Application Delivery Modes with App Volumes Manager

End users can access App Volumes applications on a Windows endpoint whether or not the endpoint is continuously connected to App Volumes Manager. For this capability, an endpoint can be configured either to access packages present on a shared storage over the network or those that are downloaded and virtualized from a local cache on the endpoint.

App Volumes has two package access mode options – Shared Storage and Local Copy - which can be selected at the time of installing App Volumes agent on the Windows endpoint.

Note: The package access mode options are available only when App Volumes agent connects with App Volumes Manager (Managed mode). For information about App Volumes deployment models, see Choose Your App Volumes Deployment Model.

Shared Storage

In this mode, VHD or VMDK application packages remain on a central storage shared between App Volumes Manager and a Windows endpoint. To access these packages on shared storage, the endpoint must always be connected to a network.

Local Copy

In the local copy mode, an MSI-wrapped VHD can be delivered to a Windows endpoint. The application metadata is first downloaded to the endpoint and the application shortcut appears on the desktop immediately. At the time of computer startup or user login, the MSI-wrapped VHD package gets downloaded automatically and is available before application launch. Alternatively, an on-demand package download can be initiated the first time at application launch. This deferred download is useful when there are multiple applications assigned to the user and it is essential to preserve bandwidth and disk space.

After the package is downloaded, MSI is unwrapped. If the package delivery mode is classic, the VHD is virtualized automatically. In an on-demand delivery, the VHD is virtualized only when the user clicks the shortcut to launch the application and then application is delivered to the end user.

To optimize application delivery on the Windows endpoint, the MSI-wrapped VHD is preferred because the MSI contains a compressed VHD. If the MSI wrapper is not available then the VHD package is delivered.

End users can access the delivered applications even when the endpoint has intermittent network connectivity, is offline, or gets rebooted. You can use this mode in laptops or remote devices which might not have reliable network connectivity.

Note: This package access mode option is available only when the machine manager configuration is VHD In-guest.

For the MSI wrapper to get downloaded on an endpoint, the endpoint must periodically synchronize with App Volumes Manager and retrieve the latest updates depending on the assignments in App Volumes Manager. This periodic synchronization ensures that the locally cached data on the endpoint is up to date, and that the endpoint has the correct set of applications. If an application is unassigned in App Volumes Manager, the corresponding application is made unavailable and the package is deleted in a subsequent reboot. The time interval for this periodic synchronization can be configured in App Volumes Manager.

Note: MSI-wrapped VHD package is not available in the Shared Storage mode. The VHD or VMDK package formats are used instead.

How to generate an MSI-wrapped VHD package in App Volumes Manager

When the Generate MSI when creating VHD package setting is turned on in App Volumes Manager, an application is packaged as both VHD and MSI-wrapped VHD. Such a package is represented as (VHD + MSI). This package is assigned to an entity irrespective of the type of the package access mode configured on the endpoint. At the time of assignment resolution, either the VHD or the MSI wrapper is sent to the endpoint depending on the package access mode.

For an endpoint in Local Copy mode, the MSI wrapper gets delivered. If the MSI wrapper is not available, then the VHD gets delivered.

You can also use the App Volumes Application Capture Command-Line Program to create an MSI-wrapped VHD package from a VHD package. If the VHD package is already in App Volumes Manager, then the imported MSI wrapper gets automatically associated with the VHD package and the package format changes to (VHD + MSI).

For more information about the MSI-wrapped VHD package, see the Using MSI-Wrapped VHD Package for App Volumes Delivery section in the App Volumes Administration Guide, version 2509 and later, at Omnissa Product Documentation.

For machine manager configuration, see the Types of Machine Manager Configurations and Configure and Register the Machine Manager sections in the App Volumes Administration Guide.

Limitations when using the Local Copy package access mode

A few App Volumes functionalities are currently not available when a Windows endpoint is configured in the Local Copy package access mode. Though some of these functionalities are visible and accessible in the App Volumes Manager admin UI when managing an application or package, these functionalities do not work for the Windows endpoint configured in this package access mode.

• Active Directory must be configured as the registered domain in App Volumes Manager. Entra ID cannot be used.

• Even if the Multiple assignment type is selected, end users are not presented the version selection window.

• Concurrent Usage and Peak Usage data are not tracked for the applications delivered to the Windows endpoint configured in this mode.

• svservice app run and svservice app deliver commands cannot be used to deliver this packaged application.

• Published application on demand and multi-session cannot be used.

For more information about these functionalities, see the App Volumes Administration Guide.