Adminstudio MSIX

[cliffordhull]

If an MSI application returns a “Maybe suitable for MSIX” (yellow) status from automated testing, is it still possible to automatically convert this application to MSIX so that its functionality can be tested? As Custom Actions and Conditions cause a “Maybe suitable for MSIX” status I am expecting that a lot our applications will return this status and I would like to be able to automatically produce the MSIX.

[kmantagi]

Hello @cliffordhull ,

You could use one of these two cmdlets for automatic conversion of MSI/EXE to MSIX format, depending on if you want to use Application Manager or Automatic Application Converter for conversion.

For Application Manager use this:

https://helpnet.flexerasoftware.com/adminstudio2018r2/Content/ashelplibrary/ASplatform_Invoke_ASConvertPackageEx.htm#platformapi_3946785696_1159406

For Automatic Application Converter (AAC - use this for batch conversions) use this:

https://helpnet.flexerasoftware.com/adminstudio2018r2/Content/ashelplibrary/ASplatform_Start_ASConversion.htm#platformapi_3946785696_1068089

If testing of MSI package returns any issues, then the package will be taken through the repackaging process before converting to MSIX to see some of these issues can be resolved during repackaging. If no issues are seen, then MSI will be directly converted to MSIX.

Here is a blog on how all of this can automated along with the complete script that is used for automation. I hope this helps:

https://www.flexera.com/blog/application-readiness/2018/11/automating-the-application-readiness-process-with-powershell/

Thanks

[cliffordhull]

We have 500 MSI packages that we are moving to Windows 10. We intend to run Windows 10 compatibility and MSIX suitability tests on all these packages. We want to automate this process, so any packages that are considered suitable for MSIX packaging are automatically converted to MSIX.

Our packaging environment will be located in Azure DevTest Labs and manual packaging will be done on Azure VMs. As the Automated Application converter does not work with Azure VMs, we are planning to provision a server in Azure DevTest Labs that supports Nested Hyper-V. Once Nested Hyper-V has been configured we will build VMs within the Hyper-V environment. These will consist of a Windows 10 VM with AdminStudio Enterprise Edition installed, and 2 (or potentially more) clean Windows 10 VMs to support the MSIX conversion process.

With the limited testing that I have done so far with MSIX suitability testing, the 2 MSIs I have tested have come back with a Yellow, Maybe, Status. What I want to be able to do is run the MSIX conversion anyway, even though the package doesn’t get a Green status. That way we can test the resultant MSIX file for functionality. Would I need to use Powershell to do this or can this be configured from within the Automatic Application Converter GUI?

[kmantagi]

The good news is you will able to convert a batch of MSI to MSIX format both the ways - using AdminStudio PowerShell Cmdlets and AAC. If you want to get up and running pretty quick, without having to worry about writing a script, then you may use AAC. Add all your MSI packages and your VM to AAC project file and then leave it to AAC to take each of these MSI packages to the VM, repackage it, if needed and then convert to MSIX one after the other, all hands free. Please make sure you provide  correct silent command line switches for each of the package in AAC, so the installation during repackaging does not fail. As all the packages that you want to convert to MSIX are MSI packages, AAC will automatically add the standard silent installation switch for MSI packages - '/qb!' unless you want to add any additional switches to it.

Here is our help article which should get you started with AAC:

https://helpnet.flexerasoftware.com/adminstudio2019r2sp1/adminstudio.htm#helplibrary/Vam_GettingStarted.htm#vam_3609474060_1041185%3FTocPath%3DPerforming%2520Virtualization%2520and%2520Repackaging%2520Using%2520the%2520Automated%2520Application%2520Converter%7CGetting%2520Started%2520With%2520the%25...