Parallels Desktop Business Edition - 13.0 Administrator’s Guide

Parallels Desktop for Mac Business Edition

IT Administrator's Guide

v13 Update 3

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Contents

Introduction ............................................................................................................... 5

Parallels Desktop Business Edition Features Overview ..................................................... 5

Parallels Desktop for Mac Business Edition Features ............................................. 8

Restricting User Actions in Parallels Desktop with a Custom Password ............................ 8

Restricting a Virtual Machine Configuration with a Custom Password ............................... 9

Locking a Virtual Machine on Suspend .......................................................................... 11

Setting an Asset Tag in the Virtual Machine BIOS ........................................................... 12

Using Custom Graphics and Links in the Control Center ................................................ 13

Hiding Developer Tools in the Parallels Desktop GUI ...................................................... 14

Encrypting a Virtual Machine from the Command Line .................................................... 15

Single Application Mode ................................................................................................ 16

Setting an Expiration Date for a Virtual Machine ............................................................. 17

Enforcing USB Device Policies ....................................................................................... 18

Resetting the Guest OS Password ................................................................................. 19

Setting Up a Local Update Server .................................................................................. 20

Installing a Web Server .......................................................................................................... 20

Creating the Parallels Update XML File .................................................................................. 21

Configuring Individual Macs ................................................................................................... 23

Configuring Parallels Desktop Update Branch ................................................................ 25

Customizing the Support Center Option......................................................................... 26

Participating in the Customer Experience Program ......................................................... 27

Mass Deployment of Parallels Desktop and Virtual Machines .............................. 28

Prerequisites ................................................................................................................. 28

Kernel Extensions in macOS High Sierra ........................................................................ 29

Using MDM Configuration ..................................................................................................... 29

Using spctl Command ........................................................................................................... 30

Manually Approving Kernel Extensions .................................................................................. 30

Supported Deployment Tools ........................................................................................ 32

Preparing the Deployment Package ............................................................................... 33

Download the Deployment Package ...................................................................................... 33

Contents

Add the Parallels Desktop Installation Image ......................................................................... 34

Specify a License Key ........................................................................................................... 34

Add a Virtual Machine ............................................................................................................ 35

Adding Windows Application Stubs ....................................................................................... 37

Configure Deployment Configuration Options ........................................................................ 39

Single Application Mode ........................................................................................................ 46

Testing the Deployment Package .......................................................................................... 48

Deploying Parallels Desktop and Virtual Machines to Macs ............................................. 49

Deploying with Jamf Pro ........................................................................................................ 49

Deploying with Parallels Mac Management for Microsoft SCCM ............................................ 55

Deploying with Apple Remote Desktop ................................................................................. 57

Deploying macOS Image Using NetBoot ............................................................................... 61

Parallels Desktop Command Line Interface ........................................................... 62

Parallels Desktop Management ..................................................................................... 62

Display Parallels Desktop Info ................................................................................................ 63

License Management ............................................................................................................ 63

Parallels Desktop Preferences ............................................................................................... 65

User List and Virtual Machine Location .................................................................................. 66

Virtual Network Info ............................................................................................................... 66

Virtual Network Settings ........................................................................................................ 66

USB Devices ......................................................................................................................... 68

Send Problem Report ............................................................................................................ 69

Shut Down Parallels Desktop ................................................................................................ 69

Parallels Desktop Plugin Commands ..................................................................................... 69

Error Handling ....................................................................................................................... 70

Virtual Machine Management ......................................................................................... 70

General Virtual Machine Management ................................................................................... 70

Virtual Machine Configuration Tasks ...................................................................................... 78

Snapshot Management ......................................................................................................... 92

Miscellaneous Commands .................................................................................................... 93

Error Handling ....................................................................................................................... 95

Index ........................................................................................................................ 96

C HAPTER 1

Introduction

Welcome to Parallels Desktop for Mac Business Edition. Built on the world’s best-selling, top-rated, most-trusted solution for running Windows applications on the Mac, Parallels Desktop Business Edition adds the capabilities that help IT administrators and purchasing agents save time and money.

Note: This guide refers to Parallels Desktop v13 Update 2. If you are using a newer version of Parallels Desktop (including updates), please download the latest guide from the Parallels website.

In This Chapter

Parallels Desktop Business Edition Features Overview ............................................. 5

Parallels Desktop Business Edition Features Overview

With Parallels Desktop for Mac, your Mac users can seamlessly run both Windows and Mac applications side-by-side with speed, control and confidence. Business users can experience as much or as little Windows as they want. Multiple view modes and options make it possible for users to customize the level of integration between Mac and Windows without compromising performance. Best of all, IT can lock down, secure, and control the settings that matter most.

Parallels Desktop Business Edition Feature Highlights

• License management portal (Parallels My Account)

• Split license keys into sublicenses

• Maintain corporate compliance with restricted virtual machines

• Set an expiration date for a virtual machine

• Mass deployment of Parallels Desktop and virtual machines

• Business-level support including 24/7 phone and email support options

Parallels Desktop Business Edition Feature Matrix

See how Parallels Desktop Business Edition compares to Parallels Desktop Pro and Home editions.

Introduction

Feature

World’s most powerful, best-performing solution for running Windows applications on a Mac

Home

•

Merge the coolness of Mac with the utility of Windows. Seamlessly utilize Mac features inside Windows and leverage Windows' strengths on your

•

Mac.

Advanced networking tools. Create virtual networks for complex network scenarios and testing, including simulating various network scenarios.

