AppV-MSI-SCCM

Scope of Application Packaging/AppV with the release of Windows 10?

Posted on May 28, 2015 Updated on April 4, 2016

A new version of AppV which is AppV 5.1[Currently AppV 5.0] will be available with Windows 10/MDOP[Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack]

• What’s New in AppV 5.1:
  • Success Rate with the Conversion Process of AppV 4.x Applications to 5.x will be more. This is the time for 4.x customers to adopt the change.
  • Some of the Limitations with AppV 5.0 are now supported 5.1 such as Copy On Write Exclusion List is reduced from 58 to 4 & Environment Variables are merged with Connection Groups
  • New Features added in 5.1 such as Windows 10 support, Package Editor & Management Console Enhancements

Note: I’ve taken these Images from the Videos of MSIgnite.   

• How will be the Future of AppV:
  • Microsoft gave a statement that “Use of App-V 5 today puts you on the right path for the future” clearly states that AppV 5 will have much more scope in the Future or with the release of Windows 10.

  Project Centennial

• What is Project Centennial:
  • This uses the similar technology as App-V
  • Applications in windows 10 use AppX Model [Universal Windows Applications] which was introduced with Windows 8.1. But, this didn’t made any positive move because there are 16 million classic windows applications.
  • Also called as Project C which is a Bridge to convert Classic Windows Applications[Desktop Applications] to Universal Windows Apps[Runs on Any Device]

  Queries that I still have:

• People use AppV with the main reason that Easy to Manage[Install, UnInstall & Repair] & Isolation [Do not break OS & other applications]. Universal Windows Apps natively supports these features. Does this mean the use of AppV will be reduced? Answer to this is NO. Though Centennial uses the similar AppV 5.x Technology, the purpose & use cases are different.
  Project C: A conversion technology that converts existing Win 32 & .Net Apps into UWP Platform without major change in the Code. So that these can be made available in Windows Store & use advanced features of Windows such as Live Tiles, Notifications & So.
  AppV: Technology that allows IT Administrators to manage existing Win32 & .Net Apps in a better way such as Centralized Management, Usage Tracking & so. You can gain benefits DLL Hell, OS Conflicts, App to App Conflicts & so.
• With the Introduction of AppX, what would be the scope for Application Packaging? Do organizations still require Packaging?
  Maybe YES will be my answer. Microsoft gave introduction to Desktop App Converter which converts Desktop Apps[Win32 & .Net] to UWP. This seems quiet similar to Packaging as it requires providing silent parameters to capture the app in order to convert, modifying icons, adding additional features & so.

Some of these has been answered by Tim Mangan:http://www.brianmadden.com/blogs/timmangan/archive/2015/05/29/Breaking-down-Microsoft-Project-Centennial-Microsoft-s-App-V-spinoff-for-Win32-and-Universal-Apps.aspx