Augusto Alvarez

 

Other posts in this series:

Implementing App-V – Part I: Introduction to Application Virtualization

Implementing App-V – Part II: Choosing and Preparing the Environment

Implementing App-V – Part IV: Sequencing Applications

We’ve already talked about Application Virtualization and some common scenarios (Post I), talked about the existing models in App-V and how to install the App-V Management Server (Post II); now it’s time to work with the App-V clients.

I was considering to not include this post and go directly to sequencing applications, but most of the errors and blocking issues that appear in App-V are related on not having a environment properly installed.

The process will start with the App-V Desktop Client installation.

App-V Desktop Client Installation

Select a client machine that will receive some of the sequenced applications and you shouldn’t have any problem with this installation, pretty straight forward:

1. Double click on the installer and most likely you will be needing to install a few components before starting.

2. The wizard starts and click on “Next”.

3. Accept the License Agreement.

4. Select your option for Microsoft Update.

5. Select “Custom” installation option.

6. Accept the default installation path.

7. Data Location, the default preferred drive letter by convenience is used the letter “Q” (avoiding to collide with possible network drives).

8. Then you can select the cache size that the client machine will use. Every time that the client downloads applications, it will use the local cache for every time the application needs to be loaded again in the session. You can use the default option provided.

9. On Runtime Package Policy Configuration use the default options adding the “On Publishing Refresh” option inside “Automatically Load Application”.

10. On "Publishing Server” complete the options used for your App-V Server. And since I won’t be using SSL for the communication, I’m selecting the type “Application Virtualization Server” and “Port” 554.

11. Click on “Install” and we are ready to go.

Testing the Default Application

As we’ve seen it before, once you install the App-V Management Server a default application is installed.

We are going to use it to validate that our environment is ready to go and start sequencing applications. Unfortunately you will need a few steps before publishing the application:

1. First of all, re check the configurations mentioned in Post I of this series:

- Ensure that the Application Management Server service has started.

- The content folder (C:\Program Files\Microsoft System Center App Virt Management Server\App Virt Management Server\content\) must be shared with proper permissions: “Everyone” the “Read & Execute”, “List folder contents” and “Read” access.

- If you have the firewall enabled, ensure that you enable the exceptions for inbound connections with the programs sghwdsptr.exe and sghwsvr.exe. Both located in “C:\Program Files\Microsoft System Center App Virt Management Server\App Virt Management Server\bin\”.

To make a first quick check about the connectivity, you should always start using “telnet appv-server 554” to ensure that the ports are open between the hosts.

What Happens If I Don’t Complete The Requirements?

If any of those are not in place, the error code that you should be receiving when you try to access an application is: “The Application Virtualization Client could not establish a connection to the Application Virtualization Server” “Error code: 4513CDC-19D06A0A-10000004”.

And in the Event Viewer you’ll see a bunch of warning messages and one error: “The Application Virtualization Client could not connect to stream URL ‘RTSP://appv-sequencer:554/application‘” along with the same error code.

2. With all that in place, time to get the application ready. Access the App-V Management console, open the Default Application Properties. In the General tab, the OSD and Icon path must be using a UNC path, like in my case: “\\appv-server\content\”.

3. Shortcuts tab will let you decide where you want to insert the client’s shortcuts.

4. Access Permissions: Here you can select all the domain groups that will have access to this application.

5. Edit the DefaultApp.osd file that is stored within the content folder mentioned. Look for the “Implementation” area and replace the name of the server using the current name of the actual server.

6. Login to the client machine using credentials that belong to the group you just gave access to the application. You will see the Default Applications shortcuts already in place, double click the shortcut.

And there you have it, your environment is ready to receive and launch applications.

Note:

Remember that by default, the applications are refreshed once the user logins to the client computer.

If you want to avoid this process, in the client computer access “C:\Program Files\Microsoft Application Virtualization Client” folder and double click “SftCMC.msc”. Inside “Publishing Servers” right-click the name of the server and select “Refresh Server”.

With that, any update on the applications published should be shown in the client.

In a few days more, I’m publishing the fourth part of the series: sequencing applications.

Other posts in this series:

Implementing App-V – Part I: Introduction to Application Virtualization

Implementing App-V – Part II: Choosing and Preparing the Environment

Implementing App-V – Part IV: Sequencing Applications