Getting Started with Microsoft Application Virtualization

At a Glance:

* App-V architecture
* Managing virtual apps
* Using the App-V sequencer
* Integrating App-V with Configuration Manager


Contents
The App-V Architecture
How App-V Full Infrastructure Works
Updating Virtual Applications
Sequencing
Version 4.5
Microsoft Application Virtualization (or App-V) is near and dear to my heart. App-V was formerly known as SoftGrid, and I came to Microsoft with the acquisition of the company that created SoftGrid, called Softricity. I am very excited to have the opportunity of writing this article for TechNet Magazine now, as a lot has changed since the acquisition.
The best way to approach App-V is first to talk about the challenges IT professionals face in terms of enterprise management. Today's business desktop is awash in applications. Before an application is installed, it must go through lengthy regression testing to ensure that it can coexist with the other applications installed on the system without impacting their ability to run properly. The application must then go through a series of deployment processes before it reaches production. And because an application is essentially only available where it is installed, your users are tied to specific computers. This further complicates complex yet critical projects, such as OS and application migrations, security refreshes, and disaster recovery planning.
App-V changes all that. Rather than being a complex series of time-consuming steps that take up resources, desktop administration becomes a simpler, more automated process with App-V. You can more easily deploy, patch, update, and terminate applications with better results.
With App-V, a user can sit down at any desktop and access his applications. The applications are delivered on demand but run as if they were actually installed locally. Thus, there is no need to install the application components or alter the host device.
This use of virtualization could drastically change how IT professionals manage desktops. Not altering the host device and running virtualized applications instead introduces numerous advantages, including:

* Fewer application conflicts
* Faster and easier application updates
* The ability to run multiple versions of the same app side by side
* Flexible applications that follow users online and offline
* Reduced application-to-application regression testing


The App-V Architecture
So now let's look at what is really happening behind the scenes of the App-V platform. The platform consists of a few main components: a sequencer, a database, clients, a management server, a streaming server, and a management console.

At the core of the App-V system is the App-V client. There are two types of clients that can be used—the Terminal Server Client and the Desktop Client. In either case, the client must be installed on every desktop and terminal server on which you plan to deploy virtual applications. The client takes up relatively little disk space. It installs a driver and has a visible user runtime component that shows up as a tray indicator.
The client gathers a list of virtual applications from the App-V Management Server and displays the available virtual apps. It handles launching those applications (when initiated by the user) and managing the client-side cache. The client also is responsible for managing creation of the virtual runtime environment and ensuring that each environment runs in its own virtual bubble. This virtual environment includes several components, including a Virtual Registry, Virtual File System, and Virtual Services Manager.
There are three infrastructure deployment options available in App-V 4.5: full infrastructure, lightweight infrastructure, and standalone mode. When you deploy a full infrastructure, the back end includes the App-V Management Server and the App-V Streaming Server (this is a new component I will discuss in a moment). The App-V Management Server hosts and delivers the centralized virtual applications, as well as updates the virtual applications when patches or updates are applied.
This management server relies on SQL Server to host the App-V database, which contains configuration and settings for virtual applications. You should use Active Directory groups as the central management tool for provisioning and controlling permissions to virtual applications.
To manage the settings and configuration, the App-V platform provides a Microsoft .NET Framework Web service that can be loaded on the same server as long as IIS is installed. This Web service acts as a liaison between the App-V Management Console—a Microsoft Management Console (MMC) Snap-in—and the App-V database. Administrators can use the console to publish and manage virtual applications, assign Active Directory groups, and control server settings, as well as run reports on usage of virtualized applications.......