ThinApp application virtualization

ThinApp is an agentless application virtualization or application packaging solution that decouples applications from their underlying operating systems. It's designed to eliminate application conflict, streamline application delivery, and improve management. ThinApp licenses are included with the Horizon View license and can be used on both physical and virtual desktops, therefore providing a mechanism to deliver applications across all of your desktop models, €”your entire end-user estate.

How does application virtualization work?

ThinApp encapsulates applications into a package consisting of a single .exe or .msi file and abstracts them from the following:

• The host operating system
• Any traditionally installed applications already running on the system
• All other virtual applications running on the system

Applications then run in their own isolated virtual environment, with minimal or zero impact on the underlying operating system, virtual file system, or virtual registry.

When you create a ThinApp package, you are basically capturing all the application files, registry settings, and file system changes that an application requires for it to run. It also captures its own agent as part of the process, so the end-point device requires nothing to be installed, unless you deliver your ThinApp packages using the Workspace Portal.

Once packaged, the application can be deployed (either streamed or installed) onto the virtual desktop machine or even a physical desktop. The only requirement ThinApp packages have in order to run is an underlining Windows operating system, either physical or virtual. When running, it's important to note that the package makes no changes to the operating system of the machine it's running on.

There are no requirements for additional backend infrastructure components, as all your ThinApp-packaged applications are stored in a file share on a file server. This means that you can centrally manage and easily update your packages so that all users will receive the updates the next time they launch the application.

To summarize, ThinApp does the following:

• Allows Windows applications to be packaged, distributed, and executed as single .exe or .msi files on either physical or virtual machines
• Builds process links, a Virtual Operating System (VOS) with a compressed embedded file system, and registry into a single file
• Requires no pre-installed software on the end-user machine (unless using the Workspace Portal for entitlements)
• Provides a zero footprint on the underlying OS
• Necessitates no traditional installation or changes to the local OS registry or file system
• Requires no backend server infrastructure, other than a file share to store your ThinApp packages

For more details on how to use ThinApp in your environment, you can read VMware ThinApp 4.7 Essentials, Peter Bjork, Packt.