Tutorial: Set up WorkSpaces Applications for use with Rocket Enterprise Analyzer and Rocket Enterprise Developer - AWS Mainframe Modernization
PrerequisitesStep 1: Get the WorkSpaces Applications imagesStep 2: Create the stack using the CloudFormation templateStep 3: Create a user in WorkSpaces ApplicationsStep 4: Log in to WorkSpaces ApplicationsStep 5: Verify buckets in Amazon S3 (optional)Next stepsClean up resources

AWS Mainframe Modernization Service (Managed Runtime Environment experience) is no longer open to new customers. For capabilities similar to AWS Mainframe Modernization Service (Managed Runtime Environment experience) explore AWS Mainframe Modernization Service (Self-Managed Experience). Existing customers can continue to use the service as normal. For more information, see AWS Mainframe Modernization availability change.

Tutorial: Set up WorkSpaces Applications for use with Rocket Enterprise Analyzer and Rocket Enterprise Developer

AWS Mainframe Modernization provides several tools through Amazon WorkSpaces Applications. WorkSpaces Applications is a fully managed, secure application streaming service that lets you stream desktop applications to users without rewriting applications. WorkSpaces Applications provides users with instant access to the applications that they need with a responsive, fluid user experience on the device of their choice. Using WorkSpaces Applications to host runtime engine-specific tools gives customer application teams the ability to use the tools directly from their web browsers, interacting with application files stored in either Amazon S3 buckets or CodeCommit repositories.

For information about browser support in WorkSpaces Applications see System Requirements and Feature Support (Web Browser) in the Amazon WorkSpaces Applications Administration Guide. If you have issues when you are using WorkSpaces Applications see Troubleshooting AppStream 2.0 User Issues in the Amazon WorkSpaces Applications Administration Guide.

This document is intended for members of the customer operations team. It describes how to set up Amazon WorkSpaces Applications fleets and stacks to host the Rocket Enterprise Analyzer and Rocket Enterprise Developer tools used with AWS Mainframe Modernization. Rocket Enterprise Analyzer is usually used during the Assess phase and Rocket Enterprise Developer is usually used during the Migrate and Modernize phase of the AWS Mainframe Modernization approach. If you plan to use both Enterprise Analyzer and Enterprise Developer you must create separate fleets and stacks for each tool. Each tool requires its own fleet and stack because their licensing terms are different.

Important

The steps in this tutorial are based on the downloadable CloudFormation template cfn-m2-appstream-fleet-ea-ed.yml.

Prerequisites

  • Download the template: cfn-m2-appstream-fleet-ea-ed.yml.

  • Get the ID of your default VPC and security group. For more information on the default VPC, see Default VPCs in the Amazon VPC User Guide. For more information on the default security group, see Default and custom security groups in the Amazon EC2 User Guide.

  • Make sure you have the following permissions:

    • create stacks, fleets, and users in WorkSpaces Applications.

    • create stacks in CloudFormation using a template.

    • create buckets and upload files to buckets in Amazon S3.

    • download credentials (access_key_id and secret_access_key) from IAM.

Step 1: Get the WorkSpaces Applications images

In this step, you share the WorkSpaces Applications images for Enterprise Analyzer and Enterprise Developer with your AWS account.

  1. Open the AWS Mainframe Modernization console at https://console.aws.amazon.com/m2/.

  2. In the left navigation, choose Tools.

  3. In Analysis, development, and build assets, choose Share assets with my AWS account.

Step 2: Create the stack using the CloudFormation template

In this step, you use the downloaded CloudFormation template to create an WorkSpaces Applications stack and fleet for running Rocket Enterprise Analyzer. You can repeat this step later to create another WorkSpaces Applications stack and fleet for running Rocket Enterprise Developer, since each tool requires its own fleet and stack in WorkSpaces Applications. For more information on CloudFormation stacks, see Working with stacks in the AWS CloudFormation User Guide.

Note

AWS Mainframe Modernization adds an additional fee to the standard WorkSpaces Applications pricing for the use of Enterprise Analyzer and Enterprise Developer. For more information, see AWS Mainframe Modernization Pricing.

  1. Download the cfn-m2-appstream-fleet-ea-ed.yml template, if necessary.

  2. Open the CloudFormation console and choose Create Stack and with new resources (standard).

  3. In Prerequisite - Prepare template, choose Template is ready.

  4. In Specify Template, choose Upload a template file.

  5. In Upload a template file, choose Choose file and upload the cfn-m2-appstream-fleet-ea-ed.yml template.

  6. Choose Next.

    The CloudFormation Create stack page with selected cfn-m2-appstream-fleet-ea-ed.yml template.

  7. On Specify stack details, enter the following information:

    • In Stack name, enter a name of your choice. For example, m2-ea.

    • In AppStreamApplication, choose ea.

    • In AppStreamFleetSecurityGroup, choose your default VPC’s default security group.

    • In AppStreamFleetVpcSubnet, choose a subnet within your default VPC.

    • In AppStreamImageName, choose the image starting with m2-enterprise-analyzer. This image contains the currently supported version of the Rocket Enterprise Analyzer tool.

    • Accept the defaults for the other fields, then choose Next.

