Book Image

VMware ThinApp 4.7 Essentials

By : Peter Bjork
Book Image

VMware ThinApp 4.7 Essentials

By: Peter Bjork

Overview of this book

VMware ThinApp 4.7 is an application virtualization and portable application creator which allows users to package conventional applications so that they are portable. "VMware ThinApp 4.7 Essentials" shows you how to deploy ThinApp packages in order to improve the portability, manageability and compatibility of applications by encapsulating them from the underlying operating system on which they are executed. Application virtualization improves the portability, manageability and compatibility of applications by encapsulating them from the underlying operating system on which they are executed. VMware ThinApp 4.7 is an application virtualization and portable application creator which allows users to package conventional applications so that they are portable. ThinApp eliminates application conflicts, reducing the need and cost of recoding and regression testing. In this book you will learn about how application virtualization works and how to deploy ThinApp packages. You will learn how to update and tweak ThinApp Projects before distribution. This book will then cover design and implementation considerations for future ThinApp projects.

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VMware ThinApp 4.7 Essentials
Peter Bjork
Nov, 2012 | 256 pages
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Table of Contents (15 chapters)
VMware ThinApp 4.7 Essentials
VMware ThinApp 4.7 Essentials
Credits
Credits
About the Author
About the Author
About the Reviewers
About the Reviewers
www.PacktPub.com
www.PacktPub.com
Preface
Preface
Free Chapter
1
Application Virtualization
Application Virtualization
Application virtualization
ThinApp overview
ThinApp architecture
Common ThinApp vocabulary
The sandbox
Isolation modes
The virtual filesystem
The virtual registry
Application Linking (AppLink)
The ThinApp utilities folder and its content
Summary
2
Application Packaging
Application Packaging
Packaging
Running the Setup Capture wizard
The capture and build environment
Entry points and the data container
The project folder
The Package.ini file
Isolation mode considerations
Virtualizing Internet Explorer 6
The recommended ThinApp capture process
Some packaging tips
VB Scripting
Packaging applications with dependencies
Summary
3
Deployment of ThinApp Packages
Deployment of ThinApp Packages
Different deployment scenarios
Using streaming deployment
Using MSI to distribute packages
Using VMware Horizon Application Manager
Using VMware View
Using alternative media and methods
Using thinreg.exe to register your applications
Summary
4
Updating and Tweaking Your ThinApp Project
Updating and Tweaking Your ThinApp Project
Different categories of updates
Recapturing an application
Modifying the project folder
Sandbox merge
Updating the ThinApp runtime
Sandbox considerations for updated packages
Summary
5
How to Distribute Updates
How to Distribute Updates
Different categories of updates
Using MSI to distribute updates
Using an in-place update method
Application Sync (AppSync)
Application Linking (AppLink)
Deploying updated packages using VMware Horizon Application Manager
Summary
6
Design and Implementation Considerations using ThinApp
Design and Implementation Considerations using ThinApp
Protecting your packages
Default isolation modes
Sandbox considerations
Implementing ThinDirect
Designing for a physical client implementation
Designing for a virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) implementation
Designing for a terminal server/Citrix XenApp implementation
Designing for a mixed environment
Sizing of your streaming file share
Summary
7
Troubleshooting
Troubleshooting
The theory behind troubleshooting
Effective test procedures
Common troubleshooting tools
ThinApp Log Monitor
Troubleshooting tips and tricks
Your everyday capturing process
Summary
References
References
Folder macros
Package.ini parameters
Environment variables and ThinApp runtime switches
Summary
Index
Index

The virtual registry

The virtual registry exists in three versions as well. Within the project folder you will find the virtual registry represented by three clear text files, HKEY_CURRENT_USER.txt, HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE.txt, and HKEY_USERS.txt.

When you run build.bat the content of these registry files are compiled into the package as read-only versions. When you use the package, the read and write version is created in the sandbox.

You may ask yourself where HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT is. HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT is a merged view of HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Classes and HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes. HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT will be created dynamically during the launch of your package, in a similar way to how the Windows OS generates HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT at boot time.

The file database is included in the virtual registry. You can see it while running regedit.exe within your virtual environment.

The ThinApp filesystem database can be viewed when running Registry Editor within the virtualized environment.

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