Now that Azure WVD is GA, you are starting to hear more about MSIX and the strategy of attaching applications to a WVD OS. MSIX is the Windows app package format that provides a modern packaging experience to all Windows apps. The MSIX package format preserves the functionality of existing app packages and/or install files in addition to enabling new, modern packaging and deployment features to Win32, WPF, and WinForm apps.
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In comparison to traditional ways to install applications and other application delivery methods that have been around for quite some time – such as application virtualization – application layering technology is still in its early stages. Because app layering is relatively new, tools for editing existing layers are unfortunately sparse.
You might ask, “Why would I need to edit an application layer?” Well, you could find yourself needing to edit registry keys for an application layer because you want the application to behave differently. So, how would you edit registry keys for a layer that is already created? The default answer for all layering vendors (assuming they can even edit layers, you should ask!) is to put the layer back into capture or packaging mode and make your registry changes there. Sure, this will work, but this is a “sledgehammer” approach when a “scalpel” may be better. When you put a layering tool into capture mode, it records all changes that happen to the operating system. This is a bit heavy-handed when you’re only trying to make a single registry key change.
Today, I want to talk about ProfileDisk and its benefits using FlexDisk or VHD. ProfileDisk is a new major feature scheduled for ProfileUnity 6.5, targeted for release in Q1 of 2015.
Before I talk about ProfileDisk, let’s level set about ProfileUnity itself and how it deals with the user profile. Today, ProfileUnity uses its portability engine to backup and restore users’ profiles. This engine is highly optimized to make backup and restore of a user’s profile as fast as possible. This engine archives the profile into smaller parts that also include a checksum so that the solution can sort through what does and does NOT need to be save or restored. Out of the box, ProfileUnity comes with templates that cover 85% of the user profile, Windows settings, application settings, etc. ProfileUnity’s portability engine backups up and restores profile on login, logoff or on triggers for example on PCoIP or ICA disconnect the users profile can be saved. This approach gives you great control over how much or how little of the profile you want to make portable. But this approach also sometimes requires you to create a portability rule for paths that are not captured out-of-the-box. Customers have told us they want a fully persistent desktop, leveraging non persistent VDI but without having to configure many portability rules. Essentially, they want a feature that would act as an “easy button” or “catch all” for users’ profiles. Continue reading
In just a few weeks, Liquidware Labs will go live with the introduction of FlexDisk, heralding a new evolution in User Management. ProfileUnity with FlexApp already boasts some of the fastest logon times and smoothest Application Layering in the industry. However, even our own current impressive performance will pale in comparison to ProfileUnity User Environment Management with new FlexDisk technology. FlexDisk, planned for release in ProfileUnity v6.5 in Q1 2015, will deliver the entire user profile and application layers to both persistent and non-persistent desktops with unmatched speed and flexibility. Continue reading
What is a BAD application?
We consider bad applications those applications that store user settings in places the user does not have rights to out of the box and traditionally you would have to give the user administrative rights to tame these bad applications. But with ProfileUnity, we have a better way to not repeat the mistakes of the past when moving to VDI and strip away the administrative rights the user once had. Continue reading
When talking with clients, this topic comes up from time to time. To understand the claim of “Infinitely Scalable and Highly Available” you first have to understand ProfileUnity’s architecture.
ProfileUnity consists of four main parts:
We just released an update to ProfileUnity, we’re now at 5.7 and this release was focused on blowing the doors off login/logoff.
ProfileUnity has always been faster than roaming files and now we’re knocking its socks off! Continue reading
I get this question from time to time, “How does Flex-IO compare to VMware’s View Storage Accelerator (formerly known as Content Based Read Cache)?” The answer is not one or the other it’s you should use both! Continue reading
Just before the holidays, we released Flex-IO! It’s our “read and write” IOPS accelerator for non-persistent VDI. We have since done our full blown launch on the product and have accounts in production and many accounts in active POC’s. Continue reading
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