How to deploy and manage Office 2013 on App-V 5.0

Creating and deploying Microsoft Office 2013 App-V packages

Microsoft Office 2013 App-V packages are created by using the Office Deployment Tool (ODT). The sequencer cannot be used to create or edit Office 2013 App-V packages. The created packages may have Subscription Licensing or Volume Licensing. The following table lists the supported licensing and deployments for Office 2013 App-V packages.


The deployment of Office 2013 App-V packages provides a great experience for the enterprise. Office 2013 App-V 5.0 enables easier package creation through the ODT and does not require sequencing. This method also provides strong integration with the operating system and local applications, the ability to customize Office 2013 applications through the Deployment Configuration file, side-by-side deployment, support for plug-ins, and tighter integration with microsoft System Center 2013 Configuration Manager Service Pack 1 (SP1). 

This deployment resembles that for any other App-V packages. The App-V package can be deployed by using classical App-V deployment methods: 

• System Center Configuration Manager
• App-V Server
• Stand-alone through PowerShell commands

To successfully deploy Office 2013 App-V packages, follow these guidelines:

• Microsoft Office 2013 App-V packages must be published globally. Office 2013 App-V is very well integrated with the operating system. Therefore, only global publishing is supported. This makes sure that integration works seamlessly and successfully.
• Scripting must be enabled to publish Office 2013 packages successfully. Office 2013 relies on scripting to successfully publish. By default, package scripts are disabled on App-V clients. You must enable scripts to be able to publish packages. To do this, edit App-V Client Configuration Settings by running the following Windows PowerShell command at an elevated PowerShell command prompt: 
  
  

  Set-AppvClientConfiguration –EnablePackageScripts 1 

Creating Office 2013 App-V packages by using the Office Deployment Tool

The following instructions will guide you through creating an Office 2013 App-V package with either Subscription Licensing or Volume Licensing by using the ODT. Administrators should create Office 2013 App-V packages on 64-bit computers that are running Windows. The Office 2013 App-V package that is created will run on both 64-bit and 32-bit computers that are running either Windows 8 or Windows 7. 

Download the Office Deployment Tool

Office 2013 App-V packages are created by using the ODT. The package cannot be created or changed through the App-V sequencer. 

Both Office 2013 App-V and Office 2013 Click-to-Run use the ODT. Although the tool is named Office Deployment Tool for Click-to-Run, it is specifically used in this case to create Office 2013 App-V packages. To download the tool, see Office Deployment Tool for Click-to-Run.

Run the .exe file by extracting its components to the desired location. To make this process easier, you can create a shared network share folder in which to save these components. For example, create the following folder:

After the download is complete, you should have a Setup.exe and a Configuration.xml file in the location that you specified.

Download Office 2013 applications

Office 2013 App-V packages are created after you download Office applications through the ODT. You can use the tool to obtain the most up-to-date Office 2013 applications. The XML file that is included in the ODT specifies the product details, such as the languages and office applications that are included.

To create the Office 2013 applications, follow these steps.

Step 1: Customize the sample XML configuration file

Use the sample XML configuration file that are included together with the ODT to customize the Office applications. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Open the sample XML file in a text editor, such as Notepad.
2. When the sample Configuration.xml file is open, you can specify products, languages, and the path in which the Office 2013 applications should be saved. For example, the following is a basic configuration.xml file: 
   
   

   <Configuration>   <Add SourcePath= ”\\Server\Office2013” OfficeClientEdition="32" >     <Product ID="O365ProPlusRetail ">       <Language ID="en-us" />     </Product>     <Product ID="VisioProPlus">       <Language ID="en-us" />     </Product>   </Add>  </Configuration> 

   The sample XML configuration file specifies that Office 2013 ProPlus 32-bit edition, including Visio ProPlus, will be downloaded and saved in English to the \\server\Office 2013 folder. Notice that the product ID of the applications does not affect the final licensing of Office. Office 2013 App-V packages that have various licensing can be created from the same applications by specifying licensing in a later stage.
   
   The following table summarizes the customizable attributes and elements of the XML file.
   
   

   Input	Description	Example
   Add element	Specifies the products and languages to include in the package.	Not applicable
   OfficeClientEdition (attribute of Add element)	Specifies the edition of Office 2013 product to use: 32-bit or 64-bit. The operation fails if OfficeClientEdition is not set to a valid value.	” OfficeClientEdition="32" ” OfficeClientEdition="64"
   Product element	Specifies the application. Microsoft Office Project and Microsoft Office Visio must be specified here as addeded products to be included in the applications.	Product ID="O365ProPlusRetail: Product ID =”VisioProRetail” Product ID =”ProjectProRetail” Product ID = “ProPlusVolume” Product ID =”VisoProVolume” Product ID = “ProjectProVolume”
   Language element	Specifies the language supported in the applications	Language ID="en-us"
   Version (attribute of Add element)	Optional. Specifies a build to use for the package. Defaults to latest advertised build (as defined in v32.CAB at the Office source).	15.1.2.3
   SourcePath (attribute of Add element)	Specifies the location in which the applications will be saved.	SourcePath = ”\\Server\Office2013”

   
   After you change Configuration.xml to specify the desired product and languages and the location to which the Office 2013 applications will be saved, save a copy of the customized configuration file. For example, save the files as Customconfig.xml.

