What's New in Applidis Fusion 4 Service Pack 3

What’s new in AppliDis Fusion 4 Service Pack 3

Systancia Publication: November 2013

Summary

This new AppliDis Fusion 4 Service Pack 3 version introduces significant new features and enhancements to the solution. The 4 following major features have been integrated: - AppliDis Standby Databases synchronization management engine. - AppliDis Session Booster - Dynamic VDI machines Provisioning - Toolbox

The information provided in this document is by way of information only, and does not therefore constitute any kind of commitment for Systancia. The information contained herein may be amended by Systancia at any time without notice.

Trademarks of other companies: all other trademarks, product names and company names referred to in this document are mentioned for explanatory purposes and belong to their respective holders. More specifically, Microsoft, Windows, Windows 2003 and Windows 2008 Server, Windows 2008 Server R2, Windows 2012 Server, Windows 2012 Server R2, SQL Server are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and in other countries.

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Table of content

Introduction ...... 5 AppliDis Standby Database engine synchronisation management...... 6 What does it do? ...... 6 How to enable it?...... 6 AppliDis Booster ...... 7 What does it do? ...... 7 How to enable it?...... 7 Windows 2012 Server and SQL 2012 Server support ...... 8 What does it do? ...... 8 Microsoft RemoteFX support and multimedia improvement ...... 8 What are the new features? ...... 8 Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 support ...... 9 What does it do? ...... 9 HTML5 Client ...... 10 What does it do? ...... 10 How to enable it?...... 10 RDS Virtual Desktop ...... 11 What does it do? ...... 11 How to enable it?...... 11 Internet Explorer 11 Support ...... 13 What does it do? ...... 13 Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox Support ...... 14 What does it do? ...... 14 Ability for users to manage their applications ...... 15 What does it do? ...... 15 Easy access to technical information ...... 16 Where can the information be found? ...... 16 AppliDis Administration Console ...... 16 AppliDis servers’ configuration report ...... 17 What does it do? ...... 17 How to access this feature? ...... 17 AppliDis Toolbox ...... 18 What does it do? ...... 18 Where to find it? ...... 18 AppliDis Add-ons ...... 19 What does it do? ...... 19 Where to find it? ...... 19

AppliDis Dynamic VDI Provisioning ...... 20 What does it do? ...... 20 Where to find it? ...... 20 Multiple Language Support ...... 21 What does it do? ...... 21 Where to find it? ...... 21 AppliDis Client Update Management...... 22 What does it do? ...... 22 Where to find it? ...... 22 AppliDis Database Cleaning Tool ...... 23 What does it do? ...... 23 Where to find it? ...... 23

Introduction

This document describes all the new features included in AppliDis Fusion 4 Service Pack 3. It also details the added value for both users and administrators.



AppliDis Standby Database engine synchronisation management

What does it do? AppliDis Standby Database engine management has been updated to improve data synchronisation in case AppliDis Standby Database becomes temporary unavailable. When a AppliDis Standby Database became unavailable, all the update SQL requests that cannot be sent to the database are stored within a cache file and are automatically processed when the AppliDis Standby Database becomes available again. Furthermore, AppliDis infrastructure performances are not affected when an AppliDis Standby Database becomes unavailable. AppliDis Standby Database data synchronisation is now managed through a new service on the AppliDis Administration Servers.

How to enable it? This new feature is enabled by default in AppliDis 4 Fusion SP3.

AppliDis Booster

What does it do? AppliDis Booster module is composed of 3 new features:  AppliDis user profile virtualisation (currently released in beta version): This new feature will modify users’ profiles to only download a file when required. This will decrease user profile loading time and thus will improve TS/RDS session opening times.  Pre-loading of TS/RDS sessions: A new TS/RDS session will be opened on an AppliDis Applications Server just after the authentication step on the users’ web portal or on AppliDis Desktop client. Therefore, when users run a first published application, opening time will be very short because the TS/RDS session will already be established. AppliDis load balancing engine will use AppliDis statistics to determine which of the AppliDis Application Servers should be used to pre-load the session.  Delayed closure of TS/RDS session: The users’ TS/RDS sessions will stay open for a customisable amount of time after the last published application within the sessions which have been closed. This will allow users to very quickly run a new published application once all the others have been closed, since their TS/RDS session will still be open. For preloading and delayed closure of TS/RDS sessions, a customisable time for a session standby state can be defined within the AppliDis Administration Console.

