Parallels Desktop Enterprise Edition Mass Deployment Guide

Parallels Desktop Enterprise Edition

Mass Deployment Guide

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Contents

Welcome to Parallels Desktop Enterprise Edition ...................................................4

About This Guide .............................................................................................................. 4

Mass Deployment of Parallels Desktop Enterprise Edition ..................................... 5

What You Need ................................................................................................................ 6

Overview of Parallels Desktop Mass Deployment ..............................................................7

Preparing Parallels Desktop Deployment Package ............................................................7

Adding Parallels Desktop Installation Image............................................................................. 8

Adding Virtual Machines .......................................................................................................... 9

Supplying Parallels Desktop License Key .............................................................................. 13

Changing Deployment Configuration Options........................................................................ 14

Deploying Parallels Desktop and Virtual Machines on Macs ............................................ 17

Deploying with Parallels Management Suite for SCCM 2007 ................................................. 18

Deploying with Parallels Management Suite for SCCM 2012 ................................................. 20

Deploying with Apple Remote Desktop ................................................................................. 22

Deploying Mac OS X Image Using NetBoot........................................................................... 27

Advanced Features of Parallels Desktop Enterprise Edition.................................28

Parallels Desktop License Renewal ................................................................................. 28

Setting Up Local Update Server ...................................................................................... 29

Installing Web Server ............................................................................................................. 29

Creating Parallels Update XML File ........................................................................................ 30

Configuring Individual Macs................................................................................................... 33

Participating in Customer Experience Program................................................................ 35

Customizing Request Support Option ............................................................................. 36

Protecting Virtual Machine Configuration ......................................................................... 37

Resetting Guest OS User Password................................................................................ 39

Enabling Nested Virtualization .........................................................................................40

Locking Virtual Machine on Suspend............................................................................... 41

Encrypted Virtual Machines — Command Line Options................................................... 42

Index ........................................................................................................................44

C HAPTER 1

Welcome to Parallels Desktop Enterprise Edition

Parallels Desktop for Mac Enterprise Edition provides IT administrators the ability to support Windows-based applications for Mac users with a configurable, policy-compliant solution that easily fits into existing IT business processes. With the ability to support corporate policy compliance, simplification of mass deployments and streamlining of the business user experience, Parallels Desktop for Mac Enterprise Edition is built on the world’s best-selling, top-rated, most-trusted solution for running Windows applications on the Mac.

In This Chapter

About This Guide ..................................................................................................... 4

About This Guide

This guide is intended for IT administrators who will be deploying Parallels Desktop for Mac Enterprise Edition. By following the instructions provided in this guide, IT administrators will learn how to deploy Parallels Desktop Enterprise Edition and how to set up and use its advanced features.

C HAPTER 2

Mass Deployment of Parallels Desktop Enterprise Edition

This chapter describes mass deployment of Parallels Desktop Enterprise Edition. It provides stepby-step instructions on how to prepare the deployment package and how to deploy it using package deployment tools.

In This Chapter

What You Need........................................................................................................ 6

Overview of Parallels Desktop Mass Deployment...................................................... 7

Preparing Parallels Desktop Deployment Package.................................................... 7

Deploying Parallels Desktop and Virtual Machines on Macs...................................... 17

Mass Deployment of Parallels Desktop Enterprise Edition

What You Need

Parallels Desktop Enterprise Edition is deployed to Macs using one of the available Mac package deployment tools. The available options are described below.

Parallels Management Suite for Microsoft SCCM

Parallels Management Suite for Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM) is an optimal solution that offers comprehensive management of Mac devices throughout the company. One of the Suite's features is Parallels Desktop Deployment, which enables you to deploy Parallels Desktop on Mac computers across a network. If you are using Microsoft SCCM 2007 or Microsoft SCCM 2012 to manage Windows devices in your enterprise, you can use Parallels Management Suite for Microsoft SCCM to manage Mac devices and to deploy Parallels Desktop on them.

The complete instructions on how to use Parallels Management Suite for Microsoft SCCM to deploy Parallels Desktop are provided later in this guide.

Other Mac Management Tools

If you don't use Parallels Management Suite for Microsoft SCCM to manage your Macs, you can use one of the following tools to deploy Parallels Desktop:

• Apple Remote Desktop (ARD)

• Package Manager

• JAMF

• Absolute

• LANDesk

• Other tools are also available.

The complete instructions on how to use Apple Remote Desktop are provided later in this guide. For the instructions on how to use other tools, please see their respective documentation.

Software Absolute® Manage, formerly LANrev

Management Suite

General Requirements

To deploy Parallels Desktop Enterprise Edition you'll also need:

• A Mac computer on which you'll prepare the Parallels Desktop deployment package. This

should be the Mac running Parallels Desktop, so you can create and configure virtual machines to be deployed together with Parallels Desktop.

