Instant Application delivery with FlexApp 6.8.5 Cloaking

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Instantly delivering applications to users can be a challenge, as even FlexApps can take some time to activate. For instance, it may take 14 seconds for 15 FlexApps to become available. This can cause users to log in to their desktops before the application shortcuts for all 15 apps are ready to use.

To address this issue, we’ve introduced FlexApps on boot. However, the current implementation of FlexApps on boot has a small drawback: all FlexApps on boot are visible to all users logging in to the RDS host or desktop pool. This necessitates creating multiple pools to segment applications that are layered on boot. While this reduces image management, it increases the number of pools to manage, even if they come from the same image.

But with ProfileUnity FlexApp 6.8.5, we have new technology that solves both image sprawl and pool sprawl. When you assign FlexApps on boot, you now have the option to cloak the FlexApps that a user is not entitled to at login. For instance, if you have two apps on boot, one for accounting and the other for marketing, both apps are layered into the OS on boot, so users don’t have to wait for layering to occur. During login, however, the marketing user won’t be able to see the accounting app, and vice versa.

In addition, we offer predictive block caching. FlexApps are typically streamed over the network, but it’s sometimes better to run the app from our block cache to speed up the user experience. However, downloading all the needed blocks can take time. With predictive block caching, we know what blocks are needed to achieve near-native speeds, eliminating the need to download all blocks while the user waits.

To summarize, we remove activation times (FlexApps on boot), launch times (block caching), download times (predictive block caching), reduce image management (using FlexApps), and reduce pools (FlexApps on boot with cloaking).

To accomplish this, first set up ProfileUnity as a Service. then enable the “Enable Cloaking for on-boot FlexApps” checkbox in ProfileUnity FlexApp 6.8.5 when assigning FlexApps on boot. Then, in the normal login configuration, assign the relevant on-boot FlexApps to the appropriate users. This will ensure that users only have access to the applications they need, while reducing image sprawl and pool sprawl.

Overall, this approach simplifies application delivery and management while improving the user experience. Users can log in quickly and seamlessly access the applications they need, without being burdened by unnecessary apps or activation times.

ProfileUnity with FlexApp 6.8.5, Best Practices out of the box!

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Capturing applications with FlexApp can sometimes be challenging, and there are a few best practices that are critical to success. However, these steps can be time-consuming, and it’s easy to overlook important details. In some cases, this can lead to an unsuccessful deployment.

To simplify the process and ensure best practices are followed, ProfileUnity FlexApp 6.8.5 now includes out-of-the-box tools and features to help streamline the application capture best practices.

First, FlexApp now includes a built-in runtime installer, which allows you to easily install all the necessary .NET and C++ runtimes on the packaging OS. This eliminates the need to track down individual runtimes from Microsoft, saving time and reducing complexity.

Second, FlexApp also includes a custom optimizer tool specifically designed for capture. This tool ensures that the capture OS is optimized for the capture process, with minimal extraneous activity or noise. This is especially important since you may not have access to VMware’s or Citrix’s optimizer tools, and different optimizer settings are required for capture OS versus end user images.

Finally, FlexApp automatically performs rollbacks in between captures to prevent cross-contamination between applications. This ensures that each application is captured in a separate layer, without interfering with other applications layers.

By incorporating these best practices out-of-the-box, ProfileUnity FlexApp 6.8.5 simplifies the application capture process, reducing the risk of errors and ensuring a successful deployment. With these tools and features, you can capture applications quickly and easily, and deliver them to users with confidence.

FlexApp Modernizes Any Windows App, Easily.

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In today’s fast-paced digital world, businesses need to be agile and flexible to meet the changing demands of their customers. One of the ways businesses can achieve this is by modernizing their legacy Windows applications to be more efficient, reliable, and scalable. Liquidware FlexApp is a powerful solution that can help businesses modernize their Windows applications without the need for expensive infrastructure changes or application rewrites.