How to enable it? This new feature can be enabled within the AppliDis Administration, menu "Console AppliDis Fusion 4 > Management Console > AppliDis Booster»:

Figure 1 - AppliDis Booster Web configuration interface

Because "AppliDis user profile virtualisation" is released in beta version, an additional option "Activate Profile Virtualization (beta)" needs to be enabled within "AppliDis Fusion 4 > Management Console > Configuration > General options" to unlock this feature.

Windows 2012 Server and SQL 2012 Server support

What does it do? Compatibility for the following version of Microsoft infrastructure servers is implemented with AppliDis 4 Fusion SP3:  Microsoft SQL Server 2012 for AppliDis Databases  Microsoft 2012 Server and Microsoft 2012 Server R2 for AppliDis Administration Server, AppliDis Portal Server, and AppliDis Gateway Server.  Microsoft 2012 Server and Microsoft 2012 Server R2 for AppliDis Applications Server, including support of RDP 8 and RDP 8.1.

Microsoft RemoteFX support and multimedia improvement New features and many multimedia improvements have been included for RDP within Microsoft 2012 Server and Microsoft 2012 Server R2. These new features and improvements are supported by AppliDis when version 8 or later of RDP protocol is installed on the client computers, for running published applications from users’ web portal, AppliDis Desktop Client, standard VDI, and also extended VDI if VDI clones are running under Windows 7 SP1 RDP 8 (Microsoft update KB2592687 needs to be installed).

What are the new features? The check system requirements feature included within AppliDis 4 Fusion SP3 has been updated and completed to add support for Windows 2012 Server.

Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 support

What does it do? AppliDis Client is now supported on the following environments:  Windows 8 x86  Windows 8.1 x86  Windows 8 x64  Windows 8.1 x64

Figure 2 - Published application run on Windows 8.1

HTML5 Client

What does it do? A new HTML5 feature is included within AppliDis 4 Fusion SP3 in order to allow mobile devices, MAC OS, Linux client computers and Windows PCs to access your published applications without installing Systancia components on the client devices. Access to the published applications is managed by the web browser on the client computers.

How to enable it? HTML5 client is handled by a third-party tool. Please contact your Systancia business referent for more information about this feature.

RDS Virtual Desktop

What does it do? AppliDis 4 Fusion SP3 is now able to publish virtual desktops using a XP or AERO theme on AppliDis Applications Servers, in addition to traditional extended VDI desktops. From a users’ point of view, no display difference will be detected between a Windows XP, Windows Vista or Windows 7 environment and a virtual desktop based on Windows 2003 Server or Windows 2008 Server R2 hosted on an AppliDis Applications Server.

The start menu of the virtual desktop allows access to session disconnection and closing functions, to virtual desktop environment management tools and to the AppliDis published applications available for the users.

How to enable it? A new RDS virtual desktop can be created within the AppliDis Administration Console, menu " AppliDis Fusion 4 > Management Console > Desktops > Desktops list", option "New TS/RDS desktop":

Figure 3 - RDS Desktop using a custom display theme

The new option "Enable the secure desktop AppliDis with access only to published applications" will load AppliDis tools within the TS/RDS session, and allow users to access their published applications from the startup menu and from the desktop.

The tab "Configuration" can be used to customise localisations for the RDS desktop, to select the AppliDis Applications Servers on which the virtual desktop will start.

Figure 4 - RDS desktop localization configuration

Once the RDS desktop has been created, an AppliDis contract needs to be created to allow users to access it.

Internet Explorer 11 Support

What does it do? All the AppliDis web pages have been updated to improve compatibility with Internet Explorer 11. AppliDis Users Web Portal and AppliDis Administration Console are now compatible with Internet Explorer 7 to Internet Explorer 11. Moreover, a new functionality locks AppliDis authentication web pages on incompatible web browsers.

Figure 5 - Locked AppliDis authentication page because of an incompatible web browser

Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox Support

What does it do? A new feature has been implemented in order to allow AppliDis published applications using AppliDis Windows Client to run on other web browsers not just Internet Explorer. This new feature automatically downloads AppliDis Client components onto the client computer using JAVA WebStart technology. This new features replaces AppliDis JAVA client, and is only available for Microsoft Windows client computers, having the JAVA plug-in installed and enabled within the browser used. For alternative operating systems (MAC OS, Linux, Android, Apple IOS) the HTML5 Gateway must be used.

Figure 6 - User Web Portal access using Mozilla Firefox

Ability for users to manage their applications

What does it do? Users now have the availability to manage their active and unactive applications from the users’ web portal and from AppliDis Desktop client.

Figure 7 - Application management on users' web portal

Easy access to technical information

Where can information be found?

AppliDis Administration Console AppliDis Manuals are available within the AppliDis Administration Console, menu "Wizard". If an Internet connection is available on the server, searches can be directly performed on Systancia Expert web site.

