App-V Sequencer Workstation Configuration

  • Article

The App-V sequencer is the packaging component of the App-V virotualization suite and its very critical to sequence the applications accordingly before deploying to your clients. The following configuration is from the App-V 4.5 Sequencing Guide and includes the recommendations for setting up the sequencing workstation. For detail please refer to the Application Virtualization 4.5 Sequencing Guide

  •  Sequence on a machine that matches the Operating System and configuration level for the target clients. Microsoft has clarified its support stance since 4.2. Sequencing on Windows XP and deploying to Windows Vista is not a supported scenario. If you choose to sequence on one Operating System and deploy to another then you do so at your own risk. In addition to the Operating System, you want to make sure your sequencer is at the same service pack and hot fix level of your deployed workstations.
  •  If Microsoft Office is part of the base image of the client, then include it as part of the base image of the sequencer. Many applications will install differently if they recognize that Microsoft Office is already installed on the machine. Thus, if an application is expected to integrate with Microsoft Office, it’s best to attempt sequencing on a machine with Office already installed and activated. This assumes that a Microsoft Office suite will be installed locally on all client PCs. In addition you may want to install any other programs that could be used by the application you are sequencing if they are not going to be a part of the sequence.
  • Create an ODBC DSN setting as part of the Sequencer base image. If no ODBC DSN setting exists on the base Sequencer image and the application being packaged creates one, the entire registry key associated with ODBC settings will become virtualized. This will prohibit the packaged application from seeing any ODBC DSN settings that exist on the base client machine. If an ODBC entry already exists on the Sequencer machine, only the ODBC settings will become virtualized, and the ODBC settings on the Client will be merged with the ODBC settings in the package.  
  • Add a dummy printer device as part of the Sequencer base image. Printers act in the same manner as ODBC settings. It is necessary to include a dummy printer device in the sequencer PC image.
  • Setup your sequencer machine with multiple partitions. It is recommended that the sequencer machine be configured with at least two primary partitions. The first partition C:, should have the operating system installed and should be formatted as NTFS. The second partition Q:, is used as the destination path for the application installation and should also be formatted as NTFS.
  • Temp Directory. The sequencer uses the %TMP%, %TEMP%, and its own Scratch directory for temporary files. These locations should contain free disk space equivalent to the estimated installation size. The scratch directory is where the sequencer will temporarily store files generated during the sequencing process. You can check the location of the Scratch directory by launching the sequencer, clicking Options from the Tools menu, clicking the Paths tab, and then noting the Scratch Directory box. Placing the temp directories and the scratch directory on different hard drive spindles can improve performance during sequencing.
  • Sequence using Virtual PC. Most applications will be sequenced more than once. This may be due to additional configuration changes or simply starting over to correct a mistake. The point is that you will be going back to your original configuration on the PC several times. To help facilitate this you may want to use a Virtual Machine. This will let you sequence an application and with a simple click of a button revert back to a clean state so you can continue sequencing with no down time. Additionally whenever you start a new sequence you will want to do so on a clean system.
  • Shutdown Other Programs. Processes and scheduled tasks that normally run on your computer can slow down the sequencing process and cause irrelevant data to be gathered during sequencing. These programs should be shutdown before you begin sequencing. Some of these programs include:
  • Windows Defender
  • Antivirus Software
  • Disk defragmentation software
  • Windows Search
  • Microsoft update
  • Any open Windows Explorer session