When you attempt to start a deployed workspace from a MED-V client or test a MED-V workspace using a test image, you may get the following error:
"Failed to start Workspace '<workspaceName>"
Details show:
"Unexpected error when trying to verify Workspace prerequisites. Internal error: Reply message didn't arrive on time. original message ID: <messageID GUID>"
Cause
This could be one of two possibilities:
1.) The MED-V Workspace is not installed inside of the virtual machine image.
2.) The MED-V client on the host needs more time to communicate with the MED-V workspace service. The Guest Virtual Machine may need to have more memory allocated to it. This can be controlled by the workspace policy.
Resolution
If the virtual machine image does not have the workspace installed prior to deployment, it will need to be installed inside the guest operating system and the image re-imported, repacked, and redeployed. For test images, this will require retesting with a new base image (that contains the installed workspace binaries).
You may also need to adjust the memory allocated to the virtual machine by the MED-V client. This can be configured within the MED-V workspace policy. For more information, please refer to the following TechNet documentation: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee348990.aspx
Steve Thomas | Senior Support Escalation Engineer
When configuring Script Actions for the Virtual Machine first-time setup in the MED-V management console, it is important not to add in an additional "Restart Windows" action at the end as it is not necessary. The first-time setup will always reboot the guest at the end of the last script action.
For example, if a Virtual Machine setup script is mapped out as follows:
Command Line
Rename Computer
Restart Windows
Join Domain
Restart Windows
In the above example, there will be an additional restart following completion resulting in two reboots following the "Join Domain" Action.
If we remove the last "Restart Windows" action, the reboot needed to follow the "Join Domain" action will occur as a result of the culminating reboot at the end of the script.
Steve Thomas | senior Support Escalation Engineer
When preparing a Virtual Machine for deployment for use with MED-V, you will need to ensure that in addition to the MED-V workspace installation being installed inside the virtual machine, you will need to have the minimum level of Virtual Machine additions for Virtual PC installed as well.
Upon completion of the workspace installation, it will prompt you to run the MED-V VM Prerequisites Wizard. If the version of VM additions is not at least at version 13.822.0 you will get prompted with the following message:
"The following errors were detected:
1) An unsupported version of Virtual Machine Additions is installed. Please make sure the latest KB of Microsoft Virtual PC 2007 SP1 is installed on the host machine, and reinstall Virtual Machine Additions through the Action menu of the virtual machine."
Resolution:
On the host machine running the virtual machine, ensure the following are installed:
1.) Virtual PC 2007 SP1
2.) The Bundled QFE with MED-V 1.0 for Virtual PC 2007 SP1 (KB958162.msp)
Then remove Virtual Machine Additions from the guest VM and reinstall Virtual Machine Additions through the Action menu of the virtual machine."
Steve Thomas | Senior Support Escalation Engineer
I know this isn't necessarily MED-V specific but I figured that some of you may still have some old Windows 2000 or Windows XP SP2 systems running out there and would appreciate the heads up.
As the title says, Windows XP SP2, Windows 2000 Server and Windows 2000 Professional are reaching End of Support (EOS) on July 13, 2010 (and Windows Vista RTM End of Support is on April 13, 2010). This means that regular Microsoft support and free access to security updates will come to an end for those products on those dates.
To help with planning your migration strategy to Windows 7, Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2008 or Windows Server 2008 R2, we have the Windows 2000 End-of-Support Solution Center which is a fantastic place to start. It has information on planning your move, migrating clients and server roles, Small Business Server, Application Compatibility and much much more. It's a definite must-see site and you can check out all the details at http://support.microsoft.com/win2000.
For more information see the Microsoft Support Lifecycle Policy.
J.C. Hornbeck | System Center Knowledge Engineer
The MED-V Management Console (Management.exe) allows you to manage the MED-V Client Policy, Image Distribution, and Reporting. The MED-V Management Console is bundled with the MED-V Client and can be installed with or without the MED-V Client.