Figure 8 - Online help tool

The button "Connect to the online help" must be pressed to allow accessing online information. If a proxy server is needed, the proxy authentication dialog box should be displayed.

AppliDis servers’ configuration report

What does it do? A new feature allows for generating reports of the AppliDis farm’s configuration:

Figure 9 - AppliDis Farm Configuration Report

This tool can be used to quickly generate a report of the AppliDis farm configuration. This report can be submitted to the Systancia Support Team when opening a new case. It also allows quick detection of configuration mistakes between servers. Furthermore, a "Print" button can be used to format the report and open the printing dialog box.

How to access this feature? This feature can be accessed from the AppliDis Administration Console, menu " AppliDis Fusion 4 > Management Console > Maintenance > Config summary".

AppliDis Toolbox

What does it do? Many AppliDis tools and the associated technical sheets can directly be downloaded from the AppliDis Administration Console:

Tools are sorted within different themes:

 AppliDis Integration  Application Integration  Applications / Device / Third Party Systems  Database  Gateway / Proxy  Printers  RDP / TS / RDS  Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)  Others

The following new tools have been added:

 AdisTlsAddNetworkDriveFromUser.exe : This tool can be used to manage network drive mapping, depending of customisable policies.  AdisTlsStartForegroundWindow.exe : This tool can be used to force a published application to the foreground once it has been started.  AdisTlsStartWaitTsProcess.exe : This tool can be used for process monitoring, depending of policies based on process names.

Where to find it? AppliDis Toolbox is accessible from the AppliDis Administration Console, menu " AppliDis Fusion 4 > Management Console > Toolbox".

Figure 10 - AppliDis Toolbox

AppliDis Add-ons

What does it do? Many AppliDis add-ons can now be downloaded from AppliDis Administration Console. For example, AppliDis SLB Client for Linux and the AppliDis conversation tool named ezThinPC can be downloaded from this new interface.

A technical sheet is associated for each package.

Where to find it? AppliDis Add-ons is accessible from the AppliDis Administration Console, menu " AppliDis Fusion 4 > Management Console > Add-ons".

Figure 11 - AppliDis Add-ons menu

AppliDis Dynamic VDI Provisioning

What does it do? AppliDis Dynamic VDI Provisioning allows automatic creation of Extended VDI Clones when required. This allows for the number adjustment of Extended VDI Clones available within the current load of the AppliDis farm. AppliDis Dynamic VDI Provisioning is a global setting for AppliDis. It allows for the maximal number of Extended VDI Clones to be defined and created at the same time, so that the maximum datastore usage limit is not exceed.

Figure 12 - AppliDis Dynamic VDI Provisioning management interface

Where to find it? AppliDis Dynamic VDI Provisioning management interface is accessible from the AppliDis Administration Console, menu "AppliDis Fusion 4 > Management Console > Desktops > Dynamic management options".

Multiple Language Support

What does it do? Three different languages can now be set for AppliDis Interfaces: French, English and German. AppliDis can be configured to the language that the user wants to be used or to try to automatically detect the language to be used depending on the language preferences of the user’s web browser or operating system. In the cases where no language has been detected, an option is available to define the default language to use.

Figure 13 - Language selection Web Interface

Where to find it? AppliDis language configuration interface is accessible from the AppliDis Administration Console, menu "AppliDis Fusion 4 > Management Console > Configuration > Languages".

AppliDis Client Update Management

What does it do? When connected to AppliDis Desktop Client or Users’ Web Portal, a warning message is displayed if the version of AppliDis Client installed on the client computer is older than the version available on the server side. A new feature does now allow selecting the version of AppliDis Client under which a warning message will be displayed when accessing AppliDis resources.

Figure 14 - AppliDis Client Update Management interface

Where to find it? AppliDis Client Update management interface is accessible from the AppliDis Administration Console, menu "AppliDis Fusion 4 > Management Console > Maintenance > Clients updates".

AppliDis Database Cleaning Tool

What does it do? Many statistics about AppliDis published applications and desktops usage are stored within AppliDis Databases. The AppliDis Database Cleaning Tool allows cleaning AppliDis statistics from the databases. This action can be manually performed, or through a scheduled task. A new option does now allow resetting AppliDis statistics older than a defined date so to keep the newest statistics.

Figure 15 - AppliDis Database Cleaning Tool interface

Where to find it? AppliDis Database Cleaning Tool interface is accessible from the AppliDis Administration Console, menu "AppliDis Fusion 4 > Management Console > Maintenance > Databases cleaning".