All about App V (Virtualization)

• What is APP V (Virtualization)

Application virtualization is a term that describes software technologies that give portability, manageability and compatibility of applications.  It removes the need for local installation of the applications.
A fully virtualized application is not installed in the traditional sense, although it is still executed as if it were. The application is appears to be directly interfacing with the  operating system and all the resources managed by it, where as in reality it is not.

• Why APP V

Allows applications to run independent of environment.
Helps reduce cost on hardware as well as licensing .
Have multiple versions of a single application working on a system.
Allows the executiong without much or limited interaction with the local OS.

• Benefits of App V

1) Allows applications to run in environments that do not suit the native application

2) Reduce system integration and administration costs by maintaining a common software baseline across multiple computers in an organization.

3) Simplified operating system migrations. 

4) Improved security, by isolating applications from the operating system.

5) Uses fewer resources than a separate virtual machine.

6) Accelerated application deployment, through on-demand application streaming.

7) Run applications that are not written correctly, for example applications that try to store user data in a read-only system-owned location.

8) Run incompatible applications side-by-side, at the same time and with minimal regression testing against one another.

9) Enterprises can easily track license usage. Application usage history can then be used to save on license costs.

• Limitations of App V 

1) When it has Microsoft Office plug-ins: Although one can sequence Microsoft Office plug-ins, it is not advised to sequence them due to many technical & usage issues.

2) Application Size: The maximum application size Softgrid can handle is 4GB, due to the use of the FAT32 file-system.

3) Device Driver: App-V presently does not support sequencing of kernel-mode device drivers; thus any application that installs a device driver cannot be sequenced.

4) Shortcuts: Applications should have minimum of one shortcut. If no shortcuts are present, then the application should be sequenced in a suite along with the application that needs it.

5) Middleware: Middleware applications may not be good candidates for sequencing as they may be runtime prerequisites for multiple applications.

6) Path hard coding: The application should not have folder/file path hard coded in the application itself. Configuration files such as ini, conf, txt etc. and the Registry are good places to look for application-specific settings

7) Auto Update: Applications with automatic updates should not be sequenced if their update mechanism cannot be disabled. Sequenced applications usually fail to update. In addition, allowing auto-update leads to non compliance of application version.

8) Services: Services can be started when an application starts and shuts down or when an application main executable terminates. Only user-mode services are suitable candidates for sequencing.

9) Licensing Policies: Applications with licensing enforcement tied to the machine should not be sequenced if the activation can not be done by the user at the first launch of sequenced application.