The operating system requirements for the console align with the client requirements and this is what prevents the MED-V management console (the management.exe utility) from being installed on a server-based operating system.
I am often asked why this is the case. The philosophy behind this is the fact that MED-V revolves around the lifecycle management of desktop virtualization and application publishing (through desktop virtualization). The images and policies are configured and tested from the host environment the majority of the time.
Since the tools leverage the packaging of images and the testing and designation of test images (importing, tweaking, etc.) it makes more sense to align it with the client so a MED-V Administrator can:
- Prepare the VPC Image
- Import the Image and test it against a policy
- Pack and upload/import an image
All this is occurring while working on the same host computer.
For more information about the MED-V Management Console, please refer to the following link:
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee348967.aspx
Steve Thomas | Senior Support Escalation Engineer
The MEDV Reporting database is very basic as it is only used by the server for logging events, errors, and status messages. This makes the portability of the database all the more easy and the process to move a MEDV database from SQL server to another can be done in a few easy steps.
The following example is for version 1.0 of MED-V and is using SQL Server 2005:
1.) Verify reporting still works. Launch the MED-V Management console and verify that reporting is functioning as normal. Be sure to generate reports for all three areas (Status, Activity, and Error.)
2.) Disconnect all Management Consoles from the MED-V Server.
3.) On the MED-V Server, stop the MED-V Server service.
4.) From the SQL Server using SQL Management Studio or another compatible method, back up the MEDV database.
5.) Using SQL Management Studio or another compatible method, detach the MEDV database from the source SQL Server.
6.) Locate the MEDV database and the Transaction Log on the source SQL server (usually in the %PROGRAMFILES%\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL.x\MSSQL\Data directory.) Copy those MDF files to the new SQL Server.
NOTE: Please make sure the version/build of SQL Server that is serving as the destination server is at the same level or newer.
7.) After the MDF files have been copied over, attach the MEDV database to the new SQL Server.
8.) After attaching the MEDV database to the new SQL Server, verify the Users/ Logins are still intact if the SQL Servers are in the same domain.
NOTE: If you have migrated to a new domain, you will need to add in the new credentials reflective of the new domain (i.e. service accounts, etc.)
9.) Adjust the “Reports” configuration in the MED-V Server Configuration utility.
10.) Restart the MED-V Server Service.
11.) Test Reporting from a client running the management console. If you have any issues, please refer to the following blog post:
http://blogs.technet.com/medv/archive/2009/09/28/troubleshooting-reporting-and-sql-issues-with-med-v-1-0.aspx
Steve Thomas | Senior Support Escalation Engineer
When you try to run a report in the Microsoft Enterprise Desktop Virtualization tool, the dates that you enter in the Reporting column of a report can be entered in the English (United States) date format only.
For example, you cannot enter the date in the dd.MM.yyyy format.
We have a workaround in the form a new Knowledge Base article here:
KB978555 - Dates that you enter in the Reporting column of a report can only be entered in the English (United States) date format in the Enterprise Desktop Virtualization tool
Hope this helps,
J.C. Hornbeck | System Center Knowledge Engineer
This is a little off topic but I thought you all would enjoy a heads up. One of our Windows team bloggers published a list of useful Windows 7 links that cover deployment (MDT 2010 and SCCM), USMT 4.0, activation, application compatibility and boot to VHD. These links can change from time to time but are a good start for getting your environment ready for Windows 7 or other deployments. You can check it out here:
http://blogs.technet.com/askcore/archive/2009/12/08/windows-7-useful-links.aspx
J.C. Hornbeck | System Center Knowledge Engineer
The Microsoft Enterprise Desktop Virtualization (MED-V) video series is designed to help IT professionals wishing to learn more about the administrative and management tasks in MED-V. This series provides step-by-step guidance around common tasks that would be performed by IT professionals to deploy MED-V. Intended to be consumed sequentially, these videos will help you get up to speed with key MED-V administrator tasks and accelerate the deployment of MED-V in your organization. This series covers the following topics:
1 - Preparing a MED-V Image - Learn how to prepare a virtual PC image for use with MED-V.
