in this video blog

Jeroen van de Kamp describes the trend of consumerization of  IT.

Bring your own ……  is a much debated topic.

FYI – Login Consultants developed a new tool: For all Login Consultants tools take a look at http://www.loginconsultants.de

Really great news.

More informations: http://blogs.vmware.com/thinapp/2011/11/vmware-thinapp-47-whats-new.html

Mit der ThinApp-Version 4.6.2 werden folgende Funktionen zur Verbesserung der Benutzerfreundlichkeit, der Leistung und Bereitstellung von Updates hinzugefügt:

• Die ThinDirect-Komponente wurde in mehrfacher Hinsicht verbessert. Außerdem wurden anhängige bekannte Probleme behoben, um Leistung und Zuverlässigkeit zu verbessern.
• ThinDirect unterstützt jetzt die Umleitung für alle Browserseiten mit Ausnahme einer angegebenen Liste mit URLs, statt wie bisher nur die Umleitung für eine Liste angegebener URLs.
  Beispiel:
  [VirtIE6.exe]
  -www.vmware.com
  *
• Für das Dienstprogramm thinreg wurden neue Parameter zur Erweiterung der Such- und Ausschlussfunktion hinzugefügt. Siehe Neue Parameter für thinreg.exe .
• Das Dienstprogram thinreg kann jetzt Anwendungen deinstallieren, ohne dass die Ausführung des Deinstallationsskripts von der Verknüpfung mit .vbs-Dateien abhängig ist.
• Die Startdauer von Microsoft Office 2007-Anwendungen wurde um ungefähr 30 % verkürzt.
• Der Datei Package.iniwurde der Parameter IgnoreDDEMessageshinzugefügt. Dieser automatisch für virtualisierte Internet Explorer 6-Pakete festgelegte Parameter bewirkt, dass eine Anwendung alle empfangenen DDE-Nachrichten ignoriert. Mit dem Parameter lässt sich also sicherstellen, dass alle das Öffnen von Dokumenten betreffenden Vorgänge immer innerhalb der nativen Anwendung statt innerhalb einer geöffneten virtuellen Anwendung gestartet werden.

Funktionen:

With this Tool, you can see inside the ThinApp Package, Register, Unregister, Install or Uninstall ThinApp Packages on your Computer and many more

• Information about the Package
• Register / Unregister ThinApp Package
• Install / Uninstall ThinApp Package
• Shortcut List
• see virtuell Registry entry
• see virtuell Filesystem
• see Option (package.ini) for the ThinApp Package
• Retrieve icon

Download Version 1.02 beta: http://www.mightycare.de/system/files/download/ThinView_1.02_Beta2.zip

ThinApp Nutzungsstatistik

Sicherlich gibt es verschiedene Möglichkeiten ThinApp Nutzungsstatistiken zu erstellen. Ein Beispiel dafür ist folgendes Script von Patrick Fulgraff, von der Bau- und Umweltschutzdirektion Basel Land, wo ich vor kurzem einen mehrtägigen Workshop hielt.

Als .vbs script in´s ThinApp package eingebaut liefert es detaillierte Ergnebisse zu Art, Version, Nutzungszeitraum, Lizenztyp etc.

Die Auswertung erfolgt in diesem Beispiel in einer Access Datenbank. Hier kann natürlich auch eine SQL DB eingesetzt werden.

Hier nun das script:

‘ Region Description‘
‘ Name: Beispiel.vbs
‘ Author: Patrick Fulgraff
‘ Version: 1.5
‘ Description: Script für Thinapp Applikations-Nutzungs-Statistik ‘
‘
‘ EndRegion
‘Variabeln deklaration
Option Explicit
Dim strUser, strComputer, objNetwork, vComputerCase, vUserCase, vApp, vAppCase, vDatum, db, sql, objApp, Exec, rs1, rs2, rs3, connstring, strSQL, vGivenname, vSurname, strSQLgn, strSQLsn, strSQLdn, vName, vdn, vou
Dim vBewilligung, vLizenz

