Sequencing seems to be quick and simple.. BUT not as Flexible as using the MSI as the BASE.
If you already have the knowledge of Repackaging / MSI , then this is the base from where you can go any direction. The MSI is fully open and editable. ( Sequencing is a 1way street)
Application Virtualization is bound to a lot of rules , AdminStudio can check this for you automatically before even going into the Virtualization step.
If you already have an App-V , then you can also import this into the Application Manager which gives you a lot of extra info / test capabilities.
As long as you have the ISM/MSI , you can either : - stay on the MSI track - Convert the MSI to any virtualization format ( App-V 4.x, 5.x, ThinApp, XenApp, WWV ) - Create Patches / Upgrades - Transforms - support Hardware / drivers
We are implementing a continuous integration framework that has IS with App-V as one of its component. Developers can compile code and package (MSI and App-V) simultaneously with a single click of a button. Takes some effort to implement, though. Next ... is single click deployment of packages.
The only major caveat is the AS 2014 and lower is missing a major function in the App-V virtualization feature, that we use on 80% of our packages. It is the Isolation Settings feature that allows COM interaction for App-V packages. MS Sequencer has introduced this long ago. The good news is that IS Premier 2015 already has this in place ... so I am eagerly awaiting for the arrival of AS 2015 to have the function available. 🙂