Mass deploy and mass manage Parallels Desktop and Windows VMs for your employees.

Single Application Mode. A special Parallels Desktop deployment option allowing Mac users to run a Windows application without being aware of Parallels Desktop and Windows running in a virtual machine.

Licensing and Support

Premium 24/7 phone and email support First 30 days

Centralized license management via Licensing Portal

Simple deployment with unified volume license key

Extended grace period

Pro

•

Business

•

Customizable in-product Support Center option

Removed in-product notifications

Configurable software update policy and local update server options

Security

Restrict end-users from changing virtual machine settings

Restrict end-users from creating new virtual machines

Create expiring virtual machines

Enforce USB device policies

Configurable policies via SCCM and Parallels Mac Management

Advanced

Run virtual machines in “head-less” mode

Assign up to 32 vCPU and 128 GB vRAM per virtual machine and control resources on the fly

•

Command line interface to control Parallels Desktop and virtual machines. Command line interface allows you to work with Parallels plugins for popular development tools including Vagrant and Jenkins

Introduction

•

Customize the Parallels Control Center to include custom graphics, text, and links.

•

C H APTER 2

Parallels Desktop for Mac Business Edition Features

This chapter describes features that are specific to Parallels Desktop for Mac Business Edition.

In This Chapter

Restricting User Actions in Parallels Desktop with a Custom Password .................... 8

Restricting a Virtual Machine Configuration with a Custom Password....................... 9

Locking a Virtual Machine on Suspend .................................................................... 11

Setting an Asset Tag in the Virtual Machine BIOS .................................................... 12

Using Custom Graphics and Links in the Control Center ......................................... 13

Hiding Developer Tools in the Parallels Desktop GUI ............................................... 14

Encrypting a Virtual Machine from the Command Line ............................................. 15

Single Application Mode ......................................................................................... 16

Setting an Expiration Date for a Virtual Machine ....................................................... 17

Enforcing USB Device Policies ................................................................................ 18

Resetting the Guest OS Password .......................................................................... 19

Setting Up a Local Update Server ........................................................................... 20

Configuring Parallels Desktop Update Branch ......................................................... 25

Customizing the Support Center Option .................................................................. 26

Participating in the Customer Experience Program .................................................. 27

Restricting User Actions in Parallels Desktop with a Custom Password

As an administrator of Parallels Desktop Business Edition, you have the ability to restrict the following user actions in Parallels Desktop:

• Creating a new virtual machine.

• Adding an existing virtual machine.

• Removing a virtual machine.

• Cloning a virtual machine or converting it to a template.

• Opening the Parallels Desktop Preferences dialog.

Parallels Desktop for Mac Business Edition Features

You can set a custom password (i.e. it can be different from the local Mac administrator password) and specify which user actions from the list above should require it. Once you apply these settings, even the local Mac administrator will not be able to perform these actions without specifying the password that you set.

To set the password and specify the actions:

1 In the Parallels Desktop menu bar, click Parallels Desktop > Preferences.

2 Click the Security tab.

3 Click the Custom password: Turn On... button.

4 In the dialog that opens, type a password. This becomes the custom password that will be

required to perform actions that you will select in the next step. Click OK.

Note: If later you need to change this password, click the Change Password button and follow the instructions on the screen.

5 Back in the Security dialog, select the user action(s) you want to restrict.

6 Close the dialog to apply the settings.

If a Mac user now tries to perform any of the actions that were password-protected (e.g. creating a virtual machine, etc.), they will be required to enter this custom password. To select or deselect an action in the Parallels Desktop Preferences dialog will also require the password.

The steps described above allow you to set the password and restrict user actions in Parallels Desktop on a particular Mac. If you want to apply these settings on multiple Mac computers in your organization, you can do it using the mass deployment process. For more information, please see Mass Deployment of Parallels Desktop and Virtual Machines (p. 28). Specifically, these options are set in the Security section of the deploy.cfg file, as described in Configure Deployment Configuration Options (p. 39).

Restricting a Virtual Machine Configuration with a Custom Password

Parallels Desktop Business Edition provides you with the ability to protect the configuration of a virtual machine with a custom password. When a password is set, even a local Mac administrator will be required to enter it in order to modify virtual machine settings.

Using the Parallels Desktop graphical user interface to set the password

To set a password in the Parallels Desktop graphical user interface:

1 Open Parallels Desktop and select a virtual machine.

2 On the Parallels Desktop menu bar, select Actions > Configure to open the virtual machine

configuration dialog.

Parallels Desktop for Mac Business Edition Features

3 Select Security.

4 Click the Custom password: Turn On... button.

5 Enter a password, then enter it again to verify and click OK.

To change or remove the password:

• To change the password, click the Change Password button and follow the instructions on the screen.

• To remove the password, click Custom password: Turn Off and follow the instructions on the screen.

If the password is set and the user tries to view or modify the virtual machine configuration, they will be required to enter this custom password.

Using the command line utility to set the password

In addition to the graphical user interface, you can use the prlctl command-line utility to set, reset, and view the password protection of a virtual machine.

To set the password, type the following command in Terminal:

prlctl set "vm_name" --password-to-edit

where vm_name is the virtual machine name in quotes.

You'll be asked to enter a password and then confirm it.

Please enter a new password: Please confirm password:

To change or remove the password, type the following command:

prlctl set "vm_name" --password-to-edit

where vm_name is the virtual machine name in quotes.

You'll be asked to enter the current password.

lease enter current password:

You will then be asked to enter and confirm a new password. To remove the password, leave the line blank and press Enter twice (when asked to enter and confirm the password).