‘Applikationsname und Version eintragen
vApp = „AppName 1.0″
‘Lizenz angeben Free, Client, Concurrent, Site usw.
vLizenz = „Concurrent“
‘Bewilligungspflichtig Ja, Nein
vBewilligung = „Nein“
Set objNetwork = CreateObject(„Wscript.Network“)
Set objApp = CreateObject(„WScript.Shell“)
‘Benutzername auslesen
strUser = objNetwork.UserName
‘Computername auslesen
strComputer = objNetwork.ComputerName
Set rs1 = CreateObject(„adodb.recordset“)
Set rs2 = CreateObject(„adodb.recordset“)
Set rs3 = CreateObject(„adodb.recordset“)
    connstring = „Provider=ADsDSOObject“
‘SQL Statementstrings zusammenstllen für givenname
strSQLgn = „SELECT givenname FROM ‘LDAP://dc=bl,dc=ch’ WHERE sAMAccountName=“ & „‘“ & strUser & „‘“
‘SQL Statementstrings zusammenstllen für sn
strSQLsn = „SELECT sn FROM ‘LDAP://dc=bl,dc=ch’ WHERE sAMAccountName=“ & „‘“ & strUser & „‘“
‘SQL Statementstrings zusammenstllen für distinguishedName
strSQLdn = „SELECT distinguishedName FROM ‘LDAP://dc=bl,dc=ch’ WHERE sAMAccountName=“ & „‘“ & strUser & „‘“
‘Givenname auslesen
rs1.Open strSQLgn, connstring
     vGivenname = rs1(„givenname“)
‘sn auslesen
rs2.Open strSQLsn, connstring
    vSurname = rs2(„sn“)
‘disitingueshedName auslesen
rs3.Open strSQLdn, connstring
    vdn = rs3(„distinguishedName“)   
    rs1.close
    rs2.Close
    rs3.Close
‘Nachname und Vorname zusammmen stellen
vName = vSurname & „, “ & vGivenname
‘Auslesen des Distinguished Name, Wert muss angepasst werden (39 Zeichen)
vdn = Right(vdn, 39)
‘Auslesen er OU, Wert muss angepasst werden (3 Zeichen)
vou = Left(vdn, 3)
‘Computername in Grossbuchstaben setzen
vComputerCase = UCase(strComputer)
‘Benutzername in Grossbuchstaben setzen
vUserCase = UCase(strUser)
‘Applikation ind Grossbuchstaben setzen
vAppCase = UCase(vApp)
‘Datum und Uhrzeit zusammenstellen
vDatum = Date() & “ “ & Time()
‘Verbindung zur Datenbank erstellen, Datenbank muss Vorhanden sein (Wenn vorhanden SQL-DB benutzen und Treiber anpassen)
Set db = CreateObject(„ADODB.Connection“)
db.Open(„DRIVER={Microsoft Access Driver (*.mdb)}; DBQ=\\Server01\appstream\Statistik\AppUse.mdb „)
‘In die Datenbank schreiben, Tabelle mit entsprechenden Spalten muss vorhanden sein.
sql = „INSERT INTO AppUse (Name, DST, Login, Computer, Datum, Applikation, Lizenztyp, Bewilligungspflichtig) VALUES (‘“ & vName & „‘,’“ & vou & „‘,’“ & vUserCase & „‘,’“ & vComputerCase & „‘,’“ & vDatum & „‘,’“ & vAppCase & „‘,’“ & Lizenz & „‘,’“ & vBewilligung & „‘)“
db.Execute sql

Das script läßt sich wunderbar weiteren Bedürfnissen anpassen.

As of SAP GUI for Windows 7.20 patchlevel 5 the usage of SAP GUI on VMWare

ThinApp 4.6 (and higher) is supported:

- For the SAP GUI to work with Thinapp and Office 2003 you need to change:

Search for „VirtualizeExternalOutOfProcessCOM=0 “ and uncomment it by removing the „;“ at the beginning of the entry.

- For the SAP GUI to work with Thinapp and Office 2007 (2010) you need to change three parameters in the „package.ini“ file found in the project folder

a) Search for the saplogon.exe entry and add an additional line with

„ForcedVirtualLoadPaths=%ProgramFilesDir%\Microsoft Office\Office12\PPCORE.DLL“

For Office 2007 the entry looks like this:

„ForcedVirtualLoadPaths=%ProgramFilesDir%\Microsoft Office\Office14\PPCORE.DLL“

b) Search for the saplgpad.exe entry and add an additional line with

„ForcedVirtualLoadPaths=%ProgramFilesDir%\Microsoft Office\Office12\PPCORE.DLL“

For Office 2010 the entry looks like this:

„ForcedVirtualLoadPaths=%ProgramFilesDir%\Microsoft Office\Office14\PPCORE.DLL“

c) Search for „VirtualizeExternalOutOfProcessCOM=0 “ and uncomment it by removing the „;“ at the beginning of the entry.

Rebuild the package with „build.bat“

The usage of SAP GUI for Windows in conjunction with other virtualization products like Microsoft App-V (Softgrid) is currently not supported.

This is a minor release that includes:

* Support for secure PCoIP tunneling
* Over 160 bug fixes
* Improvements in using Windows 7 SP1 RC as a remote desktop OS
* Better keyboard mapping support
* Enhanced USB device compatibility
This release will be available as a free upgrade to customers with a currently active VMware View support and subscription contract. Please refer to the release notes for vSphere and View compatibility guidelines.

VMware View 4.6.0 client code will available for download at the Partner Central web portal on 2/24/2011.

Unidesk Launches Promotional Program for VMware View to Help Education Customers Expand Virtual Desktop Deployments

Marlborough, Mass., Jan. 26, 2011 – Unidesk today announced a new promotional program that enables education customers to extend virtual desktops to more users, including faculty and staff who are looking for a modern desktop experience that preserves all user customizations. Until June 15, 2011, education customers who have purchased or are purchasing VMware View™ are eligible for discounted licenses of Unidesk® virtual desktop management software. By creating storage-efficient virtual desktops that preserve end-user configurations, including user-installed applications, plug-ins and personalization, Unidesk enables education customers to better serve the needs of their knowledge workers.