• A computer from which you'll be performing the deployment. If you are using Parallels

Management Suite for Microsoft SCCM, you'll be deploying Parallels Desktop from a Windows server running the Configuration Manager console. If you are using Apple Remote Desktop, you'll be deploying Parallels Desktop from a Mac running the Apple Remote Desktop Admin.

Mass Deployment of Parallels Desktop Enterprise Edition

• The Parallels Desktop for Mac installation image file (the file with the ".dmg" extension).

• A Parallels Desktop for Mac Enterprise Edition license key provided to you by your Parallels

sales representative.

• The Parallels Desktop deployment package. You can download it from the following location:

http://download.parallels.com/desktop/tools/pd-autodeploy.zip The zip file contains the Parallels Desktop Autodeploy.pkg file, which is a Mac OS X

installation package that contains the framework for deploying Parallels Desktop. Download the file and unzip it to any folder on the Mac where you have Parallels Desktop installed.

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

Overview of Parallels Desktop Mass Deployment

Parallels provides a special Mac OS X installation package that automates the deployment of Parallels Desktop. The package contains all the necessary scripts and instructions to perform the deployment of Parallels Desktop for Mac and virtual machines.

To perform mass deployment of Parallels Desktop Enterprise Edition:

1 If you haven't done so already, download the Parallels Desktop deployment package from the

following URL:

http://download.parallels.com/desktop/tools/pd-autodeploy.zip Unzip the pd-autodeploy.zip file to any folder on a Mac computer.

2 Prepare the Parallels Desktop deployment package (p. 7). 3 Deploy the

package to Macs (p. 17).

Preparing Parallels Desktop Deployment Package

To prepare the Parallels Desktop deployment package (Parallels Desktop Autodeploy.pkg):

1 Add the Parallels Desktop installation image to the package (p. 8). 2 Add one or 3 Supply your 4 Change the

more virtual machines to the package (p. 9).

Parallels Desktop Enterprise Edition license key (p. 13).

deployment configuration options (if needed) (p. 14).

Mass Deployment of Parallels Desktop Enterprise Edition

Adding Parallels Desktop Installation Image

To add the Parallels Desktop installation image file to the deployment package:

1 Make sure you have the Parallels Desktop Autodeploy.pkg file on your Mac. 2 Right-click the file and then click Show Package Contents. 3 Expand the Parallels folder to see its contents. The folder should contain the deploy.cfg

file. This is the deployment configuration file, which you will modify later.

4 Copy the Parallels Desktop installation image file to the Parallels folder. Your package

contents should now look like this:

Mass Deployment of Parallels Desktop Enterprise Edition

Adding Virtual Machines

To add a virtual machine to the deployment package, simply copy its file to the Parallels folder (the same folder in the package that contains the deploy.cfg file and the Parallels Desktop installation image). You can include more than one virtual machine. Once the virtual machine is added, your package contents should look similar to the following:

Before copying a virtual machine to the deployment package, you should configure it according to your needs. Read the following subsections for the information about the modifications that you can make to the virtual machine configuration prior to deploying it.

Installing Parallels Tools

Parallels Tools is a collection of utilities and drivers that vastly improve the virtual machine performance and enable some features that are not available otherwise. Parallels Tools are included with every copy of Parallels Desktop and are highly recommended to be installed in every virtual machine right after an operating system is installed in it. Your source virtual machine should have Parallels Tools installed.

Mass Deployment of Parallels Desktop Enterprise Edition

Generating Windows SID and Computer Name

When you deploy a virtual machine that runs Windows as a guest operating system, the deployed copies of Windows will have the same Windows Security ID (SID) and computer name as the source. You can set up Windows in the source virtual machine in such a way that the SID and computer name will be automatically re-generated in every deployed copy of Windows on its initial startup.

Using Sysprep to Generate SID

Microsoft System Preparation Tool (Sysprep) is a tool provided by Microsoft that can be used to generate a new Windows Security ID. Download the latest version of Sysprep for your version of Windows from the Microsoft Web site and install it according to Microsoft instructions.

Run Sysprep and do the following:

1 In the System Preparation Tool windows, make sure that the Don't regenerate security

identifiers check box is cleared.

Mass Deployment of Parallels Desktop Enterprise Edition

2 Click the Reseal button and then click OK in the displayed window.

Note: Once these modifications are done, stop your virtual machine. Do not restart it, because restarting Windows in this state will re-generate the SID and will disable Sysprep.

Generating Computer Name

You can use one of the following tools to generate a new Windows computer name:

• SetupMgr.exe (Windows XP) or Windows System Image Manager (Windows Vista, Windows 7)

are Microsoft utilities that can generate an XML-based answer file for Sysprep, which it will process on initial Windows startup. If using the SetupMgr.exe tool to create an answer file for sysprep, select the Automatically generate computer name radio button in the left pane of the Setup Manager window.

If generating an answer file using Windows System Image Manager (SIM), add the Microsoft- Windows-Shell-Setup component to the Pass 4 Specialize section of the answer file, then add a computername and then validate your answer file.

