Schedule for ThinApp Sessions at VMWorld 2009

Monday 8/31 [Technology Exchange Developer Day]

10:00AM

DE-06 Reducing Application Development Time through VMware ThinApp

Learn how agent-less application virtualization can help you package your application once and deploy virtually anywhere, many times. This session will provide an overview of how VMware ThinApp can help eliminate application conflicts, reduce application deployment cost, improve delivery time and streamline application update and patching without interrupting end users. We will also discuss integration opportunities we are thinking about and solicit your feedback.

Dean Flaming

SE Specialist, ThinApp Application Virtualization,

Tuesday 9/1

DV2981 What's new with ThinApp

This session will delve into new developments in the ThinApp product including the management SDK, batch MSI conversion using WIX and Workstation, Vew Integrations, and application compatability detection engine.

Jonathan Clark

Senior Staff Engineer, VMware, Inc.

DV3292 The Effective use of VMware ThinApp in Higher Education

Application Virtualization (ThinApp) should be a key component in your arsenal of tools to deliver applications.

The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State) has 20 campuses, over 100,000 users/students, and the associated applications to support that entire environment. ThinApp is a key component in managing and delivering the required applications to a widely distributed faculty, staff, and student population. The ThinApp project took into consideration key issues such as software licensing and distribution, application updates, and integration with existing policies and procedures regarding application use at the University.

Jonathan Holman

Windows Administration, Penn State University

Daniel Dulick

Senior Systems Engineer, VMware, Inc.

Wednesday 9/2

DV2387 Scripting within VMware ThinApp

In this session, attendees will receive information on how to properly apply a VBS script to a ThinApp project and what types things can be accomplished through scripting within ThinApp packages. Attendees must have at least a basic understanding of VBS scripting in general.

Dean Flaming

SE Specialist, ThinApp Application Virtualization, VMware, Inc.

Travis Sales

SE Specialist, ThinApp Application Virtualization, VMware, Inc.

DV2478 Application Troubleshooting in VMware ThinApp

This session will include Application Troubleshooting steps, tips, recommendations, and suggested tools for use when troubleshooting applications which are desired to be packaged with ThinApp.

Dean Flaming

SE Specialist, ThinApp Application Virtualization, VMware, Inc.

DV2705 ThinApp Packaging & Deployment

To gain knowledge on how to package with ThinApp using your current packaging and Software management tools and utilities.

To gain knowledge on how to deploy ThinApp through different processes (SCCM, SMS, AppSync, Network Shares, AD)

Henrik Rosendahl

Director Application Virtualization, VMware, Inc.

Michael Ansich

Senior Desktop Engineer, Large Retail Company

Thursday 9/3

DV2785 ThinApp Reference Architecture

The widely used View Reference Architecture has been extended to include the pivotal technology of VMware ThinApp's application virtualization. In this session, we will review the findings of scalability, performance, and design from the testing of 1000 desktops running virtualized applications from both SAN and DFS solutions. A deep discussion of the mechanics of ThinApp streaming will also bridge into the joint design considerations for using ThinApp in a large View environment.

Aaron Blasius

Sr Product Manager, VMware, Inc.

John Dodge

WW Services Architect, Practice Development, VMware, Inc.

... Priceless

Although the AutoCAD R14 thinapp went through two weeks of user testing, within hours of the deployment a user called me asking me to add a set of fonts for all of the users. I added the fonts to the capture and recompiled the package. Then I changed the extension from .exe to .1 (AutoCAD R14.1) and dropped it in the thinapp network share... done.

First ThinApp deployment via SCCM

A few weeks ago Autodesk AutoCAD R14 stopped working for the Engineering Dept after the Security Policies were tightened, and the usual solution of granting local access to a file/folders wouldn't work for the native app. We have a number of ThinApp packages in development/testing, and are under the usual pressure to deliver on our ROI... so I dropped everything and jumped at the chance to solve the issue with Thinapp!

The packaging was easy. There were some files that had to be added to the package (winhlp32.exe to %System%System%) manually, and dropping custom .lsp routines into the %ProgramFilesDir% worked fine.

The difficulty came with deployment via SCCM. The strategy was to create a Software Distribution Package which contained thinreg, and an uninstall script. The thinreg command line would point to the .exe on the network share. The SCCM package would uninstall the native version of the software, register the thinapp from the network share, and dump a shortcut on the desktop. The app would run off the network share via appstream.

This failed many times and the solution was this:

* Make sure and use a fully qualified UNC in the command/script

* Configure the SCCM package for thinreg to run with User Rights.

4.0.3 released

http://www.vmware.com/support/thinapp4/doc/releasenotes_thinapp403.html

I've already had a chance to build an IE6 package with this. There aren't any fixes which should necessarily make this more possible, but I know they are working on it. The IE6 package actually runs side by side with IE8 on XP SP3 with no tweaking or package massaging whatsoever! Now if I can just get it to allow me to enter text into the web interface... :)

ThinApp Environment

My workstation is a Dell Optiplex 760 running Windows Vista x64, ThinApp Packager Suite 4.0.2, and VMWare Workstation 6.5.2. Other tools include Scooter Soft Beyond Compare, and the usual slew of free utilities suggested on the ThinApp blog.

I have my ThinApp installation directory shared out as detailed in “How to Make a ThinApp Application Package”. . It wasn’t crystal clear for me what was meant by “It is suggested to add this UNC to the system path so you can run BUILD.BAT without modifications.”. This is referring to adding the share to the system Environment Variable > Path on the VMs you are using to create captures on. This allows you to run anything in that directory from a command line. I added a folder to the share which contains the Sysinternals and other utilities, and added this to the system Path as well.

When you create your project on your VM from the ThinApp share, it stores the project on the share by default. Then I can build my project from the x64 machine and make use of all that horsepower. The first time I tried to run the build.bat file on Vista x64 I was pretty confused that nothing happened. You have to edit the build.bat file and change any path that specifies \Program Files, to \Program Files (x86).

The desktop environment here is all Windows XP SP3on Dell boxes. So the OS on my VM is installed with a slipstreamed XP SP3 MVL iso. I then install critical security updates via Windows Update. I manually configure the OS with the settings that are on the image we deploy to the environment. Then I make a full clone of this VM and add it to the domain. I place the domain VM in an Active Directory OU which will be exempt from getting the SCCM client, and the McAfee Agent. Then I make clone of this VM and put it into a production Active Directory OU and let it get the SCCM client and McAfee Agent.

Now I have three VMs: a non domain VM, a bare domain VM, and a production VM. These all have the NIC set to NAT, and a 12gig dynamic virtual disc. I use the simplest VM possible for any project.

ThinApp projects have a folder called Support which contains a very nicely detailed log file with details about the computer which created the project. I also use this folder to store Log Monitor files, Package.ini versioning, Package Digest documentation, etc.

ThinApp License is here!

Finally received our license for the VMWare ThinApp Packager Suite today!  We have 1 Packager License and 80 Client Licenses to start with.  We have been waiting since early April for the powers-that-be to purchase this license.

Of course we havn't been sitting on our hands, we have blown through no less than 3 trial licenses getting our feet wet.