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How to Install and Configure the App-V 5.0 Management Server

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Introduction

App-V 5.0 enabled you to sequence more applications than ever before. It's also much more standardized, with fewer streaming options available before with this resulting in a much more straightforward setup and configuration process.

The following procedure will show the Management Server installation: App-V Management Server on Windows Server 2012 but can also apply to Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 or higher.

Pre-installation requirements

The components for the App-V 5.0 Management Server setup can be configured on separate servers in large production environments and also setup on one server in a small production environment of Proof Of Concept.

App-V 5.0 uses a Management Database, a Reporting Database and all three web services for Reporting, Management and Publishing. You may set up the Databases on a dedicated SQL server or possibly even two. And have your Web Services on another Server or possibly even across three servers. If you would like to install the services on separate machines please look at this site for more information: HERE 

The minimum requirements for each component are as follows:

Hardware and Operating System Requirements:

Management Server

  • Processor—1.4 GHz or faster, 64-bit (x64) processor
  • RAM— 1 GB RAM (64-bit)
  • Disk space—200 MB available hard disk space, not including the content directory.
  • Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 or later

Publishing Server

  • Processor—1.4 GHz or faster. 64-bit (x64) processor
  • RAM— 2 GB RAM (64-bit)
  • Disk space—200 MB available hard disk space. not including content directory
  • Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 or later

Reporting Server

  • Processor—1.4 GHz or faster. 64-bit (x64) processor
  • RAM—2 GB RAM (64-bit)
  • Disk space—200 MB available hard disk space
  • Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 or later

Management and Reporting Databases require any of the following in 64-bit or 32-bit:

  • Microsoft SQL Server 2008 (Standard, Enterprise, Datacenter, or the Developer Edition with the following feature: Database Engine Services.)
  • Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 SP2 (Standard, Enterprise, Datacenter, or the Developer Edition with the following feature: Database Engine Services.)
  • Microsoft SQL Server 2012 (Standard, Enterprise, Datacenter, or the Developer Edition with the following feature: Database Engine Services.)

Pre-installation requirements

The App-V Web Services require IIS role, App-V 5.0 also has other software requirements as follows:

Features:

  • Common HTTP Features (static content and default document)
  • Application Development (ASP.NET, .NET Extensibility, ISAPI Extensions and ISAPI Filters),
  • Security (Windows Authentication, Request Filtering)
  • Security (Windows Authentication, Request Filtering)
  • Management Tools (IIS Management Console)
  • 64-bit ASP.NET registration

The App-V setup requires the software pre-requisites:

  • .NET Framework 4.0 (Full)
  • Visual C++ Redistributable 2010 SP1 (x86)
  • Powershell 3.0

The Management Server also requires:

  • 64-bit version of C++ Redistributable 2010 SP1 
  • Microsoft update KB2533623

If you use Windows Firewall in your environment you will need to grant three ports exceptions for use with App-V 5.0. Even if you do not use Windows Firewall you will need three port numbers to use also.

Just like with the previous iterations of App-V you will also need a 'content' share for your App-V applications to live in. Also, it's a good idea to create an App-V Administrators AD Group for access to the App-V 5.0 Management Console

Installing App-V Management Server

After the prerequisites, open the folder with the installation files for the App-V and click on the App-V Server installer.

Click on App-V 5.0 Server in the MDOP installer.

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Figure 2 - App-V 5.0 Installation

Click Install

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Figure 3 - License Terms

Select I accept the license terms. and then click Next

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Figure 4 - App-V Microsoft Updates

Select "I don't want to use Microsoft Update" if you plan to manage the updates yourself. Click Next

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Figure 5 - Management Database

In this dialog, you can use the default instance and database if you are setting App-V 5.0 up in a one server setup for a small environment or proof of concept installation.

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Figure 6 - Management Service and Install Accounts

You can set the account used for the Management service. Selecting either a local computer account or a domain service account if you set this up. You can also supply an Administrator account for the installation or possibly that App-V Administrators group you have created for access to the Management Console.

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Figure 7 - Reporting Database

Similar to the Management Database, you also require to set up a Reporting Database. Again if you are setting up on a one server setup you can select the defaults otherwise you can point to the instance and database you want to use

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Figure 8 - Reporting Service and Install Accounts

Also similar to the Management Database you can setup the Reporting Service to use a Domain Account and also set up the Install Administrator Login.

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Figure 9 - Management Web Service

You need to provide an AD group or account that is authorized to manage App-V, perhaps your App-V Administrators Group. You also need to provide an available port in your environment and as above has been granted as an exception.

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Figure 10 - Publishing Web Service

Next up is the Publishing Server. You need to remember these settings because this will be required when configuring the Client machines. e.g. http://localhost:316

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Figure 11 - Reporting Web Service

Finally, for the Reporting Server, you need to provide another available Port that's also been provided with an exception.

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Figure 12 -Installation Complete

By default since this is the first Publishing Server your setup will be assigned ID number 1. If you have an application assigned you can either open the App-V Client on the machine and click update or you can type the following on your open Powershell:

Sync-AppVPublishingServer

Click 1 and then enter.

Also in a test environment at least you may want to change the following registry settings on your publishing server:

  • HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\AppV\Server\PublishingService
  • PUBLISHING_MGT_SERVER_REFRESH_INTERVAL = 600 (default setting in seconds)
  • PUBLISHING_MGT_SERVER_REFRESH_INTERVAL = 5 (common value used for test environment)

Without setting these you may notice applications will not be delivered to your end user devices right away, this is the default behavior as the interval are managed by this setting. Running IISReset also trigger an update.

Now your App-V Management Console is ready for use. You can open the website which shows up on the final dialog of the installation.