instance was previously created during the infrastructure deployment back in Part 2 of the Workspot on GCP series. The process to prepare and configure the template for a Cloud App server is the same as the win 10/11 Cloud PC template. What is different is preparing the App Server as a Session Host for shared desktops and published apps.
From the Utility Server log on the App Server instance. Run windows updates and manually set the DNS Server IP on the network card properties to the IP on the Domain Controller. Reboot the server.
We are going to keep the configuration quite simple to start. The first thing we want to do is prevent the Server Manager from automatically starting. We will configure a local GPO to do that.
Launch the Local Group Policy editor and navigate to Computer Configuration…Administrative Templates…System…Server Manager and edit the setting for ‘Do not display Server Manager automatically at logon’ to ‘Enabled’
Using the Server Manager use ‘Add Roles and Features’ to add the ‘Remote Desktop Session host’ role.
Click next on the ‘Before You Begin’ page
Installation Type is the default selection ‘Role Based or Feature based installation – click next
Server Selection page make sure the Server is selected - Click Next • Server Roles page – select ‘Remote Desktop Services’ – Click Next
Features page – Click next
Remote Desktop Services page – Click Next
Role Service page – Select Remote Desktop Session host and accept the default features – click next
Confirmation Page – click next to install.
Restart the Server to complete the installation.
Preparing the Template
From the Utility Server RDP over to the Cloud App Server Template vm instance.
Install the Workspot Agent
The workflow we will use for this exercise is to create a folder on root of C: called wsagent. From a browser go to download.workspot.com and download the WorkspotAgentSetup.msi to the wsagent folder you created.
Next from a browser logon to control.workspot.com, navigate to ‘Setup…Configuration…General Settings and copy the Template Registration Token. Open Notepad and paste the token and save it in the wsagent folder. Log out of Control.
Now open up a cmd prompt as Administrator and change to wsagent directory and run the following command:
msiexec /i WorkspotAgentSetup.msi /quiet NoregisterAgent=trueNavigate to c:\program files\workspotagent and run the following command to register the template to control using the token you copied from control.
C:\Program Files\WorkspotAgent>auto_template.bat pastetokenhere
From the C:\Program Files\WorkspotAgent folder copy the Workspotconfig.xml file into the C:\ProgramData\WorkspotAgent\Config folder.
From the C:\Program Files\WorkspotAgent folder run the WorkspotConfigEditor utility as an Admin.
Fill in the Workspot DomainJoin info and ‘Test Secure Credentials’ to validate the Domain Join info that will be used during the provisioning process. This should return as successful.
Additionally in the Domain Accounts List for this exercise fill in the Domain Users group to get added to the Remote Desktop Users group of the vm’s that will be provisioned.
Click on Submit and this will get copied to the workspotconfig.xml file and the password will be securely stored in the password vault
You can delete the wsagent folder and perform any additional cleanup or app installations and then shutdown the vm instance.
Create the App Server Image
The next step is to go to the GCP console and create a new Image from that vm instance. This is the same procedure as creating the Image for a Cloud PC template. Give the Image the same name as the vm instance and select the vm instance as the source disk and create Image. When that is completed, the last step is to create the instance template
Create the Instance Template
The final step before registering the App Server template in control is to create an Instance template.
Using the Cloud Shell load the variables and run the following the command:
gcloud beta compute --project=$projectid instance-templates create $appsvrname --machine-type=n2-standard-2 --subnet=$subnet1daasname --noaddress --maintenance-policy=TERMINATE --region=$region1 --image=$appsvrname --image-project=$projectid --boot-disk-size=128GB --boot-disktype=pd-balanced --boot-disk-device-name=$appsvrname --reservation-affinity=anyRegister the App Server template in Control
The process is exactly the same as registering the Windows 10/11 template. Refer back to that section for detail.
Create and App Server Pool
In control navigate to ‘Resources…Cloud App Pools…Add Cloud App Pool. Fill in Selections like the example below:
Click on ‘Create.’ When to pool is provisioned, the new pool will appear in control with a green status, and when you click on the pool name you will see the servers in the pool with a status of ready.
Publishing Applications
In control navigate to ‘Resources…Applications…Add Application
We will start with Publishing a shared desktop. Fill out the selections similar to the example below.
Next, we will Publish Chrome. We will select ‘Installed Application’ because it appears in the Start Menu and will show up as a selection. Just select Chrome and the Path will automatically fill in.
Next, we will Publish Notepad. This Application does not appear in the Start menu, so we need to select Custom Application and enter the Path.
In Control under Applications, we now see the three applications.
Assigning Applications to Groups
You can assign applications to Groups or directly to Users. There are a few ways to do this. In the exercise we will use a Bundle. In control navigate to Resources…Bundles click on the Default App Bundle and select the applications that you want in that bundle.
Assign the Default App Bundle to the Domain Users Group
Bundles
Under the Resources tab, bundles streamline the task of managing and assigning applications for Control administrators. This feature enables administrators to group a set of applications already published in Control and assign the bundle to Control groups, eliminating the need to assign applications individually.
For instance, if there are four Active Directory (AD) groups in Control representing different teams within an organization—such as HR, Finance, IT, and Developers—and there are 30 applications available in the Control account, bundles allow for the creation of application groups tailored to specific needs and efficient assignment to Control groups in one action.
Download and Install the Workspot Client
Go to Workspot.com…support…Workspot Client Download.
Install the client and once the client is installed the first run self-registration takes place.
This registers the user and the endpoint device to control.
Enter in the UPN on the AD test user you created.
Upon a successful Authentication the user will be prompted to create a PIN code. In this configuration the PIN is unique to each endpoint and the user must remember it. Think of it like a PIN code for your ATM card. The Client will not unlock, nor will it talk to control until a valid PIN is entered. This PIN sets up a secure tunnel to control and the user entitlements and policies are sent down to the client. This also protects the client if someone else accesses the keyboard and tries to open the client. There is also brute force protection built in. After a short series of unsuccessful PIN codes attempts the client will be locked out. At that point, the user would need to reinstall the client and re-register with control.
Do not forget this code!!!
Launch the Workspot Client and you will now see the Applications.
To remove the Cloud App entitlement, simply edit the AD Group and remove the App Bundle.
Click on the application icon of your choice.
