1. Application Virtualization How much time do you spend installing stand-a-lone or thick client network apps on individual computers? Returning to Sanity
2. Presentation Objectives Understand the concept of application virtualization and specifically the Microsoft solution for app virtualization Know the costs and licensing involved with purchasing MS Application Virtualization Learn how MS Application Virtualization can help your school district deploy applications with out installing them Be aware of the pros and cons of application virtualization
3. What is Application Virtualization? According to Wikipedia: “Application virtualization is an umbrella term that describes software technologies that improve portability, manageability and compatibility of applications by encapsulating them from the underlying operating system on which they are executed. A fully virtualized application is not installed in the traditional sense [1], although it is still executed as if it is. The application is fooled at runtime into believing that it is directly interfacing with the original operating system and all the resources managed by it, when in reality it is not. Application virtualization differs from operating system virtualization in that in the latter case, the whole operating system is virtualized rather than only specific applications.“ Ardence is an example of operating system virtualization
4. Microsoft Application Virtualization Dynamically streaming software as a centrally managed service Microsoft Application Virtualization Platform Slide courtesy of Microsoft – 10-31-08
5. Microsoft Application Virtualization Sequencing – The gateway to Microsoft Application Virtualization Virtual Application (SPRJ, OSD, ICO and SFT) Rapidly packages applications through active watch technology including execution dependencies. The admin has the option to create an MSI wrapper for Standalone mode delivery. The Sequencer produces the virtual application package containing the application and its dependencies. Slide courtesy of Microsoft – 10-31-08
8. Microsoft Application Virtualization supports Windows XP Pro, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2003 and 2008 Terminal Services, and Vista Enterprise Centralized Desktop BUT NOT VISTA 64-BIT!!
39. Improve management of plug in distribution to different user groupsSlide courtesy of Microsoft – 10-31-08
40. Microsoft Application Virtualization Interop with SMS 2003/SCCM 2007 and more… Multiple Options for Interoperability Interoperability with SMS 2003 R2 and SCCM 2007 Streaming capabilities can be added to SMS/SCCM 2007 Distribution points Sequencer option to create MSI wrapper as control point for virtual applications (System Center Application Virtualization Server is not required) Virtual applications can be inventoried WMI Provider or via Add/Remove Program scanning (MSI option only) Third party ESD systems may also control virtual applications either through script or through MSI wrapper Native Application Virtualization integration coming with SCCM R2 Slide courtesy of Microsoft – 10-31-08
41. The Microsoft Application Virtualization Platform SMS/SCCM Management Console SMS/SCCM Database Microsoft Application Virtualization Management Console Active Directory SMS/SCCM Distribution Point Management Web Service SMS/SCCM application delivery System Center Application Virtualization Management Server Microsoft Application Virtualization Database Windows application VECD Streaming + manifest Terminal server System Center Application Virtualization Streaming Server Microsoft Application Virtualization Sequencer Microsoft Application Virtualization Clients Desktop Virtualized application VECD Streaming Terminal server MSI-wrapped virtualized application Microsoft Application Virtualization Clients Desktop Standalone Microsoft Application Virtualization Client VECD Terminal server Application delivery via MSI on CD Microsoft Application Virtualization Clients Desktop Slide courtesy of Microsoft – 10-31-08
42. Costs and Licensing App-V is sold educationally as part of the Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pak (MDOP). Presently it is available via School Agreement and can be added on for approximately $3.50 / desktop (depending on quantity this price may be lower) The MDOP is also included with Windows Vista Enterprise MDOP is available to customers with volume license agreements. Contact your Microsoft rep for the straight scoop on the best way to license MDOP for your organization
43. BTW: What else comes with MDOP? Current components of the MDOP include: Microsoft Application Virtualization Microsoft Asset Inventory Service Microsoft Advanced Group Policy Management Microsoft Diagnostics and Recovery Toolset Microsoft System Center Desktop Error Monitoring http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/windowsvista/enterprise/default.mspx
44. How hard is this to do? Matt – Your on… Matt Johnson, BPSD Application Specialist demonstrates the components of Microsoft Application Virtualization and shows how to sequence an application for virtual deployment
45. Pros No more installing individual apps to individual workstations Apps can be simultaneously licensed in smaller numbers due to App-V’s license management features Non network apps can be deployed on the network via App-V Multiple versions of the same app can be deployed together without fear of conflict Virtual apps do not permanently occupy HD space if you reset them after use Both test and actual deployments of curricular apps are possible without tying up technicians Teachers are happier
46. Cons Each virtualized app must be sequenced first – sequencing can be tricky, time consuming and occasionally difficult Some apps cannot be sequenced at all; i.e. Microsoft Office, Adobe Acrobat Standard / Pro Some apps should not be sequenced; i.e. CS3 and AutoCAD There is some small amount of management overhead in configuring and maintaining AD access for vitualized apps Each workstation must be running the App-V client – this can be scripted to install at login At present the App-V client does not support the 64-bit Vista environment – 64-bit is slated for version 4.5 SP1 mid next year App-V is an additional yearly cost
47. Q & A Send questions or thoughts to Ron Reyer or Matt Johnson – this PPT can be downloaded from: The following URL:http://cid-052ae41d022938ee.skydrive.live.com/browse.aspx/TRETC08 has a length of 66 characters and resulted in the following TinyURL which has a length of 25 characters: http://tinyurl.com/6kun5f Or, give your recipients confidence with a preview TinyURL http://preview.tinyurl.com/6kun5f Reyer.ron@bpsd.org Johnson.matt@bpsd.org Thank you!
Editor's Notes
Application virtualization is a cool technology that’s been available for about 4 years. Altiris was my first conceptual introduction to the technology. Although really cool, it was not easily justified at a cost of around $30/client workstation; especially since it was new, untested technology.Meanwhile, in the background a little known company called Softricity was developing the next killer app to be known as SoftGrid. Quietly and methodically Microsoft snatched them from oblivion.
Hopefully by the end of this presentation you’ll be excited enough about application virtualization to run out and try it. At the very least you should know that this is one of many technologies that can lighten your load and make your work more predictable and hopefully more fulfilling!
The long and short of it is that virtualized apps run on a virtualization layer and the virtualization layer mimics the OS and provides the actual environment for the virtualized app.
Bethel Park has a long standing history of purchasing MS software via MS School Agreement. For current SA customers, MDOP is easy to justify. Microsoft is encouraging use of this technology and even for non-SA customers, the call to your MS rep might be worth the time and effort!
MDOP is a rapidly evolving toolset – check in often to see what new components they’ve added. Kidaro is the newest feature to make it into MDOP. http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/windowsvista/enterprise/default.mspx
Matt has been the driving force behind prepping and deploying SoftGrid / Microsoft Application Virtualization since our pilot last school year. The learning curve is a bit steep at first but I think we’re sold that the time invested up front is well worth the time saved on the esktop support end.