With Easy and Automated Packaging, Any Windows App is Easily Modernized with FlexApp from Liquidware.

FlexApp is an application layering technology that containerizes applications easily, making them available to users whenever and wherever they need them. It separates the application from the underlying operating system, which means that the application can be deployed across different versions of Windows, regardless of the operating system version or virtual platform.

FlexApp’s approach to application layering enables businesses to save time, reduce costs, and minimize complexity associated with traditional application delivery methods.

Here are some of the ways in which Liquidware FlexApp can help modernize any Windows application:

  1. Application Containerization: With FlexApp, applications can be containerized and delivered on-demand without modifying base images, reducing the need for local installation on individual endpoints. This means that applications can be deployed faster, and users can access them from any device, anywhere, and at any time.
  2. ANY Application Format: FlexApp supports any Windows app, not just MSIX but also MSI, EXE and home grown applications, giving it an incredible 95% or greater compatibility rate.
  3. Flexibility: FlexApp allows applications to be delivered to any Windows workspace platform, including virtual, cloud, or physical, depending on the business’s needs. Supported platforms include Microsoft AVD, Windows 365, Citrix, VMware Horizon. Third-party support for deployment and/or testing includes Microsoft Intune, Nerdio Manager, Application Readiness, Rimo3, and Ivanti DSM. This enables businesses to choose the deployment method that works best for them, without compromising application performance or user experience.
  4. Scalability: FlexApp can scale applications to meet the demands of a growing business. As more users require access to an applications automatically scale by executing locally, without the need for additional infrastructure.
  5. Cost-Effective: FlexApp’s application layering approach means that businesses can reduce the cost of application management and support. By separating the application from the operating system, businesses can save on licensing, support, and infrastructure costs associated with traditional application deployment methods.
  6. Easy to Manage: FlexApp provides a centralized management console that simplifies the process of deploying and updating applications. Administrators can quickly create and manage application packages, control application access, and monitor application usage.

Liquidware FlexApp is a powerful solution that can help businesses modernize their legacy Windows applications without the need for expensive infrastructure changes or application rewrites. Its application layering approach separates the application from the operating system, making it available to users whenever and wherever they need it. With FlexApp, businesses can achieve greater agility, flexibility, scalability, and cost-effectiveness in their application management.

More cloud! ProfileUnity with FlexApp 6.8.5 adds SAML and Azure Active Directory group support

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ProfileUnity has added support for SAML and Azure Active Directory groups, offering greater cloud functionality to its users.

With console support for SAML, users can now access their ProfileUnity console using a cloud Identity Provider (IDP). This approach offers numerous benefits, including:

  • Two-factor authentication: Depending on the IDP configuration, users can use an authentication application on their phone, receive an SMS message, or even use a physical token for added security.
  • Centralized auditing: By centralizing all ProfileUnity console access to an IDP, IT teams gain access to full audit trails for login attempts. This allows for easy auditing without needing direct access to the ProfileUnity console.

By integrating SAML support, ProfileUnity has made it easier for users to leverage SSO to login the ProfileUnity console even more securely, and IT teams to manage and monitor those access attempts.

ProfileUnity has also recently released an update that introduces support for Azure Active Directory groups. This new feature enables the context-aware filtering system to make decisions based on a user’s Azure Active Directory group membership, making it particularly beneficial for users who work on an operating system that is not typically joined to an NT Domain or does not have a consistent connection to the corporate network.

One of the best aspects of this update is that it requires no changes to the client-side or user experience for the ProfileUnity client to query Azure Active Directory group membership. To get started, simply set up the console with the necessary Azure Active Directory access required to perform group queries.

With Azure Active Directory group support, ProfileUnity users can now take advantage of enhanced filtering capabilities, making it easier to manage. This upgrade provides greater flexibility and convenience for businesses looking to maintain secure and efficient IT operations while using Azure Active Directory.

