App-V

[CChong]

Hi,

I'd like to know if an app-v package is considered OS independant?

Because i created an MSI package for JDEdwards, converted it to the App-V format, it executes properly on Windows XP but not Windows 7 and both OS are using the App-V client v4.6.

The error on Windows 7 is that MFC42.dll is missing when the app-v package is loaded into memory.

I've added the MFC Merge Module in my JDEwards ISM project File and recompiled into both MSI an APP-V formats, however the problem persists.

Anyone have an idea what the problem could be?

Bruno D'Amico

[Ajay_Ladsaria]

Hi Bruno,

App-V packages are not truly OS independent. This is because the App-V client does not simulate an entire OS - App-V can't be used for OS application compatibility. The client sometimes gives a virtual application a virtual resource, and sometimes gives it the actual physical OS resource.

If an application installed physically on a Win 7 machine will not work, then most likely, an App-V package for this app will also not work on Win 7.

To debug the issue you are seeing, I suggest trying a couple different approaches:

1. Try copying the DLLs that can't be located in your 32-bit system folder in the physical machine to see if this resolves the problem (just to get a feel for the scope of the problem).

2. Try including the File system diagnostic tool and rebuilding the App-V package. Then you can use the AppVLauncher to launch the Virtual File System tool and get a feel for the file structure seen by the virtual package. You could go to the 32-bit system folder and verify that the MFC DLL is present (if it is supposed to be there).

3. You can try running a recent copy of Process Monitor tool available from Microsoft. Run this tool on the physical machine with the command line switch /externalcapture. Then it will also report registry accesses within the virtual bubble. Look for mfc42.dll in the report and check to see where it was searched for and determine why it was not there.

-Ajay

[Cary_R]

Hi There,

I've seen some issues in packaging for App-V that relate to Microsoft runtime libraries before, so I'd like to toss in my 2 cents.

Ajay's comments are on target for debugging, particularly step #1.

I can't seem to find the release notes that state this, but it is documented somewhere that in some release of the AppV client, the client will attempt to use Microsoft runtimes that live on the host machine instead of within the virtual package. Runtimes I've specifically seen that behave this way:

.Net Framework
Visual C/C++ Runtimes

So very likely what you'll need to do to get this package working is to locate the Visual C++ 6.0 runtime redistributable and install it on the client machines where you're trying to run your sequenced package. Even sequencing this file inside the package won't fix this because it will get ignored and it will defer to the file system outside the virtual package instead.

It's my understanding that the AppV client only behaves this way for Microsoft runtimes and not just anything that's installed in the GAC or the Win32 SxS cache.

Hope this helps!

[smantry]

Hello,

I have some .WXS file to virtualize. Is there any way where Admin Studio helps on get these files virtualized ?

[Evan_Border]

smantry wrote:
I have some .WXS file to virtualize. Is there any way where Admin Studio helps on get these files virtualized ?

.WSX files are WIX (Windows Installer XML) project files. Do you have the .MSI's that build from them? If so then yes, AdminStudio can convert those .MSI's into virtual packages. If you use AdminStudio 2013, you can convert from .MSI to any of the following virtual formats:
Microsoft App-V 4.6 or 5
Citrix XenApp
Symantec SWV (formerly known as Altiris SVS)
VMware ThinApp

Also: if you have the .MSI's that were built from the .WSX project files, you can convert them into InstallShield project files (.ism files) by performing the following steps:
1. Launch the InstallShield Editor
2. Go to File menu > Open
3. On the Open dialog, change the Open As: drop down list from Auto to Wizard
4. Browse to your .MSI that you want to convert to .ISM
This displays the Open MSI/MSM Wizard
5. At the Welcome dialog, choose Convert MSI/MSM to an InstallShield Project
6. At the File Locations dialog, choose the desired name and location for storing your project and source files and click Finish.

[Evan_Border]

smantry wrote:
I have some .WXS file to virtualize. Is there any way where Admin Studio helps on get these files virtualized ?

