10: Can I embed the PolicyPak Client Side Extension and/or PolicyPak Cloud client into a master image for VDI, MDT, Ghost, Citrix, etc?

There are some rules and guidelines and thoughts.

For PolicyPak Group Policy Edition:

1. Yes, you can place the Client Side Extension into an image. There is no “SID” or unique identifier you need to worry about. Then when the machine is in a LICENSED OU, then at that time, the Client Side Extension will activate.
2. After some time, you will need to keep the Client Side Extension up to date as we continue to make improvements and fixes.
   • If you are using VDI, you will have to keep the master image updated from time to time.
   • If you’re using standard machines you will have to use SCCM, PDQ Deploy, or PolicyPak’s own auto-updater mechanism. You can see this in action in this video (https://kb.policypak.com/kb/article/495-policypak-autoupdating-the-cse/) and read more about it in Appendix Book A in the PolicyPak Manuals.

For PolicyPak Cloud Edition:

Before we explain what you can and cannot do, here’s a quick reminder of what happens when you use PolicyPak Cloud. You use your company’s PolicyPak Cloud MSI which installs the PolicyPak Cloud Client, consumes a PolicyPak Cloud license, and then installs the latest PolicyPak Client Side Extension (or whatever the Client Side Extension level you have set the GROUP membership to, as explained in this video: https://kb.policypak.com/kb/article/791-policypak-cloud-groups-cse-updates/)

1. You cannot pre-install the PolicyPak Cloud client, because future machines based upon the image will get confused and NOT consume a new license from PolicyPak Cloud.
2. You CAN however, pre-install the PolicyPak Client Side Extension (which typically happens automatically after the PolicyPak Cloud client is installed.) But there’s really no point, unless you want to save a little time or a little bandwidth. Note that if the Client Side Extension version you hand-install is less than the version in your PolicyPak Cloud Group… then the updated Client Side Extension is simply automatically downloaded via the PolicyPak Cloud group version.

For PolicyPak MDM Edition:

1. You CAN embed the PolicyPak Client Side Extension into an image. There is no “SID” or unique identifier you need to worry about. Then when the machine acquires a PolicyPak MDM license and is enrolled by a valid UPN then the Client Side Extension will activate.
2. After some time, you will need to keep the Client Side Extension up to date as we continue to make improvements and fixes.
3. We recommend you simply use your MDM solution to deploy the PolicyPak Client Side Extension update. When older CSEs are found they are nicely and automatically updated.

Other notes about the CSE:

1. You CAN pre-install the PolicyPak Cloud Client in VDI or standard machines and then have it work. If you want to use PolicyPak with VDI, you must follow the steps in one of the knowledgebase articles directly below, or use the PolicyPak Group Policy Edition and license an on-prem domain / OU.
   
   https://kb.policypak.com/kb/article/883-13-how-to-install-the-policypak-cloud-client-for-use-in-an-azure-virtual-desktop-image/
   https://kb.policypak.com/kb/article/919-14-how-to-install-and-configure-the-ppc-client-for-a-non-persistent-vdi-image-in-vmware-horizon/
    
2. While it will technically work, you are expressly forbidden by the EULA to attempt to install the PolicyPak Cloud client (which will install the PolicyPak Client Side Extension) to a Citrix machine that hosts multiple users. This is because PolicyPak Cloud sees this as ONE consumed license; where you would need to pay licensing fees for each concurrent connection. The only time this is permissible is with an express written agreement between your company and PolicyPak where we both agree that you are doing this.