In this blog i will guide you the process of deploying VMware UEM and steps to configure UEM post deployment.

VMware User Environment Manager terminology :

Term	Description
Management Console	The User Environment Manager Management Console.
UEM configuration share	The UNC path to the share where the Management Console configuration and User Environment Manager configuration files will be stored.
Flex config/configuration file	A configuration file containing User Environment Manager specific content. Flex config files are created and managed by the Management Console.
FlexEngine	The User Environment Manager client component which needs to be installed on each physical or virtual Windows device where you want to use VMware User Environment Manager.
Profile archives	Profile archives are ZIP files in which FlexEngine stores the personalized settings of users, based on the content of Flex configuration files. For each Flex configuration file you create, a profile archive will be created for each user.
Profile archive path	The path that is used by FlexEngine to store profile archives of the individual users.
Profile archive backup path	The path that is used by FlexEngine to store backups of profile archives.
General folder	A folder named General, which is created by the Management Console in the UEM configuration share. This is the location where Flex configuration files will be created, managed and used from by FlexEngine.

System Requirements:

To implement VMware UEM we need only few infrastructure requirement.

• Active Directory for Group policy configuration of FlexEngine. (FlexEngine can be configured without using Group Policy, but then requires command line arguments)
• UEM Configuration Share:
  • A central share on a file server. This can be a replicated share for multi-site scenarios as long as the path to the share is the same for all client devices.
  • Make sure that only User Environment Manager administrators have at least modify permissions on the share.
  • Make sure that users for whom settings will be managed by User Environment Manager only have read-only permissions on the share.
• Shares to store user’s profile archives and profile archive backups. It is necessary to use a location that is unique for each user.
• Any of the below Windows versions and editions are supported:
  • Windows Vista Business, Enterprise, and Ultimate x86 and x64 SP2
  • Windows Server 2008 Standard and Enterprise x86 and x64 SP2
  • Windows 7 Professional, Enterprise, and Ultimate x86 and x64 SP1
  • Windows Server 2008 R2 Standard and Enterprise x64 SP1
  • Windows Server 2012 Standard and Datacenter x64
  • Windows 8.1 Professional and Enterprise x86 and x64 with Update
  • Windows Server 2012 R2 Standard and Datacenter x64 with Update
  • Windows 10 Professional and Enterprise x86 and x64

Management Share Requirements:

We need minimum 2 file shares to be created on the network.

UEM Configuration share:

Used to save complete UEM configuration this includes .XML and .INI files. User Environment manager management console is used to create and edit the configuration. When a user logs on, the User Environment Manager FlexEngine reads the configuration in this share to determine which configuration should be applied. Users only need “read” permission on this share. For multi-site deployments, same share can be replicated. The minimum share permissions are ‘change’ for administrators and ‘read’ for users

Set the following NTFS security permissions on this share:

• Administrators of User Environment Manager: ‘Full control’
• Users of User Environment Manager: ‘Read & execute’.

UEM Profile archive share:

This share is used to store personal settings like profile archives, backups and log files of all the users. This share also contains mostly .ZIP files, the so-called UEM profile archives. For each user a unique sub-folder is created. On each logon or application start, all personal user settings are loaded from this share and written back while logoff or application exit. User need “Change” permission to this share. The minimum share permissions should be ‘change’ for all users

Set the following NTFS security permissions on this share: (Refer to below image)

• User Environment Manager Administrators or Helpdesk: ‘Full control’
  • Apply to: This folder, subfolders and files
• Users of User Environment Manager: ‘Read & execute’ and ‘Create folders / append data’
  • Apply to: This folder only
• CREATOR OWNER: ‘Full control’
  • Apply to: Subfolders and files only

 

Installation of User Environment Manager :

Click here to download User Environment Manager 9.0.

Once Downloaded, Extract the zip file.

Execute the “VMware User Environment Manager 9.0 x86.msi or VMware User Environment Manager 9.0 x64.msi” depends on the environment that you would like to build.

Click on Next

Accept the EULA and Click Next.

Select the destination folder for UEM installation

Select the Custom installation and select UEM Manager (Since it is my test environment, I am going with Complete installation)

Select the License file that you have already purchased and Click Next

Click on Install and wait for installation to finish.

You are done!!

In my next blog i will guide you through the configuration of UEM. Please standby.

I hope you find this useful. Thanks for reading.