Investigating App-V

[AlexPilot]

I have spent the morning trying to find information on how App-V works and how I would implement it.

I can find very little information so far. The questions I have are

What do I need to install on where? I Installed SQL 2008, Microsoft System Centre Application virtualization Management Server, Streaming Server & IIS on a server 2008 box. Desktop Client on a Vista machine.

So I think I have all teh software in place, I am just very clueless how I go about getting an app onto the server & then onto the client. If anyone has any help it would be aprreciated.

[saundersmatt]

You will need to install the sequencer onto a clean computer and follow the wizard to create virtualised applications. Failing that you can get some freeware apps from Instant Applications and import them into the management server.

Matt

[AngryTechnician]

What do I need to install on where? I Installed SQL 2008, Microsoft System Centre Application virtualization Management Server, Streaming Server & IIS on a server 2008 box. Desktop Client on a Vista machine.

You don't need both the Management Server and the Streaming Server. I made the same mistake when I set up App-V on our site. If you have the Management Server installed it provides the full functionality of App-V; the Streaming Server is a cut-down version of the Management Server.

Matt is correct that your next step should be installing the sequencer. I found that an excellent guide to setting the whole thing up is the "Microsoft Application Virtualization Version 4.5 Trial Guide" on the App-V documentation section on TechNet. The Sequencing Guide goes into much more detail, but you can probably start with the Trial Guide. Among the best advice it offers is to use a VM under Virtual PC to sequence the software, as you can enabled Undo Disks and revert the session after each sequence.

[saundersmatt]

Indeed you do not need to use the full management server and the streaming server.
Also, since you are installing on 2k8 you will need to install IIS with the specific features Windows Authentication, IIS6 Management Compatibility and IIS Management Script and Tools

If you decide to go a full deployment then this may just save your bacon if you get any client related problems.

Matt

[AlexPilot]

Ok, with all your help I am getting somewhere.

If I have 4 rooms, all with 30 computers, in 4 different OU's can I stop certain apps from going to one of the four rooms. Basicly will all apps go to all clients or can I have more control.

[DMcCoy]

Ok, with all your help I am getting somewhere.

If I have 4 rooms, all with 30 computers, in 4 different OU's can I stop certain apps from going to one of the four rooms. Basicly will all apps go to all clients or can I have more control.

Control is only user/group based. You can't manage anything on an OU/Machine level.

[AlexPilot]

One final question, is there a way to deploy the client with group policy using the .msi and set the publishing server?

[AngryTechnician]

One final question, is there a way to deploy the client with group policy using the .msi and set the publishing server?

Someone asked this yesterday. See my answer at the bottom of this thread. (Short answer: yes, but it's trickier than it should be).