Please enter a new password: Please confirm password:

To view the current protection status, type the following command:

prlctl list "vm_name" -i

The output will look similar to the following:

Encrypted: no Edit restricted: yes

Parallels Desktop for Mac Business Edition Features

Using the mass deployment process to set the password

If you are mass deploying Parallels Desktop and one or more virtual machines, you can set the password in the deploy.cfg file. The password will be applied to all virtual machines included in the deployment package.

For more information, please see Mass Deployment of Parallels Desktop and Virtual Machines (p. 28). Specifically, the password is set in the Virtual Machines section of the deploy.cfg file using the vm_password_to_edit parameter, as described in Configure Deployment

Configuration Options (p. 39).

Compatibility with Other Parallels Desktop Versions

The described functionality works only in Parallels Desktop 7 or later. If you set a password in a virtual machine and then open the virtual machine in an earlier version of Parallels Desktop, the protection will NOT work (i.e. the user will be able to view and modify the virtual machine configuration).

You can only set or remove the password in Parallels Desktop Business Edition. However, if the password is set and the virtual machine is opened in the Parallels Desktop Home Edition, the password will continue to work (i.e the virtual machine configuration will remain locked).

Locking a Virtual Machine on Suspend

To avoid possible security and privacy issues, a suspended Windows virtual machine can be completely locked from user interaction and viewing. When this option is enabled and a virtual machine is suspended, the Windows desktop in the virtual machine window (and in the Parallels Desktop Control Center) is replaced with a black background and the Windows session is interrupted. When the virtual machine is resumed, the Windows session is remained locked and the user will have to enter their user ID and password to unlock it and to see the Windows desktop.

To enable or disable this option:

1 Open Parallels Desktop and select the desired virtual machine (e.g. the source virtual machine

when preparing it for mass deployment).

2 On the Parallels Desktop menu bar, select Actions > Configure to open the virtual machine

configuration dialog.

3 Click the Security tab.

4 Depending on your needs select or clear the Always lock Windows on suspend option.

5 Close the dialog.

Note: The Always lock Windows on suspend option is available only for virtual machine running Windows with Parallels Tools installed. For all other virtual machines, the option will be hidden.

Parallels Desktop for Mac Business Edition Features

Setting an Asset Tag in the Virtual Machine BIOS

Asset tags help identify, control, and track computer assets in an organization. Parallels Desktop for Mac Business Edition provides the ability to set an asset tag in the virtual machine BIOS, which can then be read using the standard tools of the guest operating system. You can set an asset tag using the Parallels Desktop graphical user interface or the prlctl command line utility that comes with Parallels Desktop.

To set an asset tag using the Parallels Desktop GUI:

1 On the Parallels Desktop menu bar, select Actions > Configure to open the virtual machine

configuration dialog.

2 Select Business.

3 Use the Asset tag field to specify the desired tag.

To set an asset tag using the prlctl command line utility, use the following syntax:

prlctl set ID|name --asset-id tag

where ID|name is the virtual machine ID or name, and tag is the asset tag to set.

To obtain the asset tag in Windows, use the WMIC.exe command:

WMIC SystemEnclosure get SMBIOSAssetTag

For the complete syntax of the WMIC utility please see the Microsoft documentation.

Once set, the asset tag never changes. Even if you perform such virtual machine operations as cloning, template manipulation, registering, or any other, the asset tag always stays the same. If you do want to change an existing asset tag for any reason, you can do it manually using of the methods described above.

Parallels Desktop for Mac Business Edition Features

Using Custom Graphics and Links in the Control Center

Parallels Desktop Control Center is a part of the Parallels Desktop graphical user interface. It's a window from which a Mac user launches virtual machines. By default, the Control Center displays the list of the available virtual machines, as in the following example:

You can customize the Control Center by specifying a URL to your own HTML document, which will be embedded at the top of the Control Center window. The HTML page can contain text, graphics, and links such as your company logo, custom text, a link to a support page, etc. The HTML document format doesn't have any specific requirements.

The URL must be specified during the preparation stage of the Mass Deployment process (p. 28). Specifically, you need to specify the URL and the HTML page size using the following variables in the mass deployment configuration file (deploy.cfg):

• control_center_banner_url

• control_center_banner_height

• control_center_banner_min_width

For the description of how to specify the values, please see Configure Deployment Configuration Options (p. 39). The variables are described in the Virtual Machines section.

Parallels Desktop for Mac Business Edition Features

The following is an example of Parallels Desktop Control Center displaying a custom banner at the top.

You can download a sample HTML document defining the banner using the following URL:

http://download.parallels.com/desktop/tools/header13.zip

Hiding Developer Tools in the Parallels Desktop GUI

Parallels Desktop Business and Pro editions include developer tools which are aimed at software developers using Parallels Desktop as their development platform. The tools are accessed by clicking the Develop menu on the virtual machine menu bar and then choosing one of the available options (e.g. Start SSH Session, Start Debugging Session, and others). If users in your organization are not using these tools, you can hide the Develop menu altogether. The reason you would want to do this, some of these features (if used accidentally) may start a debugging session or engage some other development-specific task that may temporarily disrupt a normal Parallels Desktop operation.

This option is a part of a virtual machine configuration and can be set using the Parallels graphical user interface as follows:

1 Open the virtual machine configuration dialog (click the gear icon or choose Actions >

Configure).

