To update the agent-related software that is installed on RDSH images that are currently in use by farms, you first use the Update Agent action on the images. Then you edit the farms to use those updated images.

At a high-level, the system's agent update capability works as follows:

  • The system makes regular contact with the VMware CDS (Component Download Service) software distribution network to see if a new version of the Horizon Agents Installer is available. If so, the system automatically downloads that version to your Horizon Cloud pods.
  • After a new version is downloaded, the administrative console reflects that an update is available for the images in which the prior agent-related software is installed. A visual indicator is displayed for those images that have the agent-related software at a level prior to the new version.
  • During the agent update process:
    • The system powers on the selected image's virtual machine (VM), clones a duplicate VM from the powered-on image, and then runs the convert-to-image process on the selected image to return it to its original published state. During this part of the process, the selected image's status displayed in the console changes from Published to In Transition.
    • When the duplicate VM exists, the system powers it on, installs the agent-related software using the newer update version that was selected in the wizard, and then runs the convert-to-image process on that duplicate to publish it.
  • At the end of the agent update process, both the original image and its duplicate are listed, where the duplicate image is the one with the updated agent software installed in it.
Important: At the end of the agent update process, the RDSH image you selected when you clicked Update Agent ends up in the same state it was in when the process started, with its original agent version level. The new duplicate image gets the agent software at the selected update level.

The agent update process results in a new assignable image that is a duplicate of the original, with the agent-related software updated to the version you specify in the wizard. The agent update workflow automatically clones the original image to make a new VM, installs the agent-related software of the specified level into that VM, and then converts that VM to make it an assignable (published) image. The system bases the name of the new image on the original image's name appended with a dash and a number. For example, if the original image's name is SalesGold, the agent update process results in an image such as SalesGold-2. At the end of the process, both images are listed together in the console.

The screenshot below illustrates the two images listed after running the agent update process on the image named pat2016 and selecting the most recently available update version. Because the original image is unchanged at the end of the process, the blue dot remains displayed next to it. The pat2016-1 image contains the agent software are the update level, and because there are no newer update versions in the system yet, the pat2016-1 image has no blue dot next to it.


Screenshot showing both images listed at the end of the process

Procedure

  1. Click Inventory and navigate to the image-related page where the RDSH image is listed.
    On the selected page, a blue dot appears next to the name of any image for which an update applies. If you hover over a blue dot, a popup displays indicating the new version of the Horizon Agents Installer available for that image.

    The screenshot below illustrates that an agent update is available for the image named pat2016.


    Screenshot of the console and a green arrow pointing to the blue dot indicating an image has agent updates available

    Hover your cursor over that blue dot to see what updates are available.


    Screenshot of the list that appears when cursor hovers over the blue dot indicator

  2. Select the check box next to the image you want to update.
  3. Click Update Agent.
    The Agent Update wizard appears.
  4. In the Software step, select the update version you want to use from the drop-down list and click Next.

    Step 1 of the Agent Update wizard showing the available versions of the Horizon Agents Installer

  5. (Optional) In the Command Line step, add any command-line options that might be relevant for this update on the image.
    The wizard displays a message that indicates whether command-line options are available for the specified update.
  6. Click Submit.
    • A message displays at the top of the page indicating that the update has started.
    • The system creates a clone virtual machine (VM) of the original image and then updates the agent-related components on that clone image. After the clone image is updated, the system runs the convert-to-desktop process to turn it into a published image.

    You can view the progress of the update task by selecting Monitor > Activity. If the task is not completed successfully within 24 hours, it is shown in failure status.

What to do next

  • Update the farms that are using the original image by editing the farms to use the new duplicate image, the image which now has the updated agent software on it. Use the Edit action on the farm, then in the window that opens, locate the Image field, select the new duplicate image, and save.
  • When you have updated the farms that were using the original image and can determine the original image is no longer needed by your organization, you can delete the original image from the page where it is listed. Deleting the original image is a best practice, to prevent other administrators in your organization from using an image that has down-level agents.