Application virtualization is simply defined as removing the application from the Operating System (OS). In a typical sense, you install software on an OS and it configures the registry and intertwines with the OS. The only way to remove it from the OS is to use the uninstall program from Add/Remove Programs. In a typical network, hundreds of applications are deployed and they all have to be managed.
With application virtualization, you can abstract the OS resources and present them to the application as a virtual resource. Once configured, you have 1 executable that contains the application and user settings all contained in one file. This file can be copied to a network drive, shared, and/or even placed on a thumb drive to be carried around; it is independent of the OS or OS agnostic.
Introducing ThinApp
ThinApp is an application designed by VMware to help separate your applications from your OS. In order to use ThinApp, you must create a clean virtual machine using VMware Workstation as your base. Once that is configured and completed, you would install VMware ThinApp within the virtual machine.
Next, perform a snapshot on the virtual machine. This is necessary to be able to ThinApp an application and then revert back to a clean OS again to ThinApp an additional application.
For example, once you performed the above tasks, you would install your software, virtualize it, revert the OS back to its base, install new software, virtualize it, etc.
ThinApp 4.5: Support for Windows 7 and Server 2008 R2
Recently, VMware released their latest version of VMware ThinApp; it fully supports Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 (32 & 64 bit). ThinApp support for Windows 7 will help move the adoption of Windows 7 as you rollout the new version and still support legacy applications using application virtualization. Since the applications are removed from the OS barrier, it is a much easier process to move from Windows XP to Windows 7.
Thinapp in Action
Now that you have some background information on ThinApp, let’s take it for a spin.
Open ThinApp from the Start menu and run “Setup Capture.” ThinApp performs a “Prescan” of the registry prior to loading your new software. Once the “Prescan” is complete, minimize the application and load your software.
After your software is installed, click “Next” to perform a “Postscan” of your registry. Now you are ready to highlight the executable you are virtualizing and build the project and specify the default directory.
Once the project is complete, you can browse to the isolated applications executable and run the application virtually. Additionally, you can take it a step further and explore the advanced features ThinApp has to offer.
ThinApp can be downloaded and evaluated 60 days for free. After 60 days, you can purchase the entire ThinApp suite for $5,000.00 and it is also bundled in the Premier version for $250.00 per concurrent user.
Virtualize an App with VMware ThinApp in under 5 minutes
If you’re ready to give ThinApp a try, take a look at the video below from David Davis on how to virtualize an app with VMware ThinApp in less than 5 minutes.
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