2 - Testing, Packing, and Uploading a MED-V Image - After completing the preparation, an image will be tested, then packaged, and finally uploaded to the MED-V Server for distribution.
3 - MED-V Workspace Walkthrough - See how to configure a MED-V workspace (policies for the virtual machine) and watch a demonstration of the key features so that you can evaluate and learn the key capabilities of MED-V.
4 - Publishing Different Applications to Different Users of the Same MED-V Image - This demonstration will show you how to use a common MED-V image to serve multiple users or groups while presenting different applications.
5 - Creating a MED-V Installation Package - Deploying MED-V packages can be streamlined by creating an installation package that includes all of the prerequisite technologies (Virtual PC, VM Additions update, and MED-V client) as well as a MED-V Workspace.
6 - MED-V First Time Setup with Domain Join - Taking workspace images and configuring them to join the organization Active Directory domain is a critical part of managing, controlling and updating the virtual machines deployed, and is easy with MED-V first time setup.
7 - Monitoring and Troubleshooting Tools in MED-V - Having the right tools to gain status, detect errors, and analyze problems is important when planning a MED-V infrastructure.
8 - Updating a MED-V Image - MED-V workspaces will require updates as any other machine on the network, this walkthrough of updating the master image and distributing to users can be used if machines are not joined to the domain and managed by typical system management tools.
For all the details see http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?displaylang=en&FamilyID=1f0d3e54-25d1-4ec1-a844-3b508bd63ffa
J.C. Hornbeck | System Center Knowledge Engineer
Just an FYI that the Infrastructure Planning and Design (IPD) Guide for Selecting the Right Virtualization Technology has been updated to include coverage of Windows Server 2008 R2 Remote Desktop Services and Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI). This guide walks the reader through the process of selecting the right virtualization technology for each workload—in five steps or fewer.
From the guide:
Introduction to the Selecting the Right Virtualization Technology Guide
The objective of this guide is to enable the reader to rapidly and accurately select which Microsoft virtualization technology or technologies to use for specific scenarios. The reader will then be able to proceed with the planning and design process for that virtualization technology by using the appropriate Infrastructure Planning and Design (IPD) guide. References and links to the appropriate IPD guides are provided in the “Additional Reading” sections and throughout this guide.
To download the newest version of the guide click here.
Enjoy!
J.C. Hornbeck | System Center Knowledge Engineer
When you attempt to start the MED-V Server service on Windows Server 2008 or Windows Server 2008 R2, you may get the following error:
Error 1053: The service did not respond to the start or control request in a timely fashion.
Additionally, the system event log indicates this timeout failure by a log entry that is similar to the following:
Source : Service Control Manager
Event ID : 7000
This can occur if the service control manager encounters a timeout. To work around this problem, increase the default timeout value for the service control manager in the registry. This will require you to adjust the ServicePipeTimeout registry value.
Warning: Serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly by using Registry Editor or by using another method. These problems might require that you reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that these problems can be solved. Modify the registry at your own risk.
To increase the timeout value in the registry, follow these steps:
1. Start Registry Editor (Regedit.exe).
2. To change the value data for the ServicesPipeTimeout DWORD value to 60000 in the Control key, follow these steps:
3. Locate and then click the following registry key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet
4. Click the Control subkey
5. Right-click the ServicesPipeTimeout DWORD value, and then click Modify.
6. Click Decimal.
7. Type 60000, and then click OK.
If the ServicesPipeTimeout value is not available, add the new DWORD value, and then set its value data to 60000 in the Control key. To do so, follow these steps:
1. Locate and then click the following registry key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet
2. Click the Control subkey.
3. On the Edit menu, point to New, and then click DWORD Value.
4. Type ServicesPipeTimeout, and then press ENTER.
5. Right-click the ServicesPipeTimeout DWORD value, and then click Modify.
6. Click Decimal.
7. Type a value of 60000, and then click OK.
The value is 60000 milliseconds and is equivalent to 60 seconds or one minute.