2 In the dialog, click Options (at the top) and then click More Options in the left pane.

Parallels Desktop for Mac Business Edition Features

3 In the right pane, select or clear the Show developer tools option. This will show or hide the

Develop menu on the virtual machine menu bar (you don't have to restart a virtual machine if

it's running).

To modify this setting from the command line, execute the following command in Terminal:

prlctl set ID|Name --show-dev-tools on|off

where ID/Name is the GUID or name of a target virtual machine.

When mass deploying Parallels Desktop on Mac computers in your organization, you can configure the deployment package to apply this settings to all included virtual machines automatically. For details, see Configure Deployment Configuration Options (p. 39).

Note: In Parallels Desktop prior to version 13, hiding or showing developer tools was a global option (not a virtual machine level option). If you are still using Parallels Desktop version 12 or older, the option to hide or show developer tools is located in Parallels Desktop Preferences. In these older versions of Parallels Desktop, you can also turn this option on or off from the command line by modifying the com.parallels.Parallels Desktop.plist file located in the ~/Library/Preferences folder. For example, to show developer tools, execute the following command: defaults write "com.parallels.Parallels Desktop" "Application preferences.Show Develop Menu" -bool yes (use "-bool no" to hide the tools).

Encrypting a Virtual Machine from the Command Line

A Parallels virtual machine can be encrypted from the Parallels Desktop graphical user interface. This is done from the Security tab of the virtual machine configuration dialog.

You can also use the prlctl command line utility (included with Parallels Desktop) to perform a full set of encryption operations on a virtual machine.

The following command line options are available:

• Encrypt a virtual machine

prlctl encrypt <ID | NAME>

• Decrypt a virtual machine

prlctl decrypt <ID | NAME>

• Change the encryption password

prlctl change-passwd <ID | NAME>

The <ID | NAME> parameter can be either the virtual machine ID or the virtual machine name. When encrypting a virtual machine, you'll be asked to enter a password phrase, which will be used to encrypt the machine. When decrypting a virtual machine, you will be asked to enter the current password. When changing the password, you'll be asked to enter the old password and then the new password.

Parallels Desktop for Mac Business Edition Features

The encryption password will also be required to perform any other command line operation on an encrypted virtual machine, including starting, stopping, restarting, pausing, suspending, cloning, deleting a virtual machine, etc. For example, to start an encrypted virtual machine, you'll use the following command:

$ prlctl start my_virtual_machine

After executing the command above, you'll be asked to enter the password:

Virtual machine "my_virtual_machine" is encrypted - password required to continue operation Please enter password:

After typing in the correct password, you'll see the following output:

Starting the VM... The VM has been successfully started.

If you need to execute a command remotely without having to enter the password on every Mac, you can send the password via standard input (stdin) as shown in the following example:

$ echo mypass | prlctl start my_virtual_machine Virtual machine 'my_virtual_machine' is encrypted - password required to continue operation Please enter password: Starting the VM... The VM has been successfully started.

If you need to provide two passwords (as with the change-passwd command that changes the password), you can save the passwords to a text file and then use the following syntax:

$ cat /tmp/pass | prlctl change-passwd my_virtual_machine Virtual machine 'my_virtual_machine' is encrypted - password required to continue operation Please enter password: Please enter new password: The password has been successfully changed.

The /tmp/pass file in the example above should contain the old password on the first line and the new password on the second line:

$ cat /tmp/pass mypass newpass

Single Application Mode

Single Application Mode is a special Parallels Desktop deployment option that allows you to completely hide Parallels Desktop and Windows on a Mac and make a Windows application appear like it's a native macOS app. This mode is designed for system administrators who want Mac users in their organization to run one or more Windows applications without being aware of Parallels Desktop or Windows running in a virtual machine.

To make Parallels Desktop run in Single Application Mode, you need to deploy it on Mac computers via the mass deployment package. This includes preparing the deployment package in a special way and then either deploying it on Mac computers using Mac management tools or running it manually on a Mac. 16

Parallels Desktop for Mac Business Edition Features

For more information about how to use the mass deployment package and how to deploy Parallels Desktop in Single Application Mode, please see the following sections of this guide:

• Mass Deployment of Parallels Desktop and Virtual Machines (p. 28)

• Single Application Mode (p. 46)

Setting an Expiration Date for a Virtual Machine

You can set an expiration date for a virtual machine. This can be a useful option if you are preparing a virtual machine for a contractor (or a third party user) and want to make sure that it works only for the duration of the contract.

To set an expiration date for a virtual machine:

1 Open Parallels Desktop and select the desired virtual machine.

2 On the Parallels Desktop menu bar, select Actions > Configure to open the virtual machine

configuration dialog.

3 Select the Security tab.

4 An expiration date can only be set on an encrypted virtual machine. If your machine is not yet

encrypted, click Encryption: Turn On, specify an encryption password, and click OK. Make sure to record the password or you will not be able to start the virtual machine. Wait until the encryption process finishes.

5 To set an expiration date for the virtual machine, click Expiration Date: Set Date, specify a

password and click OK. Make sure to record the password to be able to change the expiration settings later. You should keep this password secret to prevent the prospective user of the virtual machine from changing the expiration date.

6 On the next screen, specify the following options:

• Do not allow this VM start after: specifies the virtual machine expiration date.

• Contact info: specifies the system administrator email, phone number, or other contact

information. This information will be included in the message that will be displayed to the user when the virtual machine is about to expire. You can include each piece of information on a separate line.

• Time Server: specifies the time server URL. The virtual machine expiration time will be

checked against this server. The default time server is https://parallels.com.

