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FlexApp Package Automation with Chocolatey

Johnny Ma
  • Updated

 

SE Articles From the Field

General Setup - FlexApp Packaging Automation and Chocolatey:

  • Flexapp Package Automation Primary server installation
  • Install Chocolatey
  • Create DefaultsJSON file with passwords and default settings.
    https://docs.liquidware.com/ProfileUnity/en-us/common/flexapp-packaging-automation/available-packaging-job-parameters.htm
    • Edit the following lines in the DefaultsJSON file (note slashes are doubled in JSON files)
    • "Path": \\\\server\\FlexApps
      • Defines path to where the FlexApp .vhdx will be stored
    •   "DontCreateFlexAppOne": "True",
      • Optional** Setting to True will not create FlexApp One executable
    •   "DontCaptureUserProfileData": "True",
      • Optional** Setting to True will not capture the user profile information (not needed for most apps)
  • Flexapp Package Automation Agent Nodes installed, optimized and frameworks installed.
    • Install Chocolatey
    • Set on all systems
    • choco feature enable -n allowGlobalConfirmation
    • choco feature enable -n usePackageExitCodes
  • Download the latest scripts and templates from site.
    • UpdateBatchWchocolatey.X.X.psm1
    • UpdateConfigFlexapps.X.X.psm1
    • MakeSecurePasswordfile-AES.ps1
    • catalogTemplate.csv

Setting Up Scripts:

  • Creating secure password (password is used to login to the ProfileUnity server)
    • Run MakeSecurePasswordfile-AES.ps1 and follow prompts
      • May need to set the execution policy to bypass (Set-Execution bypass)
      • Script will create the password.txt and ASEKey.txt files
      • Both files can be stored in the same or different locations
  • Open UpdateBatchWchocolatey.X.X.X.psm1
    • Edit the following lines.
      • [string]$global:servername= "ProfileUnityServer"
      • $user = "ProfileUnity Admin account"
      • $passwordFileLocation = "C:\FPA \Automation\password.txt"
      • $AESKeyFilePath = "C:\FPA\aeskey.txt"
    • Edit to point to ProfileUnity server, set account used for ProfileUnity and the path(s) to the password and ASE files
  • Open UpdateConfigFlexapps.X.X.X.psm1
    • Edit the following lines.
      • [string]$global:servername= "ProfileUnityServer"
      • $user = "ProfileUnity Admin account"
      • $passwordFileLocation = "C:\FPA \Automation\password.txt"
      • $AESKeyFilePath = "C:\FPA\aeskey.txt"
    • Edit to point to ProfileUnity server, set account used for ProfileUnity and the path(s) to the password and ASE files

Setting Up Templates:

  • Edit catalogTemplate.csv (done easiest in Xxcel)
  • There are five items to edit
    • Name
    • FilterName
      • Optional** will match with the ProfileUnity filter assigned to the app (if one is assigned). Leave blank for all users
    • Size
      • FlexApp format size for the .vhdx, (note this is a dynamic disk)
      • Common default setting. (20480 aka 20GB)
    • Installer
      • Installer exe or command to be used to install software package. For Chocolatey the default is (C:\windows\system32\cmd.exe)
    • InstallerArgs
      • Arguments to be used with the launching exe to install software. Chocolatey default (/c choco install APPNAME --silent –force)
      • Some application might require the addition of
        • --ignore-checksums --ignore-package-exit-codes

          Example:
          Picture1.png

Using PSM1 Script and Template In Tandem:

  • Import PSM1 template with the command: Import-Module "C:\AutoChoco\ UpdateBatchWchocolatey.X.X.X.psm1"
    • May need to set the execution policy to unrestircted (Set-Execution unrestricted)
  • Run command to initiate the application update process: update-FPABatchJob -jobfile "C:\FPA\catalog.csv" -Defaultfile "C:\FPA\Defauls.json" -server https://FPAPrimaryServer:9075
    • Command combines catalog.cvs, Defaults.json, and the connection to the FlexApp Packaging Automation Primary server
    • Command will look at the inventory on the ProfileUnity server, and compare the name and version tag in the inventory against the Chocolaty repository version for the corresponding application name
      • If application name/version is the same for both it will skip the application
      • If the application name/version is newer in Chocolatey it will add that application into the batch for processing.

Using UpdateDIAScript to Update Applications Within Configurations

  • Import the PSM1 template with the following command: Import-Module "C:\AutoChoco\ UpdateConfigFlexapps.X.X.X.psm1"
    • May need to set the execution policy to unrestircted (Set-Execution unrestricted)
  • Run command to initiate the configuration update process: update-ConfigFlexapps -jobfile "C:\FPA\catalog.csv" -configname "CONFIGNAME" -servername "PROuSERVER"
    • Command combines catalog.cvs, the ProfileUnity config, and the connection to the ProfileUnity server.
    • Command will look at the ProfileUnity inventory on the ProfileUnity server, and compare the name and version tag in the “configuration” (FlexApp module) for the corresponding application name
      • If the application name/version is the same in both it will skip the application
      • If the application name/version is newer in ProfileUnity inventory it will swap that FlexApp out for the latest version
      • Note this is only supported where there is one FlexApp packaged assigned per FlexApp rule (possible future enhancement will allow for multiple applications in one rule)
    • Once the applications are swapped out the configuration with save with no prompt (will then have to manually deploy the configuration out from the ProfileUnity console)

Additional Notes

  • Default naming and version tagging comes from the Chocolatey repository
    • The scripts currently only support 6.8.5+ (if running an older version of ProfileUnity you will need to upgrade.
    • Names of applications can be found on the Chocolatey site
    • Versions of applications will be in a X.X.X.X format and automatically created from the Chocolatey repository version tag
    • If currently using previously created Flexapp with no version tag, it will be assumed that the application is older and will automatically create a new application with the proper version tagging (also applicable in the configuration swap process in the FlexApp module

Remove .txt from .ps1 and .psm1 files for use.

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