Note: This change does not take effect until the computer is restarted.
Steve Thomas | Senior Support Escalation Engineer
I know this isn’t MED-V specific but I thought it was something you’d appreciate hearing about nonetheless. The Solution Accelerator team is pleased to announce the immediate availability of the Microsoft Assessment and Planning Toolkit 5.0 Community Technical Preview (CTP). Designed to simplify and streamline the IT infrastructure planning process across multiple scenarios through network-wide automated discovery and assessments, this tool provides a quick and complete inventory of the current IT environment of any organization, hardware and device compatibility assessment, and actionable reporting of recommended hardware upgrades for migration.
The MAP Toolkit 5.0 CTP includes these new features:
· Heterogeneous Server Environment Inventory for Technologies including Windows Server, Linux, UNIX and VMware.
· Ability to determine usage of deployed System Center Configuration Manager, a member of the Core Client Access License Suite.
· Readiness assessment for migration or upgrade to Microsoft Office 2010.
Over 800,000 Microsoft customers and partners including Costco Wholesale Corporation, Continental Airlines, and Pella Corporation have already downloaded and used this toolkit to help plan for their server and PC deployments.
Additional MAP Toolkit Features include:
• Windows 7 Hardware and Device Compatibility Assessment.
• Windows Server 2008 R2 Hardware and Device Compatibility Assessment.
• Virtualization Candidates Assessment for Hyper-V Server Consolidation.
• Inventory of VMware Server Hosts and Guests.
• Enhanced Usability and Improved Inventory Performance.
• SQL Server Instance Discovery.
• Desktop Security Assessment for Anti-virus and Anti-malware Programs Installation.
• Forefront Client Security/NAP Readiness Assessment.
To give you a quick sample, here are a couple MAP 5.0 Inventory and Assessment Wizard screenshots:
Here’s what the System Center Configuration Manager Server Report looks like:
Next Steps
· Register for the MAP Toolkit 5.0 CTP and download. (Live ID required)
· Want to influence the future of MAP? Complete the survey and receive a free 4GB Solution Accelerator branded Memory Stick.* (Live ID required)
· Download other Windows Server 2008 R2 and Windows 7 Solution Accelerators for your IT planning, deployment, and management needs.
Enjoy!
J.C. Hornbeck | Manageability Knowledge Engineer
Many organizations want to use variables to simplify the naming and manageability of MED-V workspaces. While regular operating system environment variables cannot be used inside the workspace policy, MED-V has variables that can be used for persistent workspaces. The workspace policy must use the VM Setup script to implement these variables.
These variables can be selected when configuring the MED-V workspace policy inside the MED-V management console (run from the client.)
To view and select these variables, do the following:
1.) Log into the MED-V Management Server (policy server) using the MED-V Management utility.
2.) When the policy loads, navigate to the Policy node.
3.) Select your desired workspace, then click on the VM Setup Tab. (Be advised that this option is only available for persistent workspaces which is defined in the Virtual Machine tab.)
4.) In the VM Setup tab you will see an option for "VM Computer Name Pattern" near the bottom of the page.
The default pattern for the machine image name is: MED-V%workspace########## where %workspace represents the name of the workspace used by this image on the client computer. The remaining # characters denote a random generated character. It is here where you have the option to insert different variables and where you can define your own computer name pattern. The variables that can be used are:
%Workspace: The name of the MED-V workspace being used by this image during the VM setup.
%User: The name of the user logged on to MED-V during the VM setup.
%Domain: The domain name (short name) of the authenticating MED-V Active Directory domain.
%Hostname: The hostname of the physical machine running the MED-V Client using this workspace.
