Analysing the problem

When computer problems occur in your company or the company you are servicing the employee always screems at the computer admins that they don´t do there work and everything not ok with there computer system and it does not matter if the problem is the computer or some software.

I´ve been on two lectures this month and I noticed that everytime the lecture started there where always some software problems.  The first lecture some slides did not show and some other minor problems, the second lecture the computer had virus and was very slow. I learned alot just from watching the teachers trying to figure out what the problem was with the computer and software. I did not want to intervene because I just wanted to see from first hand how the problem would resolve.  The teachers tried to call the computer admins with out any result so the lectures continued with some software problems, even when the computer system was very slow.

I think that similar problems happen very often when users are using the computers at some important meetings, lectures, classes etc. So it got me thinking why is this happening and how can the computer administrator help to fix this problems. There are few options that the computer administrators must consider.

1. Consider using terminal services/remote desktop services
2. Consider using VDI machines
3. Consider using App-V and Med-V

But why should the computer administrator use these features and what problems can this solve for these users.  If you use terminal services/remote desktop services you always need to be online to access the terminal services/remote desktop services.  There can be some issues with compatibility with applications running on terminal services/remote desktop services so it can be hard sometimes especially when some 3rd party applications are badly developed and I have run into many such applications.  The terminal server is locked down so the user cannot install or change anything other than the settings in the user profile unless you choose to use mandadory profile.  If you choose the VDI infrastructure every user gets its own virtual computer and can be older or newer operating system and is rock solid for compatibility for applications.

If you use app-v and med-v you are choosing the holy grail for computer administrator, why because the software does not install itself on the computer, that means that there is less problems.  I can say it´s like if the software is like mandadory profile, it does not change after it has been sequenced.  The only thing that is changed is the settings for the user witch is private, that can be some registry keys or somthing like that.  So the software such as 3rd party applications does not install "junk" registry keys into the actual physical registry of the machine and also the "junk" dlls that conflict with other dlls on the machine. You know if you install a lot of applications into the computer there can be some major problems occuring with the OS, so everytime a user calls the admin it´s because of 3rd party applications that are not working is problably because there is somthing conflicting.  App-V and Med-V solve these problems, and it is actually true.  I´ve been an administrator for a long time now and I´ve seen alot of solutions out there but nothing like App-V.

There is another thing that the administrator has to consided is to teach the users to test everything before the lecture, meeting, class etc.

Thanks,
Gisli Gudmundsson

MOSD Edit - Work in progress

I´m writing a small application that you can use to change contents multiple OSD files.  Here are some screenshots of the application.

Here you can change such as Local interaction allowed to all selected OSD files.

Change the contact information to all OSD files.

Tutorial : Automate App-V client install and configuration

Requirements based on infrastructure
The server/network infrastructure has to be in place such as Active Directory, App-V Managment Service.  I´m using Remote Desktop Services but is not required if you are using MDOP and APP-V for regular clients.

Pre-required software before installing.

Microsoft Visual C++ 2008 SP1 Redistributable Package (x86)
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/en/details.aspx?familyid=2051a0c1-c9b5-4b0a-a8f5-770a549fd78c&displaylang=en
Microsoft Visual C++ 2005 SP1 Redistributable Package (x86)
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/en/details.aspx?familyid=766a6af7-ec73-40ff-b072-9112bab119c2&displaylang=en[/url
APP-V Server/Client ISO(Only for remote desktop services)
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/en/details.aspx?FamilyID=e633164f-9729-43a8-9149-de651944a7fe
Microsoft Error Reporting, is located in the ISO, app-v client folder Support\Watson. Same as above.
App-V Polcies (Login Consultans, you need to register to download)
http://www.loginconsultants.com/index.php?option=com_docman&task=doc_details&gid=70&Itemid=149
The client install will also work with MDOP App-V client, even if the Video tutorial shows App-V client for Remote Desktop Services.

The todo list
* What software do you need to download
* How to extract and configure the software
* How to create and configure the policies
* Test the configuration.

My setup
DC1 = Is a domain server that contains fileshare named DistributedApps, the share is setup default but with $ hidden character.  Policies are created on this server.
SRV1 = Is the App-V Managment Services server and contains all the virtual applications, but is default as it is now.
TS1 = Is the Remote Desktop Services Server and is the server that will get the App-V client installed automatically.
There is no speach or sounds in the video but has text captions that explains what is happening in the video.

The video is best viewed in HD and full screen.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=486e8aFG1RE

New App-V sites

I´ve created a new App-V forum so pepole can chat about the app-v product.  My goal is to make collection of sites to enhance the knowledge and the possibilities of app-v.  I´ve created the following sites

This blog site (http://appvid.blogspot.com/)
Youtube site (http://www.youtube.com/msappv)
App-V Forum (http://appvid.createforum.net/)

Please feel free to ask questions and share you knowledge.

SQL + APP-V on same server dependancy additional info

If the Application Virtualization Managment Server service does not start on server that has also MSSQL then you can check this article out http://support.microsoft.com/kb/959459

If you cannot start the service because you get an error "Error 1075: The dependency service does not exist or has been marked for deletion"

What you need to do is to check if the service name is correct, like for me the service name is different because of the version of SQL I have installed.  I´m using SQL Express 2008 R2 so the service name is not the same as regular SQL server.

Copy the Service name and goto the registry and browse to this key "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\AppVirtServer" and paste the recently copied service name text to the "DependOnService".  Restart the machine.

 If you do not have this key you can create it by right click on AppVirtServer->New->Multi-String Value and enter the name "DependOnService" and enter correct sql service name.

Alternative fix for App-V Managment Server Code : 0000c800

If you get an error "Unexpected error occurred. Please report the following error code to your system administrator.  Error code : 0000c8000".

If you have googled it and found that this error is caused by IIS problems as you can see in this post http://support.microsoft.com/kb/930565.  If you have checked if the webpage works there is no alternitive way to fix this issue in the KB article.

Well I have an alternitive fix for you, this is bound to SQL so what you need to do is to goto "SQL Server Configuration Manager" and check if "Named Pipes" and "TCP/IP" is enabled. If it is disabled then enable it and then you should be able to logon to the App-V server.

Problem connecting to datastore : QuickFix

If you are trying to install App-V Managment Server and you get an error "The installation program could not connect to the configuration data store. Please see the installation log file for more information." Quit the App-V installation



 You can do the following go to services.msc and set the "SQLBrowser" service to Automatic and start the service and click on OK

Run the setup for the App-V installation again.