• You can also modify the sysprep.inf file by opening it in a text editor and adding the

following entry: [UserData] ComputerName=*

Mass Deployment of Parallels Desktop Enterprise Edition

Other Configuration Options

When preparing a source virtual machine for mass deployment, you may change any of its configuration settings according to your needs. The following list describes a few common options:

• Shared Folders and Profiles. Parallels Desktop offers great flexibility in bridging the

capabilities of the Mac OS X and your guest operating system by configuring shared folders and profiles. Think over which files and folders you wish to share between the two operating systems and set up them in advance.

• Configuring USB Settings. Hardware devices that connect through USB ports including

printers and removable drives can only be used by one operating system at a time. By default, Parallels Desktop will ask the user which OS to connect the device to when a new device is detected. This default can be changed by making all USB devices connect only to the Mac OS X or to the guest operating system.

• Installing Applications. You can install all the necessary applications in the virtual machine

before deploying it.

• Parallels Desktop Enterprise Edition Options. Parallels Desktop Enterprise Edition provides

some additional configuration options. With the Enterprise Edition you can:

• Set up a local update server and specify the Parallels Desktop automatic update options.

• Customize the "Request Support" option.

• Configure participation in the Customer Experience program.

• Password-protect a virtual machine configuration.

• Enable nested KVM and XEN support in a virtual machine.

For the information on how to configure these options, see Changing Deployment Configuration Options (p. 14) and Advanced Features of Parallels Desktop Enterprise Edition (p. 28).

For the co

mplete information about Parallels virtual machine configuration, please refer to the

Parallels Desktop User's Guide.

Mass Deployment of Parallels Desktop Enterprise Edition

Supplying Parallels Desktop License Key

Parallels Desktop Enterprise Edition license key is required to activate Parallels Desktop on target Macs. The key must be embedded in the deployment package.

To embed the license key in the deployment package:

1 Right-click the Parallels Desktop Autodeploy.pkg file and then click Show Package

Contents.

2 Expand the Parallels folder to see its contents. The deploy.cfg file contained in the

folder is a deployment configuration file. One of the parameters is used to specify the Parallels Desktop license key.

3 Open the deploy.cfg file in a text editor. 4 Find the License section in the file and enter your Parallels Desktop Enterprise Edition license

key as a value of the license_key variable. The license must be supplied in the following format: "XXXXXX-XXXXXX-XXXXXX-XXXXXX-XXXXXX" (including the quotes and dashes).

5 Save the deploy.cfg file.

To learn about other configuration parameters in the deploy.cfg file, please read the

Changing Deployment Configuration Options section (p. 14).

Note: Parallels Desktop activation requires Internet access. The Parallels Desktop activation routine uses

port 443 to communicate with Parallels licensing server. Please make sure that the Macs on which you plan to deploy Parallels Desktop can communicate through this port.

Mass Deployment of Parallels Desktop Enterprise Edition

Changing Deployment Configuration Options

The deployment package contains a special script, which is automatically executed on a target Mac after the package is transferred and the Parallels Desktop software is installed on it. The script performs the necessary actions on the Mac to finalize the deployment. The script reads the configuration parameter values from the deploy.cfg file contained in the Parallels folder of the Parallels Desktop Autodeploy.pkg file. You can modify the configuration parameters as needed for your environment.

The following tables describe the configuration parameters in the deploy.cfg file.

The License section is used to specify a Parallels Desktop Enterprise Edition license key:

Variable Description

license_key

Specifies the Parallels Desktop license key. See Supplying Parallels Desktop License Key (p. 13) for more info.

The Virtual Machines section allows to modify the virtual machine deployment options:

Variable Description

Specifies the registration mode for the deployed virtual machines.

Possible values: "Private" — The virtual machines will be registered for the active

user only. The virtual machines will be placed into the

vm_register_mode

vm_reset_hwid

/Users/<user>/Documents/Parallels folder. "Shared" — The virtual machines will be registered for all users of a

Mac. The virtual machines will be placed into the /Users/Shared/Parallels folder.

The default destination folder for virtual machines can be modified using the vm_destination_folder variable (see below).

Specifies whether the virtual machine SMBOIS ID (hardware ID) will be regenerated. Each Parallels virtual machine is assigned a universally unique SMBIOS ID when it is created. When you deploy a virtual machine to many Macs, each resulting copy of the machine will have the same SMBIOS ID. This is the default behavior and should not be normally changed. If your enterprise management system relies on unique SMBOIS IDs, you can change the value of the

vm_reset_hwid variable as follows:

vm_deploy_mode

"no" — Keep the original SMBIOS ID.

"yes" — Regenerate the ID.

Specifies whether the virtual machines will be copied or moved from the deployment package to their target folders on a Mac.

Possible values: "Copy" — Copy the virtual machine from the package to the

destination folder.

"Move" — Move the virtual machine from the package to the

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