• Date Check Frequency: specifies how often the date and time should be verified against

the time server. You can specify it in minutes, hours, or days.

• If unable to check date, use VM for: specifies for how long the virtual machine should be

kept working if the time server cannot be reached. For the duration of this period, the virtual machine will continue to check the date. If it succeeds before this period is over, the counter is reset and the virtual machine will continue to work normally.

7 Click OK when done entering the expiration info.

Parallels Desktop for Mac Business Edition Features

8 To modify the current expiration date or password, click Expiration Date: Change Date or

Expiration Date: Change Password and enter the new values.

Note: When giving the virtual machine to a contractor, make sure to provide them the encryption password, which is needed to start the virtual machine. Please note that this is NOT the expiration date password you've set in step 5 above. This is the password you set when you encrypted the virtual machine.

When the expiration date approaches, the virtual machine user will be notified as follows: a message will begin to be displayed seven days before the expiration date. The message will be shown to the user every 24 hours and additionally on every virtual machine startup. Once the date is reached, the virtual machine will be locked, so the user will not be able to start or resume it anymore.

Enforcing USB Device Policies

When configuring USB device settings for a virtual machine, you can enforce what types of USB devices are allowed to be connected. For example, if storage devices (in general) are not allowed, the Mac user will not be able to connect an external hard disk or thumb drive to the virtual machine. This functionality is available in Parallels Desktop Business edition only and is absent in other editions.

Parallels Desktop for Mac Business Edition Features

To enforce USB device policies, open the virtual machine configuration window and select Hardware > USB & Bluetooth.

In the Allow external devices list:

• Clear the types of devices that you don't want Mac users to connect to the virtual machine.

• Select the types of devices that should be allowed.

Resetting the Guest OS Password

If a virtual machine user forgets the password of their guest OS account (e.g. a Windows user password), it can be reset outside the virtual machine using the command line interface.

To use this functionality the following conditions must be met:

• Parallels Tools must be installed in the guest OS.

Parallels Desktop for Mac Business Edition Features

• The virtual machine must be running. If it's stopped, start it and wait until you see the guest OS login prompt.

• Depending on your requirements, the following option can be selected or cleared in the virtual machine configuration dialog: Security > Require Password to: [ ] Change guest OS password via CLI. If this option is selected, you will be asked to provide the macOS administrator password to change the guest OS password from the command line. If the option is cleared, the administrator password will not be required. By default, the option is cleared.

To reset the password, open Terminal and enter the following command:

prlctl set vm_name --userpasswd username:new_password

where:

• vm_name is the virtual machine name. To obtain the list of virtual machines installed on this Mac, type prlctl list.

• username is the guest OS user name.

• new_password is the new password.

Example:

prlctl set My_Win8_VM --userpasswd JohnDoe:A12345

If the Require Password to: Change guest OS password via CLI option is selected in the virtual machine configuration dialog (see above), the command will display the following text and prompt:

Only host administrator can change user password in the guest OS. Confirm your administrator credentials. Username:

Enter the name of the macOS user with administrative privileges and press the Enter key. Type the user password and press Enter again.

Once the new password is set, you can use it to log in to the guest OS.

Setting Up a Local Update Server

With Parallels Desktop Business Edition you can set up a local update server on your network from which Mac users can get Parallels Desktop updates. Updates are released periodically to improve the performance and reliability of Parallels Desktop. To reduce Internet traffic when downloading updates, you can set up a local update server, download the available updates to it, and then set up individual Macs on your network to take the updates from it instead of the Internet. Read on to learn about setting a local update server.

Installing a Web Server

To set up a Parallels Desktop update server, you'll need a local Web server. Install a Web server on a computer connected to your network (or use an existing one).

Parallels Desktop for Mac Business Edition Features

Creating the Parallels Update XML File

Create a file named parallels_updates.xml on the Web server where it can be accessed via HTTP. The file is an XML document that should contain specifications for a particular Parallels Desktop update available on your local updated server.

To create your own document, use the following sample XML document and the XML document specification that follows it as a reference.

Sample parallels_updates.xml file

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?> <ParallelsUpdates schemaVersion="1.0"> <Product> <ProductName>Parallels Desktop</ProductName> <UpdateEnabled>1</UpdateEnabled> <Version> <Major>12</Major> <Minor>0</Minor> <SubMinor>12494</SubMinor> <SubSubMinor>262214</SubSubMinor> <StringRepresentation>Sumer</StringRepresentation> <Update uuid="desktop.13.0.13291.237436.en_US.parallels.mac"> <UpdateType>0</UpdateType> <UpdateName>Build 13291 is available!</UpdateName> <UpdateDescription>Update description goes here</UpdateDescription> <FilePath>URL to the update file goes here</FilePath> <FileSize>219515</FileSize> <Status>0</Status> <DateTime>2017-06-17 01:23:00</DateTime> <Chargeable>0</Chargeable> <LocaleName>en_US</LocaleName> <DistributorName>parallels</DistributorName> <OsType>mac</OsType> <Ancestry> <Ancestor>desktop.13.0.12927.482436.en_US.parallels.mac</Ancestor> <Ancestor>desktop.13.0.12473.274921.en_US.parallels.mac</Ancestor> <Ancestor>desktop.13.0.12262.823647.en_US.parallels.mac</Ancestor> </Ancestry> </Update> </Version> </Product> </ParallelsUpdates>

XML Document Specification

Name Type Description

ParallelsUpdates

Product

ProductName

UpdateEnabled

Root element.

string Use "Parallels Desktop".

int

Container for Parallels Desktop information.

