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VMware ThinApp

Product Overview and Technical Discussion

The VMware ThinApp Solution

Agentless architecture

• Single file – EXE, MSI

• No installation or changes to registry

• Zero management required on end point device

Seamlessly fits into any environment

• No streaming server hardware or software needed

• Plugs into any existing management framework

Run Virtually Any Application from Any Device

• Desktop, USB, flash, terminal services, Citrix

• Any windows application – simple to complex

• Supporting components can be run side by side (Java, .Net)

Ensuring security without compromising user flexibility

• User-Mode execution

• Virtual Registry/File System protects underlying host OS

• No pre-installed agent required on underlying OS

Problem:

Tightly coupled relationships between OS,

Applications and Data

Symptoms:

• Application Conflicts

• Complex Compatibility Test Matrices

• Diminished Time to Deployment

• Loss of User Productivity

• Increased helpdesk support calls

Solution: VMware ThinApp

• Agentless application virtualization

decouples applications and data

from the OS

Create Conflict Free Desktops

2009 Reader’s Choice Award

2010 Best product in category

www.virtualizationreview.com

How ThinApp Works

• Application Encapsulation

& Isolation

• Intercepts file and system calls

• Process Loading- start exe from

VOS, Launch from host OS

(Virtual/Physical).

• DLL Loading. Loads

EXE/DLL/OCX dependencies.

• Thread & Process Management.

VOS tracks all processes and

threads inside virtual registry

(Sandbox of Runtime

Modifications).

VMware ThinApp Links the Application, Virtual Operating System

(VOS), File System and Registry into a Single EXE MSI File

Windows

Operating System

ThinApp Secure

Compressed Container (EXE)

Virtual OS

Application

Registry Access

File Access

Virtual

Registry

Virtual

File System

Physical

Registry

Physical

File System

Sandbox

ThinApp 4.5

What’s new

ThinApp 4.5 what’s new

Full Windows 7 support

Virtualize legacy apps on

older Windows platform for

deployment to Windows 7

Performance Accelerator

Reduced page file usage and

increased memory sharing for

faster delivery at reduced

bandwidth consumption

Relink

Upgrade existing ThinApp

packages without the need of

application project files

Registry Transaction Protection

Ensure registry file integrity and

eliminate potential data corruption

due to crash or system failureThinApp SDK

Published APIs to allow for

integration of ThinApp with

third party softwareEnhanced Supportability

Customers have option to

share packaging results with

VMware for better support….

ThinApp Community Portal

Users can upload

application instructions and

share with the community

Windows 7 and Server 2008 R2 Support

• Full support for the following Windows operating systems at the same level

as Windows XP and Windows Vista

Windows 7 (32-bit and 64-bit)

Windows Server 2008 R2

• New applications captured on older platforms (XP or Vista) can still run on

Windows 7/Server 2008

• Windows 7/Server 2008 can also be used to capture new applications

Best practice: Capture platform <= Deployment platform

Seamless Package Upgrades with Relink Tool

• Upgrades ThinApp runtime within existing

packages.

Makes older ThinApp packages Win 7

compatible.

• Does NOT require original project rebuild.

• Preserves original ThinApp packages as

.BAK files.

Ensure disk space is available!

• Supports wildcards and recursion.

• Easy command line & scripting potential.

Syntax:

relink [-Recursive] <path_to_package>\*.exe *.dat *.msi

Examples: relink -recursive c:\Thinapps\*.exerelink AdobeReader.exe

ThinApp 4.5 Performance Accelerator

• Significant performance improvements in VDI environments w/shared storage.

Shorter application startup time

Lower network bandwidth consumption

Lower disk IOPs

Reduced memory consumption and page file usage

• Implemented with new PACKAGE.INI parameter

OptimizeFor=Memory

Streaming Improvements from ThinApp 4.0.4 to 4.5

Launch Time (sec) Mem Used (MB) Network Payload (KB)

Excel -46.4 % -57.8 % -42.0 %

Word -23.5 % -88.7 % -38.9 %

PPT -34.5 % -35.6 % -36.6 %

Outlook -48.3 % -57.7 % -38.9 %

Adobe -20.5 % -0.7 % -44.1 %

Setup Capture Changes

• Improvements made to Setup Capture wizard for enhanced customer experience.

• Context-sensitive Help, Help buttons, and External Links added to many screens.

Technical Discussion

Architecture

Technical Architecture – User Mode Architecture

• User mode architecture provides transparency and best in class compatibility.

ThinApp packaged apps do not require kernel mode for CPU-level privileges.

­ No more BSODs!!

­ Host OS and other apps are protected from potential corruptions by app modifications.

ThinApp packaged apps do not require Admin mode for OS-level privileges.

­ No more Local Admins!

­ Users can run apps on locked-down PCs or Kiosks as “guest” user.

Least Privileged

Most Privileged

Ring 3

Ring 2

Ring 1

Ring 0

Applications

Device Drivers

Device Drivers

Kernel

Technical Architecture – Sandbox & Isolation

• Sandboxing & Isolation Modes provide security and persistence.

ThinApp redirects all runtime changes to private, per-user/per-app sandbox location.