Once the console has access to perform your Azure Active Directory Group queries the filter system will show Azure Active Directory groups.

Once you have setup your Azure Active Directory Group filter and tied it to a module, like shortcuts, FlexApp,.etc., the system will take care of enabling the client access to query your Azure Active Directory Groups.

FlexApp Now Converts Microsoft App-V and MSIX apps, Keeping base Images CLEAN!

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I am excited to announce the availability of FlexApp v6.8.5, our latest release that brings new life to the legacy Microsoft App-V format by converting them into FlexApps automatically. With this release, FlexApp now supports modern applications such as MSIX en masse, making it the highest-ranked application compatibility solution in the industry.

Deploy all of your Windows Apps with FlexApp and Keep Base Images CLEAN!

FlexApp containerizes virtually any Windows app into a portable virtual hard disk that can contain one or more applications. These applications are never installed into a Windows base image, but simply “attached,” appearing and reacting as if they were natively installed. This approach simplifies base image management and has won FlexApp several industry awards.

Enterprises with hundreds or even thousands of apps have found FlexApp easy to adopt, thanks to its fully automated packaging console. The console already supports every popular Windows application format installed and has now been enhanced to include Microsoft App-V and MSIX application formats. The benefit of converting any application to the FlexApp format is that base image management becomes very straightforward. A more general image can be leveraged across all users in the organization, while the apps they need are simply attached by user, group, or other context-aware attribute.

We are also proud to extend the functionality of our recent FlexApp One self-contained application format in this version. FlexApp One packages are ultra-portable and can be deployed by any means, including Microsoft Intune, cloud file sharing services, any software deployment solution, or leading third-party management control planes such as Nerdio Manager from Nerdio.

FlexApp One package creation is now easier than ever with integrated support in FlexApp’s packaging console. The console also includes additional features such as the FlexApp Packager API, predictive block caching, triggers for compliance use cases, and packager built-in rollback and auto OS optimization.

Additional features in FlexApp v6.8.5 include:

• FlexApp Packager API – third-party vendors, such as application testing software solutions, can now easily and directly package FlexApps with this new API
• Predictive Block Caching — Cloud or on-prem hosted FlexApp packages now benefit from predictive block caching to the end user session, enabling large applications to launch at native speeds
• Triggers — FlexApps can be applied or removed from users’ workspaces during the user session based on criteria that may have changed, such as location or time of day, supporting compliance use cases
• Packager Built-in Rollback and Auto OS Optimization — The FlexApp Packaging Console now features the ability to roll the OS back and that the OS is optimized for seamless packaging
• Additional new features include version control, merge layer capabilities, post-login support of app attachment, and more!

The latest version is now available for a free trial, download here.

Meet Liquidware at the Irish Citrix User Group

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Great news! Liquidware is proud to sponsor the Irish Citrix User Group Community (CUGC) event happening on March 9th at the Radisson Blu hotel on Golden Lane in Dublin

This is the first time Liquidware have sponsored the Irish User Group and I am delighted at the support from Liquidware and in particular Jason E Smith.

I will deliver a session on how Liquidware’s solutions can benefit you. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to learn more about how our solutions can enhance your Citrix environments

The event has a packed agenda and registration is still open

You can still register on the link below

https://mycugc.org/events/details/cugc-ireland-presents-cugc-ireland-q1/

There are some great sessions topics including Identity and SSO, Citrix App Layering and Google Chrome OS with Citrix DaaS.

See you there !

Stratusphere UX 6.2.2-2 is released

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Check out Liquidware’s newest release of Stratusphere – version 6.6.2-2 – for a slew of exciting new features and enhancements! Among the new features are advanced troubleshooting capabilities, improved reporting, and expanded support for virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) environments. These updates make Stratusphere an even more powerful tool for monitoring and optimizing end-user computing environments.


