Microsoft Azure Hybrid deployment of RemoteApp Step by Step @Azure #Microsoft #RemoteApp #MVPBuzz #RDS #HRDAAS

In this blog post I’ll show you how to create a Hybrid RemoteApp Configuration. It is still a Preview and Improvements  could be made.

If you want to run your own applications in Azure like on Citrix or with RDS till now it was not a build in services Microsoft provided.

But with RemoteApp you can easy deploy a default set as below or Create a Hybrid Environment. And there are lots of new options in a Hybrid RDS Azure Site #HRDAAS Hybrid Remote Desktop As a Service

image

The Quick Create is no fun just hit Create Smile

Now Creating a Hybrid Environment. You will need a syspreped Template with no unattend.xml in it. There For I created a fresh new template clean install with Remote Desktop Session Host installed and most important you need to set a registry key if you don’t do this all will fail!

This is not in the Microsoft Guide !

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetControlFileSystem]
"NtfsDisableEncryption"=dword:00000001

image

After everything is Set on the Golden Image we can do a Sysprep. And keep in mind Azure support only VHD files so do not use VHDX files.

C:WindowsSystem32sysprepsysprep.exe /generalize /oobe /shutdown

now that my golden Image is ready We can upload this image to azure.  ( I used a 50 Gb VHD file ) So If you don’t have a fast Internet connection You need to wait Winking smile a while.

 

So the next step is Create a RemoteApp With VPN. Pick a name and select create.

image

A place holder is Created and We will upload the Golden Image To Azure. ( this could take a while so we do this now )

Select the image and pick image Upload

image A popup will Come and a PowerShell script is there for download

image

Save this on place. Grab also the Command To run

Upload-AzureRemoteAppTemplateImage.ps1 -SAS "?sr=b&si=623fcaf1-63f6-406d-a749-48c2c3f0036b&sig=n%2FHLp5d1wfEgdi68hA%2FaVWOwyhDl35S1eKQ9dKxZdQg%3D" -URI https://cdvwe114758920rdcm.blob.core.windows.net/goldimages/623fcaf1-63f6-406d-a749-48c2c3f0036b.vhd

image

Running this Script a Browser will open and you can select your Golden Image.  And the Upload will start first some checking

image I was happy with my Fiber internet connection.

Writing a blog and uploading Winking smile

image

when the upload in done you will see a check and a ready state on the Image.

imageimage

Next Step is creating a network Is this also my improvement point Whay not using my Site to Site VPN that already is connected to my environment.

Therefor we create a new network that will host the Machines.

Create New network and pick a name.

imageimage

Fill in the IP networks and use the Internet address of your Router ( Same as S2S VPN )

image  image image

When the Network is created we can download the S2S Script and run this on your Gateway server. I use a Windows 2012R2 RRAS server but there are other options. image

After running the script the Gateway has an extra dail-in option On this gateway I have already a few connections but this is all configurable to your needs.

 

image

Now that the network is ready We can start building. When opening the MYMVPAPP with VPN created in the beginning you will see the Status with check marks

Now I have to create a OU and a service account in my domain on-premise

imageimage

Next step is linking the Golden Image To the App. You can do all this is now with a upload but as we already did the we need only a connection this is a faster and fail save method.

So check the Link an existing Image

imageimageimage

You will see your 50Gb uploaded golden Image. This is only available if the Image is correctly uploaded !

image

We are almost ready, while the provisioning can take up to 30 minutes. Second Improvement point. Show Some Status step 1 from 10 maybe. Now we have to wait.

image  image

Please Note** during several test I change the name but the steps are the same

the next step is assign a user to the image , this must be a default Azure directory User.

 

image  image

I created a demouser ( I deleted this user after this blog )

We assign this user to the Remote App

image

Next we assign Applications of the Image I created earlier.  I did not install special apps in this image so it looks a bit basic.

imageimage

I published all the apps that Azure Scanned for me in my own image. but suppose you have installed office and other apps it will be there in the image.

Next step is login to the RDP session image

 

image The fun part is I configured MFA ( multi factor Authentication ) Really nice option

When Logged on We see all the Apps I made a Text change in de Word app

image

However I logged on the session is still inactive

image

This is still a Preview what I really like is using your own apps in your own domain there are still some issues with the creation of the RemoteApp but if you have configured all this and it is working you can even use this On a Android and or on your Surface how Cool is that.

I installed the latest version of RDP on my android phone I opened a CMD box on my phone totally useless but you can. It works much better on my Surface.

Running Published Apps on my Devices in Azure What will ne next ?

 imageimage

#HRDAAS Hybrid Remote Desktop As a Service

Posted June 20, 2014 by Robert Smit in Microsoft Azure

Tagged with

  • Tag