My presentation during NIC 2015, Application virtualization vs Application layering, Unidesk, Vmware AppVolumes, AppDisks, ThinApp, Microsoft App-V

1. Marius Sandbu
Application virtualization vs Application
layering

2. Bio

3. Agenda:
• Where we are today
• Application Virtualization
• ThinApp, App-V
• Application Layering
• Unidesk, AppVolumes, AppDisks
• Demo
• Summary

4. Where we are today
Application 1 Application 2
 Group Policy
 System Center
 Script
 Deployment
tools
 Base image
Shared OS Resources
MSVCRT.DLLRegistry File explorer
Server
 VM Template
 VM Service
 PXE Boot
 MDT/System
Center
Some issues:
• Patch management
• Application Compability
• Application Security
• Software dependency
• Application testing
• Software rot & dll-hell
• The big bad image
• Application lifecycle
management
Fixes?
• Status Quo
• App virtualization
• App layering

5. Application Virtualization
Isolated
Application 1
Isolated
Application 2 Microsoft
App-V
 Vmware
ThinApp
MSVCRT.DLL Registry
File explorer
Server
 VM Template
 VM Service
 PXE Boot
 MDT/System
Center
MSVCRT.DLL Registry
File explorer
Shared
Resources
Some common
properties:
• Virtual file tree and registry
• Includes its own software
dependency
• Can if allowed in the
package read/write to the
underlaying OS
• Each application is isolated
• Can be grouped together
• Streaming/Cached

6. Application Virtualization
Advantages
• No install required
• Fix application conflicts
• No registry and system
bloat
• Multiple runtime
enviroments
• Easier update
management
• Versioning
• Improved Security
• Easier to do app
customization
Disadvantages
• Bandwidth
Requirements
• I/O Requirements
• More Infrastructure
• Cost / Training
• Sequencing / Capturing
Apps that cannot be
virtualized
• Device drivers
• Boot services
• Applications part of the OS
• COM+
• Antivirus/firewalls
• VPN clients

7. Microsoft App-V 5
App-V Sequencing
machine
 App-V
Management
 Publishing
 Reporting Server
App-V Database
Share
Non-persistent
SCS
Cache
Persistent ( RSDH)
Testing
Pros
• Infrastructure or
PowerShell
• Large support and
integration options
• App-V license included in
RDS CAL!
• Large Community
• Simple with Office
• Many recipies
Cons
• No support for Internet
Explorer sequencing
• Requires a client installed
on each host
• Consumes more disk I/O

8. Vmware ThinApp
ThinApp Capturing
File Repository
AppSync
Script/ESD
Testing
Pros
• Does not require any agent
• Deployed as reguler exe or
MSI
• Integrates into existing
deployment using MSI
• Can virtualize Internet
Explorer
• Autoupdates within
configuration
Cons
• No central management
unless you have Horizon
• No PowerShell support
• No built-in application
usage tracking

9. Application Layering
Some common
properties:
• Multiple virtual disks
merged
• May contain read/write
layers
• May seperated into
application/personal/os
layers
• Applications behave like
normal
• Mulitple applications can be
placed within the same
layer
• Write filters and seperating
I/O traffic Windows (OS)
Application 2
Application 1 (R)
Application 3
Personalization (R/W)
Layers
Machine
NTFS/File System Drivers
Mini filter driver

10. Application Layering
Advantages
• Simpler application
«capture»
• Delivery application
updates
• One image!
• Works with
drivers/services
• Can manage personal
data*
Disadvantages
• Some specific
hypervisor requirement
• No appliation isolation
• Yet another solution?
Things Apps that
cannot be layered
• Depending on the
vendor..

11. Unidesk
Windows (OS)
Application 2
Application 1
(R)
Application 3
Personalization (R/W)
Layers
Terminal Servers/VDI
Hypervisor
Unidesk Management
Applicance
Unidesk Cachepoint
Windows (OS)
Application 2
Application 1
(R)
Application 3
Personalization (R/W)
Layers
Copy layers to the host
Collection
Installation Machine
Advantages
• Can layer pretty much
everything
• Integrated within the
Hypervisor
• Support for Hyper-V, Azure
and ESX
• Support for RSDH, XenApp
and Horizon
Disadvantages
• Silverlight based console 
• No instant app delivery
method
• Only on virtual machines

12. Citrix AppDisks*
Application 2
Application 1
Application 3
AppDisks
Terminal Servers/VDI
Hypervisor
Desktop Delivery
Controller
Orchestrate updates
Machine Catalog -
MCS
OS
MCS Master Image
Personalization layer
PVD
Preparation Machine
Advantages
• Integrated into Citrix
Studio
• Simple management
• Can be setup using Citrix
MCS or PVS
• Can be integrated with
either XenServer or ESX
Disadvantages
• Requires a Citrix
enviroment
• Virtual Machines only
• No Instant-app delivery
• Only layering for the
applications

13. Vmware AppVolumes
 Non-persistent
 Constant network
connection
 VHD-In-guest mode
AppStack
AppStack
Writeable Volume
AppVolumes
Terminal Servers/VDI
Hypervisor AppVolumes Manager
Assign resources
Provisioning Machine
AppVolumes
Agent
AppVolumes Agent
AppVolumes Agent
Advantages
• HTML5 based management
• Instant-app delivery*
• Physical and virtual
delivery
• Simple to setup
• Writeable layers
Disadvantages
• Only ESX hypervisor
support
• Wierd requirements for
physical devices

14. Demo-time!

15. Summary (When to use what)
Application virtualization:
Pros:
• Isolated applications
• Flexible delivery methods
• Application Compability
fixes
• Multiple runtime
applications
Application layering:
Pros:
• Simple capturing process
• Can include profile
management
• Makes application lifecycle
simpler
Moving forward
• Project Centennial
• App-Containers

16. Q?

17. Thank you!