The ADVANCED > INSPECTORS & API now includes a SESSIONS tab and API, displaying a summary and details of session events such as LOGIN/LOGOUT, LOCK/UNLOCK, REMOTE CONNECT/DISCONNECT, CONSOLE CONNECT/DISCONNECT, and more. The information provided includes user and machine details, the time of the event, and even the session type (CONSOLE, RDP/RFX, ICA/HDX, PCoIP, BLAST, etc.)
The STRATUSPHERE UX UI PREVIEW has been added, providing users with a sneak peek of the new user interface for future versions of the platform. It has limited functionality and is designed to gather user feedback to help improve the product.


Enhancements have been made to the ADVANCED > INSPECTORS & API, including adding support for multiple search values, Optimizer Profile as a BASIS in the ADVANCED > USERS, MACHINES, & LOGIN tabs, and new color-coded thresholds based on Standard Deviations from Mean for metrics within the Windows User Login Breakdown in the ADVANCED > INSPECTORS > LOGIN tab.


The domain the user has logged into on macOS machines is now displayed, reducing license usage. The macOS CID Key visibility has been improved by adding support for location information.


The Hub, Database, & Collectors have been enhanced, providing better visibility for error codes encountered by the CID Key while communicating by adding textual descriptions to explain the problem. The Apache Web Server now automatically compresses data while communicating with the client Web Browser for enhanced performance.
The DIAGNOSTICS > REPORTS have new exception reports that only show machines with unencrypted disks and firewalls that are turned off.


In addition to these features and enhancements, a lot of time and effort was spent on the overall reliability and user experience of ADVANCED > DASHBOARDS. There were more than 30 updates made under the hood to enhance the overall reliability & usability of Dashboards.


Overall, the latest release of Stratusphere offers a range of new features and enhancements, improving the user experience and providing better visibility and functionality across the platform. These improvements include new reports, dashboards, and alerts, as well as enhanced application support and more granular control over user data. With these new features, users can better monitor and optimize their virtual desktop environments, leading to improved performance and a more streamlined user experience.
All bug fixes for this release can be viewed here.


Stratusphere Release Notes v6.6.2-2 (February 28, 2023) (liquidware.com)

BIG New Features Abound in ProfileUnity v6.8.5!

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I’m excited to announce the release of ProfileUnity v6.8.5, the latest version of our leading user environment management solution. This new release is packed with features that enable further centralization of Windows application and user environment management, making it easier for IT admins to manage their digital workspaces.

ProfileUnity centralizes the context-aware deployment of any app including FlexApp, FlexApp One, MSIX, App-V. The new version also features universal folder and file redirection.

One of the most significant enhancements in ProfileUnity v6.8.5 is the ability to deploy and assign modern Windows applications of all types through the central management console. This includes Liquidware traditional FlexApp, FlexApp One, MSIX, MSIX App Attach, Microsoft App-V, and VMware ThinApp. With this new feature, administrators can now manage all their applications from a single console, reducing the need for multiple tools.

In addition to application management, ProfileUnity v6.8.5 introduces a new feature called Application Cloaking, which completely hides select applications from specific users while making them available to specified users based on a context-aware filter. This feature simplifies image management by allowing administrators to place certain applications in a base image while using that image across various user groups. Application Cloaking can be invoked on any ProfileUnity context-aware attribute, such as location, time of day, or any environment variable.

ProfileUnity has also gained two new feature modules: “MSIX” and “Microsoft App-V” management. These features enable the assignment of either MSIX or Microsoft App-V applications to any ProfileUnity context-aware filter user or group target, all without scripting. Application files can be on-premises or cloud-hosted, and MSIX App Attach is also supported for non-persistent use cases such as Microsoft AVD, Citrix Virtual Desktops, or VMware Horizon.

Another significant feature in ProfileUnity v6.8.5 is Universal Folder Redirection and Universal Registry Redirection. These innovative features open all Windows folders and registry keys to redirection, allowing administrators to redirect users’ customized settings from applications back into users’ profiles to roam with them. This is a notable industry first and provides Windows and application administrators with the flexibility they need to make changes to remediate applications that store user preferences outside the user profile.

