Arming Your Helpdesk to Manage SVS Layers, Part 1 of 3: Managing Layers with SVS Admin Console

As we planned our SVS agent roll-out it became clear to us that no end user should have the SVS admin console on their machine. That being said we need to get our staff familiar with the SVS and the admin console by having them install it on their machine and test. This article covers a basic overview of that process for our Helpdesk team.

We also developed 3 ways for the Helpdesk to manage SVS layers.

1. Task Server - for machines on the wire. See "Put Your Task Server to Work - SVS Style". We created SVS tasks for every package that allows the helpdesk to perform every action needed to manage layers. Ex. activate, reset, deactivate, etc.
2. SVS Admin Command Line - Part 2 of this series
3. SVS Admin on USB - Part 3 of this series

This document has been created to help the IT technician familiarize and manage the SVS Admin tool on a local machine. The SVS admin tool DOES NOT get installed on the end users computer.

After completing this document you will be able to manage virtual software packages using SVS Admin on a local computer.

How Software Virtualization Works

An application or set of data is virtualized by using a capture process that creates a Virtual Software Package (VSP). A VSP contains all the files and registry settings of the application or data. A VSP can be used on a client computer that has the Software Virtualization Agent. The VSP is installed to a special area on the hard drive. After the VSP is activated through the Software Virtualization Agent, the application becomes visible along with its files, folders, and settings. Even though it is a "virtual" application, it looks and behaves like any other application to the end user.

Terminology

• Layer - "capture" an installation of an application. All installed files, registry settings, and application settings will be captured and stored in the layer.
• Import layer - To import an existing VSA file to make the layer available through the SVS Agent.
• Activate Layer - The layer files (Application) that have been imported on a client computer are made visible to the user. Activation and deactivation occur almost instantaneously.
• Deactivate layer - The imported layer files are hidden from the user but are kept on the computer.
• Reset layer - When a layer is created, the data captured is stored in a Read-only sublayer. If a user makes any changes to the application/data, that data is stored in a Writeable sublayer. You can reset the layer, which deletes all the data added by the user (writeable data) and maintains the original read-only data unless the exclude entries are active.
• Start layer automatically - To configure a layer to start (activate) automatically on system boot or not start automatically on system boot when the layer is deployed to a client computer.
• Exclude Entries - You can configure a layer to exclude file types or folder locations from capture. This is done so that a file will not be redirected by the SVS File System Filter Driver to the layer. Instead, the file is saved to the core file system. (Data will not be removed)

The basic tools above are all you need to know when managing SVS admin. Now let's get into some of the details for each one.

For learning or testing purposes you can install SVS on your IT computer from here \\us-hqdfs1\\Software\Altiris\SVSAdmin_2.1.0.2084

Import from Archive:

Launch the SVS Admin tool from your USB device or go to Start > Programs>Altiris > Software Virtualization > Software Virtualization Admin. Select File > Import from Archive and type in the file name \\ariba\files\software\Altiris\SVS_Packages and click Open.

Figure: 1

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Figure: 2

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Select the .vsa file (layer) that you would like to install and click open. You will see the install progress bar and successfully completed windows when finished.

Figure: 3

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Figure: 4

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Activate\Deactivate:

In Figure: 5 the bold layers (package) are active and the non-bold are inactive. If the layer is active you will see the application installed.

Figure: 5

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For example:

MS Project is deactivated

Click to view.

MS Project is activated

Click to view.

To activate or deactivate a layer, highlight the layer of your choice such as MSProjectSTD2003 and click File > "Activate" or "Deactivate".

Figure: 6

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Figure: 7

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Notice in Figure: 7 Deactivate is grayed out. That's because the layer is already deactivated. Deactivating would be used if the user did not purchase licenses or does not use the application on that computer.

Reset Layer:

To reset a layer is to put the layer back to its original configuration.

To reset a layer you need to first deactivate the layer then reset.

Figure: 8

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Figure: 9

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Start Layer Automatically:

When you activate a layer you will need to have that layer automatically started every time the computer is restarted. To start a layer automatically highlight the layer and click File> Start Automatically.

Figure: 10

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Exclude Entries:

These entries are used to save all data that you do not want lost in a layer reset. If the layer is reset you will not lose this data. The exclude entries you can manage are create new, modify or delete.

Locating the Excluded Entries by deactivating the layer > right click the layer > select Edit Advanced Layer Properties.

Figure: 11

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Figure: 12

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You notice in Figure: 12 all the file extensions that will be saved to the local machine when the layer is reset or deactivated. These files are all excluded from the layer.

To create, modify or delete an excluded entry right click the value and select your option.

Figure: 13

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The Global Exclude is basically My Documents and Desktop folders. These folders will also be saved to the local machine when the layer is reset or deactivated. These folders are all excluded from the layer.

Summary:

While running SVS Admin you can activate\deactivate software on user's computers. You can also reset for troubleshooting purposes. Make sure you select the start layer automatically when activating the layer. Finally, you can exclude file extensions from layers so no user data is lost.

More information about this topic can be located at:

Getting Started with Virtual Software Layers and Archive Files and Performing Virtual Software Layer Tasks.

The information in this document is only to be used by IT Technicians. No other user should use this tool to manage any SVS virtual software.

Some of the information in this document referenced from http://juice.altiris.com