Step 2: Download the applications to the specified location

Use an elevated command prompt and a 64 bit operating system to download the Office 2013 applications that will be converted into an App-V package. For example, run the following command:

The following details apply to this example command:

• \\server\Office2013: The network share location that contains the ODT and the Customconfig.xml file.
• Setup.exe: The Office Deployment Tool program.
• /download: Downloads the Office 2013 applications that you specify in the Customconfig.xml file. These bits can later be converted in an Office 2013 App-V package that uses Volume Licensing.
• \\server\Office2013\Customconfig.xml: Passes the XML configuration file that is required to complete the download process. In this example, the file is Customconfig.xml. After the download command runs, you should see Office applications in the location that you specified Customconfig.xml file. In this example, the location is \\Server\Office2013.

Convert the Office applications into an App-V package

After you download the Office 2013 applications through the ODT, the applications can be converted into an Office 2013 App-V package. To create an Office 2013 App-V Subscription Licensing package or an Office 2013 App-V Volume Licensing package, the XML configuration that you used in the previous steps must be changed to create a final App-V package that has the appropriate licensing. The following steps explain the required changes. 

Step 1: Specify Subscription Licensing

In a text editor, reopen the Customconfig.xml file, and then make the following changes to the XML:

• SourcePath: Change this value to point to the Office applications that you downloaded previously.
• ProductID: Change this value to specify Subscription Licensing.
  

For example, changes Customconfig.xml as follows:

<Configuration>   <Add SourcePath= “\\server\Office 2013” OfficeClientEdition="32" >     <Product ID="O365ProPlusRetail”       <Language ID="en-us" />     </Product>     <Product ID="VisioProPlus">       <Language ID="en-us" />     </Product>   </Add>   </Configuration> 

In this example, Product ID is changed to O365ProPlusRetail. This creates an Office 2013 App-V package that uses Subscription Licensing. The same change is applied to the product ID of Visio, which is changed to VisioProPlus. The SourcePath value is changed to point to the previously downloaded Office applications.

Step 2: Specify Volume Licensing

The changes to Customconfig.xml that create an Office 2013 App-V Volume Licensing package resemble for Subscription Licensing. In a text editor, make the following changes to the XML: 

<Configuration>   <Add SourcePath= “\\server\Office 2013” OfficeClientEdition="32" >     <Product ID="ProPlusVolume”       <Language ID="en-us" />     </Product>     <Product ID="VisioProVolume">       <Language ID="en-us" />     </Product>   </Add>   </Configuration> 

In this example, the first Product ID value is changed to ProPlusVolume to create an Office 2013 App-V package that uses Volume Licensing. The product ID value of Visio is changed to VisioProVolume. As in the first example, the SourcePath value is changed to point to the previously downloaded Office applications.


The following table summarizes the required change to generate an Office 2013 App-V package that uses either Subscription Licensing or Volume Licensing.

Step 3: Create an App-V package from the downloaded Office 2013 applications

To convert your Office applications to an Office 2013 App-V package, run the /packager command, as in the following example:

The following details apply to this example command:

• \\server\Office2013: The network share location that contains the ODT and the Customconfig.xml file.
• Setup.exe: The Office Deployment Tool program.
• packager: Creates the Office 2013 App-V package that uses Volume Licensing, as specified in the Customonfig.xml file.
• \\server\Office2013\Customconfig.xml: Passes the XML configuration file that is required to complete the download process. In this example, the file is Customconfig.xml. After the download command runs, you should see Office applications in the location that you specified Customconfig.xml file. In this example, the location is \\Server\Office2013.
• server\share\Office 2013AppV Specifies the location of the newly created Office App-V package.

After you run the packager command successfully, you should see two new folders in the folder that you specified previously in which to save your package: “App-V Packages” and “WorkingDir.” The App-V Packages folder contains an Office 2013 App-V package and two Deployment Configuration files.

Step 4: Verify Office 2013 App-V package after creation

Globally publish the Office 2013 App-V package that you created to a test computer. Verify that Office 2013 shortcuts are displayed after you successfully publish. Start some Office 2013 applications, such as Microsoft Excel or Microsoft Word, to make sure that your package is working as expected.

Office 2013 App-V package management and customization

Managing Office 2013 package upgrades

Office 2013 packages can be upgraded in the same manner as any packages that are created by using the sequencer. To obtain upgrades, you must create an Office 2013 package by using the ODT. For more information, see Virtualizing Microsoft Office for Application Virtualization (App-V) 5.0.

Managing Office 2013 licensing upgrades

To upgrade a package and apply a different license to a previously published Office 2013 App-V package, follow these steps:

1. Unpublish the already deployed Office 2013 Subscription Licensing App-V package.
2. Remove the unpublished Office 2013 Subscription Licensing App-V package.
3. Restart the computer.
4. Add the new Office 2013 App-V Volume Licensing package.
5. Publish the added Office 2013 App-V Volume Licensing package.

After you complete these steps, an Office 2013 App-V package that has your selected licensing is successfully deployed.

Managing plug-ins for Office 2013 App-V packages

Office 2013 App-V packages support the enabling of plug-ins by using connection groups. Because Office 2013 App-V packages can be created only by using the ODT and cannot be sequenced, plug-ins cannot be added and enabled at the sequencing time. To add plug-ins to an Office 2013 App-V package, the plug-in must first be sequenced and then added to the Office 2013 App-V package by using connection groups. 

For more information about how to enable plug-ins for Office 2013 App-V packages, see Virtualizing Microsoft Office for Application Virtualization (App-V) 5.0.

Customizing Office 2013 App-V packages

Office 2013 App-V packages can be created only by using the ODT. You canot use the sequencer to create or change Office 2013 App-V packages. However, administrators can customize Office settings by editing the Deployment Configuration file. For example, you can customize the settings to disable an application or a shortcut.