ProfileUnity v6.8.5 is now available for a free trial, and you can download it here. We believe that this latest release will help our customers increase their productivity, streamline their IT management, and reduce their costs. We look forward to continuing to innovate and support our customers with the best digital workspace management solutions in the industry.

Liquidware Launches Liquidware Advisor Series to Help Tackle Real-World Digital Workspace Challenges

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We’re excited to share a new community and customer-focused resource to address real-world challenges faced by our clients. This new initiative, the Liquidware Advisor Series, consists of regular video broadcasts on YouTube by Liquidware’s esteemed end-user computing experts, our talented Systems Engineers.

While our award-winning solutions are market leaders, community members and customers still love tips and tricks to get the most out of their environment. The Liquidware Advisor Series provides the community with access to our systems engineers, who discuss scenarios from the field and how the we can help address them.

The Liquidware Advisor Series aims to showcase the wealth of expertise that our systems engineers possess. It will provide insights into how leading organization’s solve today’s dynamic workspace challenges. It also serves to provide tips and tricks about our solutions – which encompass User Environment Management with ProfileUnity™, Application Layering with FlexApp™, and Digital Experience Monitoring and Diagnostics with Stratusphere™ UX – can help resolve the most pressing problems that clients face.

The first two videos of the Liquidware Advisor Series are already available on YouTube, and the we plan to maintain a monthly cadence for subsequent episodes. Tom and Johnny, two of Liquidware’s distinguished systems engineers, host the initial episodes, which focus on specific topics that have piqued the interest of Liquidware customers.

The Liquidware Advisor Series allows clients and prospects to see firsthand how Liquidware solutions can address their most significant pain points. Be sure to bookmark the playlist and look for frequent updates.

The State of the End User Computing Industry 2023 – With Scott Manchester and Gabe Knuth

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State of the Union, End User Computing 2023.

We had a great Liquidware Unplugged with Gabe Knuth (Senior Analyst, ESG), Scott Manchester (Director of Product Management Azure Virtual Desktop and Windows 365), James O’Regan, and myself last month and this blog post highlights some of the key elements we discussed.

The format of our Unplugged sessions always starts with informal banter between the panelists prior to attendees joining. ChatGPT was discussed with, ironically, Scott informing everyone of an ‘argument’ he had with the AI solution about whether or not a certain Microsoft product was, indeed, a Microsoft product! Scott shared that he holds 25 patents and Gabe described himself as an EUC “lifer”, having been involved in the market since 1998.

There was a lot of discussion surrounding the impact Covid-19 had on Work from Anywhere solutions and how EUC, in particular virtual desktop solutions, were up for the challenge when the world needed it. Gabe also reflected on the fact that for ten plus years there have been rumors of Citrix being acquired that finally came to fruition in 2021. He also noted that with VMware being spun out of Dell in 2021 and then the announcement that it is to be acquired by Broadcom. The panel noted that there is no mention of “EUC” by Broadcom in the resulting impending acquisition.

This acquisition of VMware is resulting in Microsoft AVD, Windows 365 and Cloud PC becoming a ‘first-party’ solution that others run on. The panel suggested that Microsoft is now being in the driver’s seat, both behind the scenes as well as in front, working with third-party vendors like Liquidware (as well as others) to deliver best-of-breed solutions on top of Microsoft.

Scott and the panel took time to discuss Windows 365 and AVD options and which solution seems to be resonating with certain use cases, small to medium sized accounts, and enterprise customers. Scott further shared a sneak preview of some of his presentation that will be delivered at IGEL Disrupt and NerdioCon.

The ‘click, click, boom’ principle of ease of use for admins in deploying both virtual desktops and applications should be the same as management of physical desktops. A slide was shared technological advancements; from the disruptive, to evolution, revolution. If you missed it you can watch the recording now.