.png?width=1150&name=topdesk_construction-01%20(002).png "TOPdesk Virtual Appliance")
Release 3 of 2020 will be the last release which allows you to install TOPdesk in the Classic manner - using an installer. Instead, you will be deploying a Virtual Appliance on your own Hypervisor. This will allow you to use features that were built in accordance with the services architecture TOPdesk is migrating towards.
Previously, with TOPdesk Classic, you installed the TOPdesk application on your own (typically virtual) machine using an installer. This is changing. With the TOPdesk Virtual Appliance you deploy a fully installed virtual machine in your organization’s infrastructure. This virtual machine has an own operating system with TOPdesk and Java pre-installed. This will run on a hypervisor such as VMware or Hyper-V.
A Virtual Appliance is a pre-configured virtual machine image that is run on a hypervisor such as VMWare or Hyper-V. The image you'll get will contain a Linux distribution, a recent version of TOPdesk and all released services.
The only thing you need to do is configure it to your specific needs, such as providing the location of your database, active directory, license files, etc. TOPdesk will provide an interface to do just that. We have extensive knowledge items available to help you in this process, meaning you won't be required to learn any specific Linux commands in order to manage the Virtual Appliance. More extensive information can be found here.
The one-time migration from Classic to the Virtual Appliance will take longer than the usual Classic installation, but after that, updating your TOPdesk is no different than before, or even quicker.
For successfully deploying a Virtual Appliance, please take note of the following:
Besides this, the following thing that were also relevant for the Classic installation, are still needed:
If needed, you can get assistance from our consultants. More extensive information can be found here.
To configure the TOPdesk Virtual Appliance within you network, please take into account the following connections.
Ensure the application is visible in your network. SSL Certificates and configuration for DHCP, NTS and DNS are required.
Ensure user files are stored on a separate server. An SMB configuration is required.
Database server separate from the VA. A Windows Authentication or plain username/password is required.
Active directory server for identity management, which can optionally be used with TOPdesk to import identities in your company into the software.
Email server, which can optionally be used with TOPdesk to allow the software to send emails automatically.
Once you have installed the TOPdesk Virtual Appliance, you can start using services-based features such as imports and actions for Asset Management, OData integration for reporting with a BI tool and duration & response time reports.
This list will grow over the coming time to include the collaboration platform, public knowledge items, a new mobile-friendly interface for incident management, workflows, and much more.
If you have any further questions, please contact your customer success manager.