Sandbox location is configurable:

­ Network share (i.e. Home Drives).

­ Removable USB volume or VMware View User Data Disk.

­ User-specific directory (i.e. %appdata%\thinstall).

­ Honors system variables (i.e. %UserName%, %ComputerName%, etc.)

Reset apps to default behavior by deleting the sandbox.

Technical Discussion

Deployment Options

ThinApp Deployment Scenarios

Enable Workforce

Mobility And Full

Application

Portability Without

Compromising

Security

Locally Deploy Flash DeviceStream From Share

Efficiently Stream

Applications to

Multiple Users

From a Single

Network Share

Deploy ThinApp

Packages through

existing

distribution to

managed desktops

ThinApp Streaming from Network Share

• Deliver applications tomultiple users froma single network share

• Stream into memory without local disk footprint

• Read-only Network Share is only support burden

• Utilize DFS for replication and branch office solution

• Excellent mechanism for integration with View desktops

File Server “Network Share”

Enterprise software Licenses

Cost Efficient Application

Density on the LAN

Locally Deploy with Existing Management Framework

Locally Deploy

• Leverage existing workflow

to distribute as MSI or Exe

packages

• Application performance

based on local resources

• Simplicity for harvesting

inventory and usage

Package / Publish Distribute

3rd Party Config

Management

Various Endpoints

Deliver using existing process and

workflow to variety of End Points.

ThinApp from USB

Enabling Mobility without

Compromising on Security

• Run applications from Flash

devices on any end point

• User-mode only execution

allows for deployment on

locked-down PCs

• End users can continue with

their activity with their favorite

applications

• No Install Required!

ThinApp (EXE or MSI)

ThinApp VOS

Applications

Kiosk Locked Down

Desktop

Laptop Home PC

USB Applications

Simplify Desktop Delivery with View

Simplify Software Delivery(no agents/infrastructure)

• Freedom from application conflicts.

• Integration without dedicated server infrastructure.

Streamline Patch Updates

• Modify 1 app for an entire environment.

• In place upgrades.

Reduce Storage

• Reuse templates.

• Reduce image size and complexity.

• Apps delivered from network.

Technical Discussion

Features & Process

Application Link – Connect ThinApps

Seamless Interoperability

• ThinApp packages can talk together and with OS

• Enables interoperabilitybetween virtual applicationsand underlying OS

Enhance License Management

• Reduces package size toease deployment and delivery

• Enhances software license management tracking viacurrent inventory tools

DependencyPrimary Application Primary Application

SMB/HTTP/HTTPS Byte Level Updates

over WAN/LAN via Active Directory

Application Sync : Update ThinApp Packages

Manage Mobility with Ease

• Manage applications in the

extended enterprise: Partners,

Subsidiaries

• Ship only what they need,

when they need it

Enable Workforce Mobility

• Flexible delivery to a variety of

devices (USB, Thin Client, PC)

• Conflict free application

updates for unmanaged PCs

(WAN)

Package / Publish Deliver

HTTP/HTTPS/FILE Server

App

(Version C)

App

(Version A to C)

App

(Version B to C)

Introduction to Application Packaging

Steps for packaging an application with ThinApp:

• The Setup Capture utility creates a baseline snapshot before the application is installed (pre-scan)

• The application is traditionally installed

• The Build phase of Setup Capture creates the virtualized applicationpackage (post-scan)

• Set package “entry points” and package options

• Finish by browsing and building the project

Pre-scan Install application

Post-scanSet package

optionsBrowse and

build package

Active Directory Integration

Primary Integration Points

1. Role Based Access To Applications

2. Access Control and Distribution

Desktop Integration Questions

How do I register applications?

Answer: Application Registration

Deploy MSI Packages

Use ThinReg in a Script

Every appvirt product has these four issues!

Competitors have additional issues!

Application Virtualization “Grey Areas”

•Drivers – Drivers cannot be virtualized as they are Windows OS Level controlled

components which must interface with a logical or physical device.

•COM Plus – COM Plus objects cannot be virtualized as they are Windows OS Level

controlled components (ThinApp can virtualize COM objects).

•Network DCOM – Network DCOM objects cannot be virtualized (DCOM – a.k.a.

Local DCOM – objects can be virtualized by ThinApp) as there are two sides to

Network DCOM objects – a local and a remote side.

•Windows Components – ThinApp does not support virtualizing some OS Level

Windows components such as DNS (client/server), DHCP (client/server),

WINS (client/server), IIS, etc.

Wrap Up

Confidential

Agentless Architecture

•Support for 16, 32 & 64bit Windows.

•Windows NT – Win 7, W2K – W2K8.

•Citrix XenApp & MS Terminal

Services.

•Various multiple .NET and Java

runtimes.

•Multiple versions of Internet Explorer

– run IE 6, IE 7, & IE8 on the same

machine (Not Easy!).

Agentless Architecture

• No compatibility issues with multiple

versions

• No backend infrastructure requirements

• 100% User mode execution

Agentless Architecture Works with What You Have Now!

• HP

• BMC (Marimba)

• SMS/SCCM

• LanDesk

• IBM

• CA

• BigFix

• Many, Many More!

Wide Platform Support

Q & A

Thank You!