Enhancing efficiency, consistency, and security in EUC operations
In the sphere of EUC, creating and managing gold images is a critical piece to ensure the best environment available to end- users.
Gold images, essentially standardised virtual machine templates, provide a baseline configuration that can be replicated across various environments. While the traditional Click-Ops technique, which involves manually creating these images through graphical user interfaces (GUIs), has been solid and reliable for years, there is a growing shift towards defining and deploying gold images via code. This blog delves into the advantages of this modern approach, highlighting how it enhances efficiency, consistency, and security in IT operations and how it can be done without the need for third party tools!
1 Efficiency
The traditional Click-Ops method, though intuitive and simple, it is often labour-intensive and time-consuming. Each step, from setting up the operating system to configuring applications, requires manual intervention. This not only slows down the process but also demands a significant amount of manpower.
It can also be responsible for performance issues down the line. As an image ages the technical debt and software bloating can result in an image providing a sub-optimal user experience.
Building gold images via code, on the other hand, leverages automation tools and scripts to streamline the entire process. Infrastructure as Code (IaC) frameworks like Terraform, Ansible, and Packer enable IT teams to define, deploy, and manage infrastructure in a programmatic manner. With code-based approaches, repetitive tasks can be automated, reducing the time required to create and update gold images. This approach is platform agnostic and can be applied to any flavour of EUC across Server & Desktop Operating Systems.
This increased efficiency allows the IT Teams to focus on Improving existing processes and systems and engaging in projects that can be used to improve user experience (i.e DEX via ControlUP)
Depending on the technology powering your EUC environment there are more options now than ever.
Many solutions are interchangeable between Citrix, AVD, and Windows 365 environments. These include:
- Hashicorp Packer (Azure)
- Azure Image Builder
- Azure DevOps Pipelines
- Nerdio Manager for Enterprise / MSP (AVD Only)
Keeping a repository which is secure and private (GitHub / DevOps) is key to ensuring you have a proper scripting framework in place, this is good practice regardless of whatever route is taken.
The above tools can be used to build a gold image for Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops or VMWare Horizon environments using the same script logic.
The end goal is an enterprise ready Windows 11 or Windows Server 2025 image automatically created and configured via code.
An overview of the deployment logic would include:
- Image provision from marketplace
- Install roles and features required for a single or multi-session environment
- Removal of non-enterprise features (Store Apps, unneeded services)
- Installation of line of business applications
- Seal and optimise Image
- Publish the template to an Azure Image Gallery
The second phase is to establish a core group of line of business applications and define the source for these installers that can be used repeatedly to use the latest version of an application. Several approaches can be used here. Winget or Evergreen, for example, can be used for installation of commonly used desktop applications.
For any corporate specific applications that are not openly available, automation can be developed to utilise an installer from a secure Azure storage account or private file system.
For AVD Administrators looking for a complete end-end solution, Nerdio Manager for Enterprise provides a robust collection of tools and management capabilities. More information can be found here Nerdio Manager.
2 Consistency and Standardisation
One of the major drawbacks of the Click-Ops technique is the inconsistency that arises from manual processes. Different team members may update images differently, not adhering to recommended practices, leading to variations that can impact performance. These discrepancies are particularly problematic in large-scale deployments where uniformity is crucial.
Code-based gold image creation ensures consistency by using version-controlled scripts and configurations. Once a script is written, it can be reused to generate standardised images every time, eliminating the risk of human error. Version control systems like Git/DevOps allow teams to track changes and collaborate efficiently. This standardisation ensures that all instances of the gold image are uniform, facilitating smoother deployments and reducing the likelihood of configuration drift. In future releases of Windows the gold image framework and script logic can be reused provided applications are compatible with future versions.
3 Scalability and Flexibility
As organisations grow, the need for scalable and flexible solutions becomes imperative. The Click-Ops approach, with its reliance on manual processes, struggles to keep up with the demands of scaling infrastructure. Each new instance requires the same time-consuming setup, leading to bottlenecks and inefficiencies.
Code-based approaches, however, are inherently scalable. Scripts can be executed multiple times to create numerous instances without additional effort. This scalability is particularly beneficial in dynamic environments where new instances need to be deployed or decommissioned rapidly. Moreover, code-based methods offer flexibility in customising configurations, allowing organisations to tailor gold images to specific requirements with ease.
New applications requested by the business should have the installation scripted and integrated in the build pipeline.
4 Documentation and Knowledge Sharing
A common challenge in IT operations is the lack of comprehensive documentation. Manual processes often result in undocumented configurations, making it difficult for teams to understand and replicate setups. This lack of documentation can lead to knowledge silos and hinder collaboration.
Code-based gold image creation addresses this issue by providing clear and detailed documentation through the scripts themselves. Each configuration and change is defined in code, creating a self-documenting system. This transparency fosters better knowledge sharing among team members and ensures that all stakeholders have access to accurate and up-to-date information.
5 Conclusion
In conclusion, transitioning your existing approach to gold image creation to code offers numerous advantages over the traditional manual techniques. A code-based approach will provide a consistent, repeatable, and scalable platform from which to deploy your VDI environment, allowing time and effort to be redirected to higher value tasks within the organisation.
As organisations strive for agility and resilience in their operations, embracing Infrastructure as Code for gold image creation is a strategic move that can deliver significant long-term benefits. Transitioning to this modern methodology not only streamlines processes but also paves the way for innovation and continuous improvement in IT Infrastructure operations.
At Insentra, we value efficiency and security. We always try and find better way to improve our clients’ operations and simplify their processes. Contact us today to transform your image management and remote access environment.
