VMware ThinApp Blog

This is a common topic that I encounter with customers so I thought I'd put down some suggestions in a blog post. I say suggestions because you'll need to make some decisions that are unique to your environment. But before that let's list some of the questions that lead to this discussion . . .

1. Should I stream all my ThinApp packages from a fileshare or deploy them into the VMs?
2. Where you I put my ThinApp packages? On the C:, the User Data Disk, a fileshare?
3. How do I manage updates after the packages are in use?
4. Will users keep their unique settings like toolbar buttons when running ThinApps from different desktops?
5. How do I manage shortcuts and FileTypeAssociations for multi-user VMs?

OK – I'll admit that I put those questions in a certain order for my own purposes. 'To stream or not to stream, that is the question', this comes down to a choice of centralized administration versus guaranteed performance. I need to clarify that by centralized administration I mean the beloved 'one to many' model that efficiency junkies crave. If you choose to stream ThinApps, you have one location to go to for deployment and update. For example, update one package and all the VM's will use the updated version on next application launch, add a ThinApp application and all AD groups authorized in the package will get a new desktop icon – you get all this without even touching the guest VM's, that's the centralized administration part. Now, when running in streaming mode, the guest vm's will load the necessary bits to run the application each time the application is launched. This means that performance is dependent on network speed and throughput between the guest vm and the file-share. Launch your apps and use Task Manager to see what the average payload is for each of your ThinApps, then take your network admin to lunch and ask him if the network can handle those payloads launched X times a day by Y users. A lot of VMware View environments are architected with a very healthy network and can accommodate this but you don't want to find out afterwards that your environment isn't one of those. So back to the guaranteed performance, if you choose to give up centralized administration and put the ThinApps in each of the guest VM's, your application performance will not be subject to network throughput. (however, the DISPLAY performance to the endpoint will be) You are 'guaranteeing' the cpu and memory resources from the local OS for minimal application launch time and optimal execution.

There is more detail to this discussion so if you'd like to skip to the diagrams and details then pull down the VMware ThinApp Reference Architecture , Streaming Information Guide, or Deployment Guide

So hopefully I've given you something to think about regarding the decision to stream or not to stream. If you're feeling some anxiety over this decision then let me say that most often customers determine that a hybrid approach is best. Streaming frequently updated line-of-business applications and deploying the MS Office suite into the guest vm's is very common. On my next post I'll delve into question 2 and 3 which will cover more specifics about when you choose not to stream and what to do if you change your mind . . .

Feel free to comment for all to see or communicate directly to aaronblack@vmware.com or aaronblack_vmw on Twitter