Saturday, May 1, 2010

System Center Configuration Manager 2007 Toolkit V2

The Configuration Manager 2007 Toolkit V2 contains 11 downloadable tools to help you manage and troubleshoot Configuration Manager 2007. The following list provides specific information about each tool in the toolkit:

  • Client Spy - A tool that helps you troubleshoot issues related to software distribution, inventory, and software metering on Configuration Manager 2007 clients.
  • Delete Group Class Tool - A tool used to remove inventory group definitions along with history data, tables, views and stored procedures for the group.
  • Desired Configuration Management Migration Tool - A tool used to migrate from the DCM Solution for SMS 2003 to DCM in ConfigMgr 2007.
  • Desired Configuration Management Model Verification Tool - A tool used by desired configuration management content administrators for the validation and testing of configuration items and baselines authored externally from the Configuration Manager console.

Friday, April 16, 2010

Microsoft Application Virtualization for Remote Desktop Services 4.6

Microsoft Application Virtualization (App-V) for RDS helps solve application compatibility on Remote Desktop Session Hosts/Terminal Servers. App-V for RDS 4.6 now supports 64-bit operating systems.

In Remote Desktop Services deployments, application conflicts can lead to silos of remote desktop session host servers. To avoid application conflicts, applications typically must undergo significant testing to determine which applications will collide and, therefore, must be separated and run on different session host silos—a time-consuming and costly process. Separating out multiple remote desktop session hosts to accommodate specific applications routinely results in servers being underutilized because each one is locked into a specific configuration, capable of serving only a limited set of non-conflicting applications. Often, 20 servers are required to support 1,000 users.

Monday, February 22, 2010

Application Virtualization Application Listing Tool

The App-V Application Listing Tool (ListVApps) is a tool which lists all the virtual processes that are running at a specific time on a specific computer. You can use the tool to get information about the priority and owner of each process, the size of its virtual memory, its session identifier and processing time.

Application Virtualization SFT Parser Tool

Application Virtualization SFT Info utility can be used to extract the following information from SFT files:

  • Validation of SFT files—Process corrupted SFT files, and recover information from corrupted SFT files.
  • XML export of contents of SFT—Export the contents of an existing SFT file. You can evaluate SFT segments or SFT metadata and construct a textual tree view of all file information SFT file.
  • Listing of all of the files in the SFT—Identify and print the files contained in the SFT with their full paths. This is a good method to quickly identify the contents of a package.
  • Statistics about properties of the SFT metadata—Identify statistical information, such the largest file contained in a package. This can be very useful for identifying packages that are too large in size and are causing issues loading on the client.
  • Get relevant information on a file in the package—Display size, timestamps, attributes, and version information associated with the package.
  • Ability to skip processing of file data if using functionality that requires only the metadata—Allows working with very large packages quickly.

Application Virtualization Dynamic Suite Composition Tool

Dynamic suite composition is a Microsoft Application Virtualization (App-V) feature that enables applications to be sequenced separately from the plug-ins and middleware applications they rely on, while still being able to utilize the virtual resources such as file system and registry settings, in the virtual environment. The packages will run and interact with one another as if they were all installed locally on a computer. The primary package will also assume the secondary packages entire virtual environment, including the virtual file system.
If there is an installer associated with a virtual application package, the installers will be automatically updated.

You can use the App-V Dynamic Suite Composition tool to edit the Open Software Descriptor (.osd) file associated with a virtual application package to create the inter-package dependencies.

Application Virtualization MSI Compat Transform

The App-V MSI Compat Transform is used to make App-V 4.5 Sequencer generated MSIs adaptable for App-V 4.6 Client. Running an .msi generated by the in App-V 4.5 sequencer produces a load/install error when trying to run it on an App-V 4.6 Client. On the App-V 4.6 Client, the following message has been added to show:

  • "This package requires Microsoft Application Virtualization Client 4.5 or later.”

To successfully run the .msi, an MSI transform must be applied to the 4.5 generated .msi file using the following command:

  • MSITran.exe -a launchcondition.mst {4_5generated.msi}

Where MSITran is a utility that is part of the Windows Platform SDK.

Application Virtualization Cache Configuration Tool

You can use the Microsoft Application Virtualization (App-V) cache configuration utility to configure settings associated with App-V client cache. The App-V client cache resizing tool (AppVCacheSize) allows administrators to increase the Microsoft Application Virtualization client cache size through a scriptable command line interface. AppVCacheSize uses the specified parameters to configure the desired cache size, as well as toggle between using a free disk space threshold or set a maximum cache size.

Microsoft Application Virtualization Administrative Template (ADM Template)

The Microsoft Application Virtualization ADM template allows you to administer App-V client settings via Preferences. It can configure client settings for the App-V Windows Desktop Client and for the Terminal Services client. The ADM template centrally manages common client configurations by using an existing Group Policy infrastructure and includes settings for communication, client interface, and permissions.

Application Virtualization Client Log Parser Utility

Application Virtualization Log Parser utility can be used to extract log entries from one or more application virtualization client logs. You can use the fields and values contained in the output file to filter information obtained from the log files. The output file generated by the application log parser utility contains the following fields: System, OS, Build, Date, Time, Module, Log Level, hApp, App, User, Thread, and Message. The information contained in the output file can also be imported into Microsoft Excel for subsequent evaluation. This log parser simplifies the task of looking through log files, being able to filter by log level, build report, launch failures, mini-dumps, minimum disconnected operation mode entries and more. Afterwards, the appropriate party can import the data for analysis and/or utilization.

Microsoft Application Virtualization SFT View

You can use App-V SFT View to provide programs and automated tools with read-only access to .sft files. For example, you can install SFT View on App-V Management Servers to allow vulnerability scanners and file-based asset inventory tools to scan .sft files. You can also use App-V SFT View to interactively inspect .sft file contents by using any shell interface, for example, Windows Explorer or the command line. All valid .sft and .dsft file name extensions will be scanned by App-V SFT View and will be made available for inspection. For every valid .sft file, a corresponding .dir folder will be displayed.

Microsoft Application Virtualization for Remote Desktop Services 4.6

In Remote Desktop Services deployments, application conflicts can lead to silos of remote desktop session host servers. To avoid application conflicts, applications typically must undergo significant testing to determine which applications will collide and, therefore, must be separated and run on different session host silos—a time-consuming and costly process. Separating out multiple remote desktop session hosts to accommodate specific applications routinely results in servers being underutilized because each one is locked into a specific configuration, capable of serving only a limited set of non-conflicting applications. Often, 20 servers are required to support 1,000 users.

Friday, February 19, 2010

Application Virtualization (App-V) Video Series

AppLocker is a new feature of Windows7 that allows administrators to define policies that can allow or deny a user’s ability to run or install executable, MSI, or script files. Microsoft Application Virtualization (App-V) separates the application from the operating system preventing application conflicts and enabling the ability to run multiple versions of an application of the same desktop. Virtual applications can be delivered in many ways – streaming by assigning applications to user, delivering to machines via Configuration Manager or by using file streaming from removable media. Using App-V and Applocker together ensures that no matter how the application is delivered or what format is takes, physical or virtual, it will respect the policies defined by IT.

Watch these demonstrations to learn how to configure App-V; create, update, and publish virtual applications; and create and manage policies for virtual applications.

More Information & Download