Specifies whether the automatic updates are enabled. To enable updates, specify 1.

Parallels Desktop for Mac Business Edition Features

Major

platform

UpdateDescription

LocaleName

Version

Minor

SubMinor

SubSubMinor

StringRepresentation

Update

int Major version number (e.g. 13)

int Minor version number. Specify 0.

Container for Parallels Desktop version information.

Build number. This element may be empty.

Revision number. This element may be empty.

Product codename. This element may be empty.

Container for the information about the Parallels Desktop update.

Attributes:

uuid — String. A globally unique ID identifying the product.

The uuid attribute is very important and must contain the correct information for the update to work. The attribute value consists of the following parameters (substrings) separated by periods (see the provided XML example):

desktop — specify "desktop"

major — major version number (e.g. 13)

minor — minor version number (0)

build — build number

UpdateType

UpdateName

FilePath

FileSize

Status

DateTime

Chargeable

DistributorName

OsType

revision — revision number

locale — locale ("en_US", "de_DE", etc)

vendor — vendor ("parallels")

— platform ("mac")

int Update type. Specify 0.

string The user-defined update name.

string The update description.

string

int The update file size, in megabytes.

int Specify 0.

string

int Specify 0.

string Locale name ("en_US", "it_IT", etc).

Operating system type. Specify "mac".

A URL to the update file on your local update server. The actual update files can be obtained from Parallels.

Date and time when the updated was published. Use the following format:

yyyy-mm-dd hh:mm:ss

The update distributor name. Specify "parallels".

Ancestry

Container for the list of updates that directly preceded this update.

Parallels Desktop for Mac Business Edition Features

An individual Parallels Desktop update information.

This element may appear more than once in the same document, one for each update.

The value is combined using the following parameters (substrings) separated by periods (see the provided XML example):

desktop — specify "desktop".

Ancestor

string

major — Parallels Desktop major version number.

minor — minor version number.

build — build number.

revision — revision number.

locale — locale (e.g. "en_US")

vendor — vendor ("parallels").

platform -— platform ("mac").

Configuring Individual Macs

The next step is to configure individual Macs to take their updates from the local update server. This can be done automatically during the mass deployment of Parallels Desktop by modifying the appropriate deployment configuration option. Please see Configure Deployment Configuration Options (p. 39) for the complete info (see the description of the Software Updates section of the configuration file).

If you have an existing Parallels Desktop installation that was not configured for automatic updates during deployment, then read on to learn how to do it manually.

Note: The information provided here applies only to Parallels Desktop installations that were NOT configured to use automatic updates during the mass deployment process.

To configure Parallels Desktop automatic updates, you need to modify the Parallels Desktop property list file on a Mac as follows:

1 Find the com.parallels.Parallels Desktop.plist file located in the

Library/Preferences subfolder in the user's home folder. This is the Parallels Desktop

property list file that contains the user-specific information.

2 Open the file using the Property List Editor application (included with Xcode).

3 Set the update policy by modifying the Application

preferences.VolumeLicenseUpdatePolicy property. If the property doesn't exist, add it to the file specifying its data type as String. Set the property value using one of the following options (see also the Notes subsection below):

Parallels Desktop for Mac Business Edition Features

• "Parallels" — when this value is set, the updates will be downloaded from the Parallels

update server via the Internet. The value is case-sensitive.

• Complete URL of the parallels_updates.xml file residing on your local update server.

For example, "http://10.0.0.1/pdfm/v8/en_us/parallels/parallels_updates.xml". When the URL is specified, the updates will be obtained from the local update server.

• "None" — automatic updates are disabled. The value is case-sensitive.

4 Specify how often Parallels Desktop should check for updates. This is done by modifying the

Application preferences.Check for updates property. If the property doesn't exist, add it to the file specifying its data type as Number. Specify the property value using one of the following options:

• 0 — Never

• 1 — Once a day

• 2 — Once a week

• 3 — Once a month

5 Set the automatic download option. Find the Application preferences.Download

updates automatically property. If it doesn't exist, add it to the file specifying its data

type as Boolean. Set the property value using one of the following options:

• True — Download updates automatically. Specify this value when using a local update

server.

• False — Notify the user about the updates but don't download them automatically. This

option is useful only when updates are downloaded from the Parallels update server and the user has full control over the update functionality.

6 Save the file and close the Property List Editor application.

Note: If Parallels Desktop is running while you are modifying the plist file, it will have to be restarted for the changes to take effect.

Notes

On initial Parallels Desktop activation using a Business Edition key, the Parallels Desktop update properties will be absent from the com.parallels.Parallels Desktop.plist file. In such a case, a Mac user will be able to configure Parallels Desktop automatic updates using the Parallels Desktop graphical user interface.

When the update-related properties are added to the com.parallels.Parallels Desktop.plist file, the automatic updates will be performed according to the specified values. In addition, the value of the Application preferences.VolumeLicenseUpdatePolicy property will affect the Parallels Desktop update-related elements in the Parallels Desktop graphical user interface as follows:

Parallels Desktop for Mac Business Edition Features

• If the property contains a URL of the local update server or "None", the Parallels Desktop update-related controls will be disabled (grayed out) in the Parallels Desktop graphical user interface. The displayed settings will have no effect on how the Parallels Desktop updates are carried out. Therefore, the user will not be able to configure automatic updates or check for updates manually.

• If the property doesn't exist, has no value, or contains "Parallels" as a value, the Parallels Desktop update controls will be enabled in the user interface giving the user the ability to configure automatic updates and check for updates manually.

