Additional Info on the New MSI Utility

There are a couple questions we seem to get a lot regarding the new MSI Utility for Microsoft Application Virtualization so I thought I’d go ahead and send out this mini-FAQ and try to clear up some of the confusion.

1. Will the new SoftGrid ‘MSI Utility for Microsoft Application Virtualization’ support the Terminal Server client or is this just for Windows Desktops?

A. The ‘MSI Utility for Microsoft Application Virtualization’ is for Windows Desktops only. The main scenario for the MSI Utility is a disconnected scenario and in most TS installations this is not the case. Although not available initially, we realize the importance of offering a TS solution so look for this in an upcoming release.

2. If I use the MSI utility, can I still use a SoftGrid server (VAS) to stream package updates?

A. No. In order for the MSI utility to work, the client must be in disconnected/no-auth mode, and that is a per-machine setting. That means that the MSI Utility cannot be used to preload the cache, followed by active upgrade streaming. Any client that uses the MSI utility will never be able to contact a server. If you want a client to contact a server, it will lose the ability to be serviced by the MSI utility.

J.C. Hornbeck