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Table Of Contents
Deploying and Managing Applications Using App Volumes
VMware App Volumes offers an alternative way to manage applications by virtualizing applications above
the operating system. By using this strategy, applications, data files, settings, middleware, and
configurations act as separate, layered containers.
These containers are called application stacks (AppStacks) when in read-only mode or writable volumes
when in read-write mode. Administrators can use the App Volumes Manager to create AppStacks and
assign application entitlements, and to deliver provisioned AppStacks to the system or to a user or group.
Applications delivered by App Volumes look and feel natively installed, and they follow users across
sessions and devices. Administrators can update or replace applications in real time and remove any
assigned application, either immediately, while the user is still logged in, or at next login or reboot.
For more information, see the VMware App Volumes documentation, available at
https://www.vmware.com/support/pubs/app-volumes-pubs.html.
Using Existing Processes or VMware Mirage for Application Provisioning
With View, you can continue to use the application provisioning techniques that your company currently
uses, and you can use Mirage. Two additional considerations include managing server CPU usage and
storage I/O and determining whether users are permitted to install applications.
If you push applications out to large numbers of remote desktops at exactly the same time, you might see
significant spikes in CPU usage and storage I/O. These peak workloads can have noticeable effects on
desktop performance. As a best practice, schedule application updates to occur during off-peak hours and
stagger updates to desktops if possible. You must also verify that your storage solution is designed to
support such workloads.
If your company allows users to install applications, you can continue your current policies, but you cannot
take advantage of View Composer features such as refreshing and recomposing the desktop. With View
Composer, if an application is not virtualized or otherwise included in the user's profile or data settings, that
application is discarded whenever a View Composer refresh, recompose, or rebalance operation occurs. In
many cases, this ability to tightly control which applications are installed is a benefit. View Composer
desktops are easy to support because they are kept close to a known good configuration.
If users have firm requirements for installing their own applications and having those applications persist
for the lifetime of the remote desktop, instead of using View Composer for application provisioning, you
can use instant clones together with App Volumes. Another solution is to create full-clone dedicated
desktops, allow users to install applications, and then use Mirage to manage and update the desktops
without overwriting user-installed applications.
IMPORTANT Also use Mirage to manage locally installed offline desktops and their applications. For more
information, see the Mirage Documentation page.
Using Active Directory GPOs to Manage Users and Desktops
View includes many Group Policy administrative (ADM) templates for centralizing the management and
configuration of View components and remote desktops.
After you import these templates into Active Directory, you can use them to set policies that apply to the
following groups and components:
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All systems regardless of which user logs in
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All users regardless of the system they log in to
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View Connection Server configuration
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Horizon Client configuration
View Architecture Planning
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