Application Management and Patching
App-V: End of Life or Not? What You Need to Know
As you know, Microsoft had previously announced that App-V (Microsoft Application Virtualization, and its earlier incarnation “SoftGrid”) was reaching its end of life. Many of our customers are hastily searching for alternatives and other ways to deploy applications.
As you may also know, Recast Application Workspace (formerly Liquit Workspace) has supported App-V for years. Everyone is asking what brought us here and how we can move forward?
MSIX and MSIX App Attach Didn’t Cut It
Microsoft introduced MSIX and MSIX App Attach several years ago to be the successor to App-V. Many companies have tried, and many of them have failed to deliver most of their applications with this newly designed approach.
The result was a low success rate of MSIX applications across the entire application landscape. This left the majority of companies still using App-V. The lesson everyone learned was that changing from a successful solution can be counterproductive.
The Stress of Finding a Suitable Alternative
A high rate of MSIX project failures and the approaching App-V end-of-life date put a lot of stress on companies to look for alternatives. Few of these options had the maturity to support the broader application landscape. The effort to (re)package all the applications into a new format has not been worth the reward.
Microsoft announced they will continue supporting App-V for several more years, which is good news for most companies. The bad news is that this continued support comes with some major changes.
App-V Not End of Life
Let’s start with the good news about App-V staying alive, which means:
- Client will still be available and supported
- Sequencer will still be available
The bad news is that Microsoft will deprecate MDOP (Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack), which includes the Microsoft App-V Server functionality. (See Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack for more information)
What the Future Brings and What You Should Know
Can you still use app-V? The short answer is yes, but consider the changes Microsoft is pushing.
The first thing you must consider is the move towards the cloud. Microsoft Cloud PC and Microsoft Azure Virtual Desktop are, and will continue to be, at the forefront of Microsoft’s innovations. Every company is urged to move to one of the Microsoft cloud-based desktop solutions.
With that comes the change in your application landscape with the use of Microsoft App Attach.
But wait, didn’t we just say that this doesn’t support all applications?
Yes, you’re right, but the problem is in MSIX and not in App Attach. With App Attach, you just mount an MSIX application in your session.
However, Microsoft now supports App-V in an App Attach format. This enables you to convert your applications to be ready for hosting on AVD or Cloud PC. Now we have the option to make 99 percent of applications available in a modern format on Cloud PC or AVD. But this still leaves us with the current on-premises situation.
How Can Recast Help with Application Workspace?
The best news of all is that Recast natively supports App-V, MSIX, and App Attach with our Application Workspace, regardless of whether it’s on-premises or in the cloud. That means you can transition your applications first and then move to the cloud!
We know many companies are not entirely ready to move to AVD or Cloud PC and need to take a gradual approach into the cloud. While there are many reasons for this, the one we hear the most is the application transition.
With a few simple steps, we can help you get the most out of your environment. There is no need for complex repackaging of your applications, which is a time-intensive investment of roughly four to eight hours per application. Recast provides options to fit your needs and save time using the following steps:
- Upload your App-V applications to our Recast Application Workspace servers to replace the App-V servers, allowing you to safely shut down your App-V servers.
- Mount and deploy your App-V as App Attach applications on-premises to test and move to the cloud when you’re ready.
- Use our connectors to link your current on-premises Citrix, RDS, Omnissa (VMware), or other VDI/RDSH environments to Azure Virtual Desktop to create a seamless hybrid experience. Go at your own pace and have the first users test your environment.
- Create your AVD deployment and mount your already converted applications into AVD seamlessly. You’re now ready for the last step!
- Use our Smart Icons to switch over end-users in a seamless and transparent way when you’re ready.
Conclusion
You’re now ready to say goodbye to your traditional managed environment and start using the Modern Workspace with your entire application landscape.
If you follow our steps, the hybrid transition of your application estate will be straightforward, with no significant changes to your application landscape.