Note: The Application preferences.VolumeLicenseUpdatePolicy property value has no effect when Parallels Desktop is activated using the Parallels Desktop Home Edition license key.

Configuring Parallels Desktop Update Branch

By default, Parallels Desktop Business Edition downloads updates from a special location on the Parallels website dedicated to hosting Parallels Desktop Business Edition updates specifically. Other editions of Parallels Desktop (Home, Pro) download their updates from a different location. As an administrator, you have an option to choose the location from which Parallels Desktop Business Edition downloads updates. The reason why you would want to do this is explained below.

When Parallels Desktop updates are released by Parallels, they become immediately available for Parallels Desktop Home and Pro Editions. Updates for Parallels Desktop Business Edition are released at a slightly later date (from a few days to 1-2 weeks from the initial release). The delay is necessary for additional testing of business features of Parallels Desktop to ensure they meet the highest quality standards. During this period, we even give an updated version of Parallels Desktop to some of our business clients, who test and evaluate it in their real-world business environments.

We recommend that you use the default configuration and download Parallels Desktop Business Edition updates when they are finalized and available for download. However, if for any reason you don't want to wait, you can configure Parallels Desktop Business Edition to download updates from the Parallels Desktop Pro location. The updates are the same regardless of where you download them from. The only difference is, the updates downloaded from the Parallels Desktop Pro location will not be fully tested in a business environment.

When you mass-deploy Parallels Desktop, you can set the desired Software Update options in the deployment configuration file. Mass Deployment of Parallels Desktop is described later in this guide. For more information, please read the entire Mass Deployment chapter (p. 28) and specifically the Configure Deployment Configuration Options section (p. 39). Look for the Software Updates section in the parameter table.

If you need to modify Parallels Desktop software update options on a specific Mac without using the Mass Deployment procedure, you can do this as follows:

• To configure Parallels Desktop to download updates from the Parallels Desktop Pro location, execute the following command on a Mac:

Parallels Desktop for Mac Business Edition Features

defaults write com.parallels.Parallels\ Desktop.plist Application\ preferences.VolumeLicenseUpdatePolicy http://update.parallels.com/desktop/v12/parallels/parallels_sbscr_up dates.xml

The command above writes the specified URL (the parameter in the second part of the command) into the Parallels Desktop plist file. Please note that the "v12" part of the URL indicates the current Parallels Desktop version number. If you are using a later version, substitute this part with the correct number.

• To switch back to the default Parallels Desktop Business download location, execute the following command:

defaults write com.parallels.Parallels\ Desktop.plist Application\ preferences.VolumeLicenseUpdatePolicy Parallels

Notes

Options described above only work in Parallels Desktop Business Edition. Other editions can only download software updates from their default locations.

When you configure Parallels Desktop to download updates from a custom URL (i.e. the Parallels Desktop Pro download location), the Check for Updates option in the Parallels Desktop GUI becomes disabled. This means that a Parallels Desktop Business Edition user will not be able to check for and install updates manually.

Customizing the Support Center Option

The Parallels Desktop graphical user interface has a menu option named Help > Support Center. By default, in Parallels Desktop Business Edition this option opens a dialog that asks the user to contact the system administrator for assistance. You can change this default behavior and make the menu open a custom URL, such as a corporate Help Desk or a wiki page.

The customization can be done during mass deployment of Parallels Desktop by modifying the appropriate deployment configuration parameter. Please see Configure Deployment Configuration Options (p. 39) for the complete info (see the description of the Help and Support section of the configuration file).

You can also make these changes manually on an individual Mac as follows:

1 Log in to the Mac.

2 In the Finder, navigate to the /Users/<User_Name>/Library/Preferences directory

and locate the com.parallels.Parallels Desktop.plist file.

3 Open the file using the Property List Editor application, which is included with Xcode.

4 Find the SupportRequestUrl property in the file. If the property doesn't exist, add it to the

file specifying its data type as String.

Parallels Desktop for Mac Business Edition Features

5 To specify the action that should be performed by the Help > Support Center menu, set the

value of the SupportRequestUrl property:

• To display the default text message, clear the property value.

• To open a URL, specify the full URL to the desired Web page or a resource.

Note: The SupportRequestUrl property value has no effect when Parallels Desktop is activated using the Parallels Desktop Home Edition license key.

Participating in the Customer Experience Program

The Parallels Customer Experience Program is a feedback solution that allows Parallels Desktop to automatically collect usage statistics and system information that will help Parallels to develop new features and updates for future releases.

When you install Parallels Desktop on a Mac computer, it will ask you if you want to participate in the Customer Experience Program. If later you decide to change the participation parameter, you can do this by executing the following command on a Mac:

prlsrvctl set --cep on|off

The same action can also be done through the Parallels graphical user interface by navigating to Parallels Desktop > Preferences > Advanced and then selecting (or clearing) the Feedback option.

If you are using the Parallels mass deployment package to deploy Parallels Desktop, you can set the participation parameter in the deployment configuration file (p. 39).

C HAPTER 3

Mass Deployment of Parallels Desktop and Virtual Machines

This chapter describes how to mass deploy Parallels Desktop Business Edition to Mac computers in your organization. It provides step-by-step instructions on how to prepare the deployment package and how to deploy it using one of the available deployment tools.