.WSX files are WIX (Windows Installer XML) project files. Do you have the .MSI's that build from them? If so then yes, AdminStudio can convert those .MSI's into virtual packages. If you use AdminStudio 2013, you can convert from .MSI to any of the following virtual formats:
Microsoft App-V (v4.6 or v5)
Citrix XenApp
Symantec SWV (formerly known as Altiris SVS)
VMware ThinApp

Also: if you have the .MSI's that were built from the .WSX project files, you can convert them into InstallShield project files (.ism files) by performing the following steps:
1. Launch the InstallShield Editor
2. Go to File menu > Open
3. On the Open dialog, change the Open As: drop down list from Auto to Wizard
4. Browse to your .MSI that you want to convert to .ISM
This displays the Open MSI/MSM Wizard
5. At the Welcome dialog, choose Convert MSI/MSM to an InstallShield Project
6. At the File Locations dialog, choose the desired name and location for storing your project and source files and click Finish.

[smantry]

Evan Border wrote:
.WSX files are WIX (Windows Installer XML) project files. Do you have the .MSI's that build from them? If so then yes, AdminStudio can convert those .MSI's into virtual packages. If you use AdminStudio 2013, you can convert from .MSI to any of the following virtual formats:
Microsoft App-V 4.6 or 5
Citrix XenApp
Symantec SWV (formerly known as Altiris SVS)
VMware ThinApp

Also: if you have the .MSI's that were built from the .WSX project files, you can convert them into InstallShield project files (.ism files) by performing the following steps:
1. Launch the InstallShield Editor
2. Go to File menu > Open
3. On the Open dialog, change the Open As: drop down list from Auto to Wizard
4. Browse to your .MSI that you want to convert to .ISM
This displays the Open MSI/MSM Wizard
5. At the Welcome dialog, choose Convert MSI/MSM to an InstallShield Project
6. At the File Locations dialog, choose the desired name and location for storing your project and source files and click Finish.

I donot have the MSI with me. Can you suggest how to proceed with the WXS files ?
I need to get these files virtualized.

BTW, it it possible to get these files converted to any other format which can be used to virtualize them ?

Thanks

[Evan_Border]

smantry wrote:
I donot have the MSI with me. Can you suggest how to proceed with the WXS files ?
I need to get these files virtualized.

BTW, it it possible to get these files converted to any other format which can be used to virtualize them ?

Thanks

I don't think there is any possible way to do what you're looking to do...it sounds to me like you have source code (.wsx files) but do not have the compiled output. There isn't any tool anywhere that can virtualize that. If you have the raw source files in addition to the source code (.wsx files), then you could use WIX to build the .MSI's. And you could then use AdminStudio to virtualize the .MSI's. But AdminStudio does not have any way of using .wsx files. If I'm understanding it properly, this situation is like the following analogy: It would be like making a film and wanting to convert it to Blu-ray, except you've lost the film and now only have the screenplay.

[smantry]

Evan Border wrote:
I don't think there is any possible way to do what you're looking to do...it sounds to me like you have source code (.wsx files) but do not have the compiled output. There isn't any tool anywhere that can virtualize that. If you have the raw source files in addition to the source code (.wsx files), then you could use WIX to build the .MSI's. And you could then use AdminStudio to virtualize the .MSI's. But AdminStudio does not have any way of using .wsx files. If I'm understanding it properly, this situation is like the following analogy: It would be like making a film and wanting to convert it to Blu-ray, except you've lost the film and now only have the screenplay.

Thanks, Evan.
Do you think we can change those XML manifest files to some installscript files and then use then as an input to Admin Studio for virtualization?

[Evan_Border]

smantry wrote:
Thanks, Evan.
Do you think we can change those XML manifest files to some installscript files and then use then as an input to Admin Studio for virtualization?

No, that would be far, far more difficult than just reinstalling WIX and compiling MSI's from the .wsx files. That is what you need to do. After you have the .MSI files, then you can use AdminStudio to virtualize them.

[saad_khan]

smantry wrote:
Thanks, Evan.
Do you think we can change those XML manifest files to some installscript files and then use then as an input to Admin Studio for virtualization?

So,Evan according to you the best practice for perfect and error-free virtaulization is that we do it from MSI's?