%VMName: The name of the Virtual Machine name (Name of the virtual machine image file used by the workspace.)
Examples:
If a user named Ernie from the domain CORPORATE logged on to a machine named CLIENT234 using the workspace called IE_7 leveraging the image XP01 will have the following name translations after generation:
| VM Computer Name Pattern | Actual Name |
| MED-V%Domain##### | MED-VCORPORATE5 |
| %Workspace-%User | IE_7-ERNIE |
| %UserMED-V | ERNIEMED-V |
| %Hostname-MEDV | CLIENT234-MEDV |
| %VMNameMEDV##### | XP01MEDV64345 |
NOTE: The maximum limit for a name is 15 characters. Any pattern that generates a result that exceeds this limit will be truncated to the first 15 characters.
5.) Once this is determined, you will need to include the action within the VM setup script. This will require you to click the "Script Editor" option under Persistent VM Setup. Click on this button. The "Rename Computer" Action is required to generate the computer name. Also note, this will need to be followed by a "Restart Computer" action.
Steve Thomas | Senior Support Escalation Engineer
In most cases it is recommended to use the MED-V Server Configuration utility (%PROGRAMFILES%\Microsoft Enterprise Desktop Virtualization\ServerSettings.exe) to make configuration changes to the MED-V Policy Server, but there are some circumstances in which you will have to make modifications to the configuration file that controls the server settings (serversettings.xml). Those reasons include:
- Multi-Server Deployment/Provisioning
- Currently the serversettings.exe (MED-V Server Configuration Manager) is not supported on Windows Server 2008 R2 X64 edition. The only supported way is to modify the serversettings.xml file located in C:\Program Files\Microsoft Enterprise Desktop Virtualization\Servers.
NOTE: This feature will be addressed in a future service pack
The following sections correlate the settings in the XML configuration file with its location in the MED-V Server Configuration Manager user interface. We recommend you make these changes using NOTEPAD or a text editor. Please do not use an application such as wordpad or Microsoft Word as this can malform the XML file.
Client Connections Tab
The following Tags correlate with the options that can be set under the "Client Connections" tab.
<HttpPort>
If configuring the server for unencrypted connections, specify this tag with the port. The default is 80.
<SslPort>
If configuring the server for encrypted connections, specify this tag with the port. The default is 443.
<EncryptionMode>
This should be set to either None, Optional, or Required.
None = means only HTTP connections will be allowed. Requires <HttpPort> to also be configured.
Optional = means both HTTP and HTTPS connections will be allowed. Requires both <HttpPort> and <SslPort> to also be configured. <SslCertificateThumbprint> will also need to be configured for SSL.
Required = means only HTTPS connections will be allowed. Requires <SslPort> to also be configured as well as the <SslCertificateThumbprint>
Images Tab
The following Tags correlate with the options that can be set under the "Images" tab.
<VmsDirectory>
This is the directory for the Virtual Machines for the Policy Server. The default is C:\MED-V Server Images.
<VmsServerBaseUrl>
This is the location of the URL for the path for Image upload and download (Image Distribution Server location.) There is no default.
Permissions
The following Tags correlate with the options that can be set under the "Permissions" tab. When you give a user permission to manage the MED-V server, you must specify several tags.
<LoginList>
This represents the section heading where the entries have to be added.
<LoginUserEntity Sid="SID"> - where SID is the actual SID of the user or group.
Each entry is identified by the <LoginUserEntity> tag. Each entry also needs to contain the following additional tags
<EntityType>
Type of security entity either user or group.
<Name>
The user name or group name.
<HasChangePermission>
This determines whether the management access will be read-only or whether changes can be made. The values are either true or false.
Here is an example of a <LoginList> section that grant read-only access to Everyone, grants change permissions to specific users, and read-only permissions to two groups.
