Changing URL for Horizon Environment

[Super6VCA]

We've had our VDI environment running for years now and we merged with another company and now have changed our domain name.  With that said, we are changing the URL that all users have to access the horizon environment.  I was curious if anyone else had to go thru this and what options there are to get this done for a large organization.  We have to change the URL that all user use to access out Horizon environment and want to know if there are any automated ways to get this done.  We can handle the internal users pretty easily but curious how all the external home users canget updated without fielding a thousand phone calls.  If anyone has gone thru this and has any input that would be great.  Any comments or suggestions are welcome.  Thanks in advance.  

[nburton935]

I assume that users have the server URL manually configured in the Horizon client and are not going through WSO Access? Any thin clients where the URL is pre-configured via settings? 

For external users - are they using UAG(s) for access? Are they in front of a load balancer? 

Likely the best way to do it will be to issue a new certificate containing the old name within a Subject Alternative Name. That will allow the legacy name to continue to be utilized until it will eventually die off through attrition and communication of the new name. Need to know a tad bit more about the environment to assist any further. 

-Nick

[sjesse]

If its just the external adress you can just change it and update the certificates and the locked.properties file on each connection server. If you need to change the actual fqdns of the connection servers you need to uninstall them and reinstall them as new replicas.

[Super6VCA]

That is correct, user have it manually configured in the client.  That is what really needs changed.  Not too concerned with the server side of things.  Just the client side.  None preconfigured.

There is going to be a new UAG installed in the next few days to replace the old security server.  No load balancer

As far as more info about teh environment, not sure exactly what you need.  

Small two Connection broker environement.  approx 300 users out there somewhere that will need this change.  Currently using a Cert that appplies to the current domain and will be switching to a wildcard cert for the new domain name.  Users have their client setup to point to https://view.abc.com and needs to be changed to https://view.xyz.com.  Anything specific just let e know.  Thanks for the reply! 

[Super6VCA]

I believe it's just the external url that the clients point to plus the security/UAG server as well.  

[sjesse]

If these machines don't check into AD or a device management system I'm not sure there is much you can do other then publish a doc for user training on how to change the URL. I've luckily haven't had to do this my self yet. There are GPOs to set the URL, and you may be able to push the config file to the users if you had access some how as a way to automate it.

[nburton935]

Easy enough:

1) Stand up new UAG with new certificate applied. If possible, it's a good idea to include a Subject Alternative name of the old name and keep it around to ensure no users are impacted by using the old name after you flip the A record.

2) Have new name's A record point to UAG and ensure UAG functions as expected.

3) If SAN of old name is possible in the cert, simulate flipping the old A record to UAG by editing your machine's host file. Point the old name to UAG's IP in your host file and ensure it works as expected with no cert errors via Horizon Client. 

4) Flip old name's A record to UAG and decom Security Server once user count reaches 0. 

5) Communicate new name to users. Set a deadline to decom the old A record.