App-V 4.6 and ConfigMgr 2007 SP2: even better together

Organizations that are moving towards Microsoft Application Virtualization are often wondering what the best delivery infrastructure is for their environment. In the days of SoftGrid there was only one way of delivering your virtual applications to the end-user, by building a dedicated SoftGrid infrastructure. But since the introduction of App-V 4.5 the possibilities have extended, making the product suitable for almost every environment.
In this post I will describe and visualize some of the benefits of using the scenario where App-V integrates with the market leader for software distribution, Microsoft's own System Center Configuration Manager 2007 R2 SP2.

Configuration Manager 2007 is comprehensive management solution able to deploy, manage and assess Windows client, server and mobile systems. Functionality of Configuration Manager 2007 includes Operating System deployment, software update management, asset inventory and of course application management. For more information on the complete list of features, please visit the Configuration Manager site here.
If you want more detailed information on Configuration Manager 2007 R2 integration and compare it to other available App-V delivery environments please check out a whitepaper I wrote called “Choosing the right App-V Delivery Model. App-V integration: possibilities and impossibilities” available for download here (registration required).
Application Management
One of the main advantages of Configuration Manager 2007 is that it manages both traditional installations (which can include but is not limited to MSI) and virtual (App-V) applications in the same way. Configuration Manager extends the delivery capabilities of virtual applications because many capabilities to manage MSI’s are now also available for virtual applications. This includes building complex queries for collections to define which devices are targeted. Unlike the App-V Full Infrastructure this includes user and machine based targeting.
Having traditional and virtual applications in a single end-to-end management solution also offers an excellent manageable approach of operating system deployments. Deployments can layered into applying the base operating system (like Windows 7), including service packs, security patches and hotfixes, followed by a traditionally installed baseline (a set of locally installed applications that would include the App-V client itself) and on top of that the virtual applications. All configurable from a single task sequence!
All application management (both traditional and virtual) is presented and done from a single console, making adoption and use for IT administrators easier. In this next video I will demonstrate how to add and upgrade a virtual application in Configuration Manager environment. Notice how the workflow is very similar to that of traditional (MSI) applications.

Infrastructure
The Configuration Manager 2007 R2 integrated model does not include any of the server components of Microsoft Application Virtualization, but instead elevates existing Configuration Manager Distribution Points to deliver the virtual application to the client.

Configuration Manager supports two types of virtual application delivery methods: streaming delivery and local delivery.
Streaming delivery is similar to the App-V Full Infrastructure but only uses HTTP(S). Local delivery, commonly known as “download and execute” uses Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS) and is a very suitable delivery method for slow and unreliable connections. Local delivery is extremely useful on Laptop computers who might only connect to the network in a limited fashion.
Reporting
Although some specific usage reporting like in the App-V Full Infrastructure isn’t available, Configuration Manager does have some other very extensive reports. And because Configuration Manager does more than only managing virtual applications, these reports include information on the entire environment, like detailed information on hardware, software and other management related assets. Check out this video where I demonstrate the extensiveness of reporting in Configuration Manager 2007.

Delivery speed
One of the downsides that customers have provided feedback on in the Configuration Manager 2007 integrated model has been the delay in application delivery. In an App-V Full Infrastructure scenario, when a user is added to an application group and he logs on to a particular device, applications would be instantly available (shortcuts and file-type associations) and streamed just in time. However in a Configuration Manager 2007 scenario, this process could take up 10 – 15 minutes.
However with the release of Service Pack 2 of Configuration Manager this delivery delay has been drastically decreased and depending on design, the number of applications and their distribution settings, delivery can be as fast as the App-V Full Infrastructure.
Given the fact that Configuration Manager 2007 is a truly Enterprise Ready end-to-end solution, and scales up to 100s of thousands of clients, this is a pretty amazing feature.
Check out this last video where I demonstrate the delivery improvement between a Configuration Manager SP1 and SP2.

Check out the Application Virtualization Techcenter for other whitepapers and other additional information:
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/appvirtualization/default.aspx