Virtual Application Delivery and Launch within ConfigMgr R2 - Part 1
After spending many hours in my virtual labs testing and learning the new changes and integration of Softgrid (*cough..Microsoft Application Virtualization) with System Center Configuration Manager R2, I'm finding there are essentially 3 ways of delivering virtual applications. So I'll go over and cover the processes I've taken to successfully deliver them. The 3 are Streaming, Local delivery and MSI.
Streaming:
When the app is advertised to stream to the client, the client uses the Application Virtualization Server (lightweight component installed on the Distribution Points). Then the Applications shortcuts invoke a connection to the server in order for the app to be delivered and used. This delivery is great for your desktop systems that are highly connected clients. One of the best benefits I find using this method is, when the application is upgraded, it's applied to these Virtual enabled DP's and the clients connect to the new version on the server fast and seamlessly.
Local delivery:
In working with SMS/ConfigMgr, this method is best known as the download and execute with BITS. The client receives the virtual application package content locally. Unlike the traditional method of stream from a server, the application shortcuts refer to a local copy of the Virtual app. This is great for your laptop systems that are frequently offline or for slow/unreliable networks. It does use BITS which is good in case a partial download has been delivered and it also uses Remote Differential Compression to send only the binary deltas when the virtual application content is changed or upgraded.
MSI (virtual):
These are essential MSI's we all know and love and work well with any type of ESD solution. Using either the MSI Utility (which creates 4.2 version MSI's) or the 4.5 sequencer, you generate an MSI based virtual application that can then be imported into SMS 2003, ConfigMgr RTM using the package by definition package. Then it is advertised to a collection. The disadvantage to using this is the inability to have the dynamic upgrades. Yes there still is the original files and the SFT is loaded into the Softgrid cache 100%. If an upgrade is needed, you must re-create the MSI, update the DP's and re-advertise it back to those same systems. Much like is it today. You where's the advantage with that? Well, the app is still virtualized, thus defeating the compatibility issues with some apps and it's much cleaner on the system since file and registry changes are not made. I will write more on this method (standalone) in another blog since there is a lot more to this.
In part 2 I will cover the actual steps I used to perform these deliveries and go into a little more detail in what actually takes place on the server and client.