„With the combined capabilities of Unidesk and VMware View™, education faculty and staff have a solution that sustains personalized user installed applications along with rapid, flexible and cost-efficient desktop management associated with a virtualized infrastructure,“ said Parag Patel, vice president, Global Strategic Alliances, VMware. „We are pleased to see Unidesk further extend the cost savings and simplicity of desktop virtualization projects to colleges and universities with its education program for VMware View customers.“

VMware and Unidesk customers Central Michigan University and Menlo College commented positively on the Unidesk promotion.

„The combination of Unidesk and VMware View™ makes perfect sense given every college has non-persistent lab and library desktops that are reset after each use, and highly customized faculty and staff desktops that need to retain all changes,“ said Tim Pletcher, Director of IT at The Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow College of Health Professions at Central Michigan University. „We’ve been using the two solutions together since Unidesk first became available, and are now upgrading to the most recent Unidesk release with VMware View 4.5. This new promotion will make it easier for education customers like us to meet our diverse desktop needs, and benefit from lower storage, administration, and support costs.“

„Given our position as Silicon Valley’s Business School, we’re always on the lookout for new technology and business practices that can give us, and our students, a competitive edge,“ said Raechelle Clemmons, Menlo College CIO. „We’ve been researching desktop virtualization for some time, but it wasn’t until we saw Unidesk that we felt the technology had advanced enough to satisfy all of our requirements. It’s rare to find a solution that can reduce carbon footprint, simplify administration, and offer greater service to our students, faculty, and staff, but that’s what we’ve found in Unidesk and VMware View™.“

Promotion Details

The Unidesk Promotional Program for VMware View in Education is currently open to both existing and new education customers worldwide, and features two promotions. Education customers who are purchasing any quantity of VMware View Premier or VMware View Enterprise licenses are eligible for a significant discount on a minimum of 100 Unidesk licenses. Education customers who are purchasing VMware View Premier licenses as part of a VMware View Campus-wide Agreement or Enterprise Licensing Agreement (ELA), or through an OEM partner are eligible for an even larger discount on a minimum of 250 Unidesk licenses. To take advantage of either promotion, educational institutions should contact a VMware certified solution provider or Unidesk solution partner. For more information and applicable terms and conditions, please visit: http://www.unidesk.com/landing/vmware-view-unidesk-education

Unidesk and VMware View

Unidesk makes it easy for education customers to provision personalized, storage-efficient desktops directly from VMware View pools. Administrators can create VMware View pools, add desktops to existing pools, and entitle users to pools from within the Unidesk management interface. All configuration changes made in Unidesk are automatically reflected in VMware View Manager. Unidesk’s unique ability to preserve all end-user personalization for persistent desktops, including user-installed applications and plug-ins, across patching and re-composition operations reduces cost, complexity and I/O overhead.

Unidesk also enhances VMware ThinApp™ application virtualization software with comprehensive provisioning and management capabilities. With Unidesk, administrators can centrally:

a) Deploy and update virtualized applications on any number of virtual desktops with true single image management.
b) Deliver virtualized applications based on individual user names, organizational units, security groups, office location, and other directory attributes.
c) Manage multiple versions of virtualized applications, including the ability to rollback a virtualized application to a previous version.
d) Report on virtualized application usage by desktop.
e) Deliver the „last 20%“ of applications that traditional application virtualization tools can’t, including applications with system services and boot-time drivers and custom-built applications.

„Unidesk’s ability to offer 100% persistent personalization without sacrificing single image management or increasing virtual desktop storage requirements resonates strongly with colleges and universities, who want to maximize the intellectual potential of their faculty and staff,“ said Tom Rose, Unidesk Chief Marketing Officer. „We’re delighted to be teaming with VMware to extend this value proposition to more educational institutions. Our customers and resellers have already learned that Unidesk and VMware View™ are an ideal pairing, and this promotional program will make it easier for them to realize the combined benefits.“

About Unidesk

Unidesk provides the virtual desktop management software platform that organizations of all sizes require to successfully centralize desktops on data center servers. The company’s patent-pending desktop layering technology works with Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) access solutions from VMware, Citrix, Microsoft, and other vendors to sustain personalization for workers who need a customizable user experience, while empowering IT with efficient management of operating system and application updates. Unidesk customers benefit from increased worker productivity and reduced IT operations and data center storage costs. Unidesk is a privately-held company with headquarters in Marlborough, Mass, USA.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact:
Michael Krueger
International Sales Manager

Unidesk Corporation
T: +49 2366 309145 | C: +49 157 74982258 | Email: mkrueger(at)unidesk.com
Leipziger Str. 1 | 45699 Herten | Germany

# # #

VMware, VMware ThinApp and VMware View are registered trademarks and/or trademarks of VMware, Inc. in the United States and/or other jurisdictions. The use of the word „partner“ or „partnership“ does not imply a legal partnership relationship between VMware and any other company.

Unidesk is a registered trademark of Unidesk Corporation in the United States and/or other jurisdictions.