In This Chapter

Prerequisites .......................................................................................................... 28

Kernel Extensions in macOS High Sierra ................................................................. 29

Supported Deployment Tools ................................................................................. 32

Preparing the Deployment Package ........................................................................ 33

Deploying Parallels Desktop and Virtual Machines to Macs ...................................... 49

Prerequisites

To mass deploy Parallels Desktop Business Edition you'll need:

• A Mac computer on which you'll configure the Parallels Desktop deployment package. The Mac must have Parallels Desktop installed in order to create and configure one or more virtual machines to be deployed together with Parallels Desktop.

• The Parallels Desktop for Mac installation image file (ParallelsDesktop-xxxx.dmg, where "xxx" is the current version number). This is the same image file that you use to install Parallels Desktop on a single Mac. The file can be downloaded from http://www.parallels.com/products/business/download/

• A valid Parallels Desktop for Mac Business Edition license key.

• The Parallels Desktop deployment package, which can be downloaded using the following

URL: http://download.parallels.com/desktop/tools/pd-autodeploy.zip

Download the deployment package to the Mac computer on which you'll be preparing it for the deployment of Parallels Desktop.

Note: If you already have a configured deployment package from an earlier version (or build) of Parallels Desktop, don't use it because it may not be compatible with your build of Parallels Desktop. Always download the latest version of the deployment package from the Parallels website using the link above.

• If your Mac computers run macOS High Sierra, please read the Kernel Extensions in macOS High Sierra section (p. 29) that follows this one.

Mass Deployment of Parallels Desktop and Virtual Machines

• For the complete list of hardware and operating system requirements for running Parallels Desktop, please refer to Parallels Desktop User's Guide.

Kernel Extensions in macOS High Sierra

If you deploy Parallels Desktop on macOS High Sierra, Mac users will need to approve kernel extensions before they can launch Parallels Desktop. See Manually Approving Kernel Extensions (p. 30) for instructions on how it is done. As a system administrator, you can make the deployment more transparent for your Mac users by allowing Parallels Desktop kernel extensions to load before you deploy it on Mac computers. This can be done using one of the following options:

• Allowing kernel extensions to load via MDM configuration. For instructions, please see Using MDM Configuration (p. 29).

• If your Mac computers are not enrolled in MDM, you can use the spctl command while booted to macOS Recovery. See Using spctl Command (p. 30).

Please note that kernel extensions don't require user consent if they:

• Were on the Mac before the upgrade to macOS High Sierra. This means that if Parallels Desktop was installed on a Mac before upgrading to High Sierra, you don't have to approve its kernel extensions.

• Are replacing previously approved extensions.

Using MDM Configuration

Starting with macOS High Sierra 10.13.2, you can use MDM to specify a list of kernel extensions which will load without user consent. This option requires a Mac running macOS High Sierra

10.13.2 which is either enrolled in MDM via the Device Enrollment Program (DEP) or whose MDM

enrollment is User Approved. For more information about User Approved Kernel Extension Loading and User Approved MDM enrollment, please see the following Apple Support article: https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT208019

At the time of this writing, simply enrolling a Mac computer in MDM automatically disables User Approved Kernel Extension Loading. This means that Parallels Desktop will start normally on such a Mac computer. However, this will change in spring 2018 when an update to macOS is released, according to Apple. When that happens, you will need to approve Parallels Desktop kernel extensions using the Kernel Extension Policy payload described below.

To approve Parallels Desktop kernel extensions, you need to create a macOS configuration profile with the Kernel Extension Policy payload and then install it via MDM on Mac computers. The following table describes the payload keys and how to specify them to approve Parallels Desktop kernel extensions.

Key Type Value

AllowUserOverrides

Boolean

If set to true, users can approve additional kernel extensions not explicitly allowed by the configuration profile.

Mass Deployment of Parallels Desktop and Virtual Machines

Specifies team identifiers that define which validly signed kernel extensions will be allowed to load.

AllowedTeamIdentifiers

Array of Strings

Parallels team identifier is 4C6364ACXT. When set, all possible Parallels kernel extensions will be authorized. Alternatively, you can specify kernel extensions individually (see below).

A set of kernel extensions that will be allowed to load on a Mac computer. The dictionary maps the team ID to an array of bundle IDs.

The Parallels team ID is 4C6364ACXT. The bundle IDs are as follows:

• com.parallels.kext.usbconnect

AllowedKernelExtensions

Dictionary

• com.parallels.kext.vnic

• com.parallels.kext.netbridge

• com.parallels.kext.hypervisor

Note that the AllowedTeamIdentifiers key (described above) does the same thing, but approves all possible Parallels extensions, while here you can specify them individually. You can use either key depending on your requirements.

If your Mac computers are not enrolled in MDM, you can use the spctl command described in the section that follows this one.

Using spctl Command

You can disable the user approval requirement for Parallels Desktop kernel extensions using the spctl command on a Mac. This can be done either via booting into macOS Recovery or while preparing NetBoot/NetInstall/NetRestore images. The command is as follows:

spctl kext-consent add 4C6364ACXT

The 4C6364ACXT value in the example above is the Parallels Team ID. The command disables User Approved Kernel Extension Loading for Parallels Desktop, so user consent to load the extensions will not be required.

Please note that if you reset NVRAM after executing the spctl command, the Mac reverts to its default state with User Approved Kernel Extension Loading enabled. To prevent unauthorized changes to NVRAM, you can set a firmware password on the Mac.

Manually Approving Kernel Extensions

If you don't disable User Approved Kernel Extension Loading for Parallels Desktop in advance, Mac users will need to approve them manually.

To manually authorize Parallels Desktop kernel extensions on a Mac:

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