Chapter 10. Application Integration

10. Application Integration

Terms you'll need to understand:

• Application Server mode

• change user /install

• change user /execute

• Packager

• Installer

Concepts you'll need to master:

• Understanding Install mode

• Understanding Execute mode

• Working with Application Compatibility Scripts

The power and beauty of MetaFrame Presentation Server has to be in the robust, intelligent , and centralized way by which it was designed to deliver applications to users. Just imagine an environment of 1,000 users requiring access to an accounting package. In a typical desktop environment, that application would have to be installed 1,000 times. You might say to yourself, "I'll just build an image and deploy it to all my desktops." That works with new computers or when you're doing an initial rollout, but what happens when you have existing desktops? Or better yet, what happens when a service pack for that application is released? You are probably saying, "Well, we can use some kind of remote deployment tool." Although that may be true, how efficient is that? And assuming it works great all the time with all issues, can you imagine what an administrative nightmare it would be to maintain 1,000 copies of an accounting package? Can you imagine what a support nightmare it would be for the helpdesk?

MetaFrame alleviates this problem by allowing you to install the application once on a server that is capable of supporting hundreds of users sometimes. In this scenario, you install the application once or on as many servers as you need to support the number of users you have; then you maintain the application's subsequent service pack or patch release on the servers only. Administration becomes easier, support becomes much easier, and from a helpdesk standpoint, the situation will not get any better. The environment is isolated and controlled, so you don't have to worry about what the user installed or did on his or her workstation that is rendering the application useless. You can concentrate on providing quality support for real issues.

In this chapter, we discuss how applications are installed and presented to the user.