    The CloudFormation specify stack details page with Enterprise Analyzer options filled in.

  8. Accept all defaults, then choose Next again.

  9. On Review, make sure all the parameters are what you intend.

  10. Scroll to the bottom, choose I acknowledge that AWS CloudFormation might create IAM resources with custom names, and choose Create Stack.

It takes between 20 and 30 minutes for the stack and fleet to be created. You can choose Refresh to see the CloudFormation events as they occur.

Step 3: Create a user in WorkSpaces Applications

While you are waiting for CloudFormation to finish creating the stack, you can create one or more users in WorkSpaces Applications. These users are those who will be using Enterprise Analyzer in WorkSpaces Applications. You will need to specify an email address for each user, and ensure that each user has sufficient permissions to create buckets in Amazon S3, upload files to a bucket, and link to a bucket to map its contents.

  1. Open the WorkSpaces Applications console.

  2. In the left navigation, choose User pool.

  3. Choose Create user.

  4. Provide an email address where the user can receive an email invitation to use WorkSpaces Applications, a first name and last name, and choose Create user.

  5. Repeat if necessary to create more users. The email address for each user must be unique.

For more information on creating WorkSpaces Applications users, see WorkSpaces Applications User Pools in the Amazon WorkSpaces Applications Administration Guide.

When CloudFormation finishes creating the stack, you can assign the user you created to the stack, as follows:

  1. Open the WorkSpaces Applications console.

  2. Choose the user name.

  3. Choose Action, then Assign stack.

  4. In Assign stack, choose the stack that begins with m2-appstream-stack-ea.

  5. Choose Assign stack.

    The WorkSpaces Applications Assign stack page showing a user and the Enterprise Analyzer stack to be assigned.

Assigning a user to a stack causes WorkSpaces Applications to send an email to the user at the address you provided. This email contains a link to the WorkSpaces Applications login page.

Step 4: Log in to WorkSpaces Applications

In this step, you log in to WorkSpaces Applications using the link in the email sent by WorkSpaces Applications to the user you created in Step 3: Create a user in WorkSpaces Applications.

  1. Log in to WorkSpaces Applications using the link provided in the email sent by WorkSpaces Applications.

  2. Change your password, if prompted. The WorkSpaces Applications screen that you see is similar to the following:

    A sample WorkSpaces Applications login screen showing the desktop icon.

  3. Choose Desktop.

  4. On the task bar, choose Search and enter D: to navigate to the Home Folder.

    Note

    If you skip this step, you might get a Device not ready error when you try to access the Home Folder.

At any point, if you have trouble signing into WorkSpaces Applications, you can restart your WorkSpaces Applications fleet and try to sign in again, using the following steps.

  1. Open the WorkSpaces Applications console.

  2. In the left navigation, choose Fleets.

  3. Choose the fleet you are trying to use.

  4. Choose Action, then choose Stop.

  5. Wait for the fleet to stop.

  6. Choose Action, then choose Start.

This process can take around 10 minutes.

Step 5: Verify buckets in Amazon S3 (optional)

One of the tasks completed by the CloudFormation template you used to create the stack was to create two buckets in Amazon S3, which are necessary to save and restore user data and application settings across work sessions. These buckets are as follows:

  • Name starts with appstream2-. This bucket maps data to your Home Folder in WorkSpaces Applications (D:\PhotonUser\My Files\Home Folder).

    Note

    The Home Folder is unique for a given email address and is shared across all fleets and stacks in a given AWS account. The name of the Home Folder is a SHA256 hash of the user’s email address, and is stored on a path based on that hash.

  • Name starts with appstream-app-settings-. This bucket contains user session information for WorkSpaces Applications, and includes settings such as browser favorites, IDE and application connection profiles, and UI customizations. For more information, see How Application Settings Persistence Works in the Amazon WorkSpaces Applications Administration Guide.

To verify that the buckets were created, follow these steps:

  1. Open the Amazon S3 console.

  2. In the left navigation, choose Buckets.

  3. In Find buckets by name, enter appstream to filter the list.

If you see the buckets, no further action is necessary. Just be aware that the buckets exist. If you do not see the buckets, then either the CloudFormation template is not finished running, or an error occurred. Go to the CloudFormation console and review the stack creation messages.

Next steps

Now that the WorkSpaces Applications infrastructure is set up, you can set up and start using Enterprise Analyzer. For more information, see Tutorial: Set up Enterprise Analyzer on WorkSpaces Applications. You can also set up Enterprise Developer. For more information, see Tutorial: Set up Rocket Enterprise Developer on WorkSpaces Applications.

Clean up resources

The procedure to clean up the created stack and fleets is described in Create an WorkSpaces Applications Fleet and Stack.

When the WorkSpaces Applications objects have been deleted, the account administrator can also, if appropriate, clean up the Amazon S3 buckets for Application Settings and Home Folders.

Note

The home folder for a given user is unique across all fleets, so you might need to retain it if other WorkSpaces Applications stacks are active in the same account.

Finally, WorkSpaces Applications does not currently allow you to delete users using the console. Instead, you must use the service API with the CLI. For more information, see User Pool Administration in the Amazon WorkSpaces Applications Administration Guide.