<LoginList>
<LoginUserEntity Sid="S-1-1-0">
<EntityType>Group</EntityType>
<Name>Everyone</Name>
<HasChangePermission>false</HasChangePermission>
</LoginUserEntity>
<LoginUserEntity Sid="S-1-5-21-124525095-708259637-1543119021-630690">
<EntityType>User</EntityType>
<Name>CONTOSO\steveth</Name>
<HasChangePermission>true</HasChangePermission>
</LoginUserEntity>
<LoginUserEntity Sid="S-1-5-21-124525095-708259637-1543119021-209603">
<EntityType>User</EntityType>
<Name>CONTOSO\sbucci</Name>
<HasChangePermission>true</HasChangePermission>
</LoginUserEntity>
<LoginUserEntity Sid="S-1-5-21-124525095-708259637-1543119021-802833">
<EntityType>User</EntityType>
<Name>CONTOSO\jalanis</Name>
<HasChangePermission>true</HasChangePermission>
</LoginUserEntity>
<LoginUserEntity Sid="S-1-5-21-2127521184-1604012920-1887927527-5291531">
<EntityType>Group</EntityType>
<Name>CONTOSO\medvse</Name>
<HasChangePermission>false</HasChangePermission>
</LoginUserEntity>
<LoginUserEntity Sid="S-1-5-21-2127521184-1604012920-1887927527-5301847">
<EntityType>Group</EntityType>
<Name>CONTOSO\medvsee</Name>
<HasChangePermission>false</HasChangePermission>
</LoginUserEntity>
</LoginList>
Reports
The following Tags correlate with the options that can be set under the "Reports" Tab.
<DatabaseUsername>
This is only needed if you are authenticating using SQL authentication.
<DatabasePassword>
This is only needed if you are authenticating using SQL authentication.
<DatabaseEnabled>
If Reporting is enabled, set this to true. Otherwise, set it to false.
<DatabaseConnectionStringFormat>
This should correlate with the format normally placed in the user interface. It should contain the following options:
Data Source: The destination of the SQL Server configured for reporting.
Initial Catalog: The destination database
Integrated Security: Whether mixed mode authentication is enabled.
The following example uses a remote SQL Server instance named MEDV on SQL Server SQLSERVER01. The destination database is medv and Windows Integrated Security is used:
Data Source=SQLSERVER01\MEDV;Initial Catalog=medv;Integrated Security=True
Other Options
There are a couple of additional options which cannot be set in the user interface:
<ChangePasswordEnabled>
Determines whether a user has the option to change their password if expiry is hit when trying to log on to the workspace. By default, this is set to true.
<SslCertificateThumbprint>
This is the certificate thumbprint. You can find this by double clicking on the certificate (either on the filesystem or mmc window), going to the Details tab, and scrolling down to the Thumbprint value.
Hope this helps,
Steve Thomas | Senior Support Escalation Engineer
The Microsoft Enterprise Desktop Virtualization (MED-V) documentation library has recently been published to TechNet! This is the first time that MED-V documentation has been made available online and you can now see the newly published MED-V Planning, Deployment, and Operations Guide in the MED-V documentation library on TechNet here http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee348978.aspx.
Having the documentation available online is a huge advantage over downloadable guides only because it makes the MED-V documentation available from a Web search and, even more importantly, it allows us to regularly update the documentation between product releases to address your concerns and comments about it. To be sure that you’re always getting the latest documentation about MED-V, you can check the topics in the MED-V documentation library, with the exception of orientation topics that just provide links to other topics, for their “Updated” date which tells you how recently the information in that topic was changed or updated. Please note that the information on the TechNet library will always be the most up-to-date and should be considered authoritative if content on the Download Center and TechNet are not the same.
So, if you have a minute, please take a look at the new documentation online and let us know what you think! As always, we the MED-V doc team, will be monitoring the MED-V documentation feedback alias for your comments and suggestions (medvdocs@microsoft.com) and thanks in advance for your efforts in helping to improve the documentation!
Thanks!
Jeff Gilbert | Content Publishing Manager: App-V & MED-V
