Freeware Tool to control App-V’s OS values within OSD files

During Sequencing, each Microsoft Applicatio Virtualization (App-V) OSD file gets none, one or more entires of Operating Systems that should be capable of running that application (“OS VALUE” tag).

Adding a new OS VALUE tag into already existing OSD files can be done manually, but would be a time consuming process. Also, removing all OS VALUES from the OSDs is time consuming as well.

There is a tool available for a while that is capable of recursively add individual OS VALUES to  OSD files within a specific folder and its subfolders: http://blogs.ethz.ch/jlaville/2009/12/05/adding-os-to-your-osd-files/

But there is a smarter tool available…

Tool: OSD File Anpassen

Now, Thomas Klawun developed a new tool that was designed to adjust OSD file’s OS VALUE settings.

The tool is named “OSD File anpassen” (“Adjust OSD files” in English). While the name is German, the software itself is available in English and German.

Download Page: http://www.klawun.com/appVTools.html (look for “Hier kann man es downloaden” or similar).

OSD File Anpassen features

The purpose of  “OSD File Anpassen” is to control the OS VALUE settings within OSD files.

You can

• Add new OS VALUES by selecting them in the GUI
• Replace old values by new ones
• Remove all OS VALUES

Usage

Well, the “OSD File anpassen” is quite self explaining. Just select your target directory (the Content folder), make your choice and “start”.

There is a Status log available that is a little bit hidden: to view the log, click on the “Status” text in the main window’s bottom left corner.

Limitation

By App-V Design, OSD File Anpassen (like most other OSD modification tools) does not modify App-V’s “Publishing MSI” that can be created during Sequencing. This Publishing MSI contains copies of an package’s OSD files as they were during MSI creation (Sequencing).

Therefor, OSD File Anpassen can’t be directly used to bulk-modify App-V application configurations for environments using MSI based publishing. However, after all the OSDs have been modifed, the Sequencer’s command line option could be used to re-generate updated MSIs.

OS VALUE background information

When an App-V application is going to be published (announced) on a client, the App-V client checks the OSD File’s OS VALUEs

If no OS VALUE is specified, the OS check will not be performed (thus the application will be offered on any, even furture, Windows Operating Systems).

If one or more OS VALUEs are specified, the App-V Clients checks if the current OS is listed there. If not, the application will not be published to that client.

Please note that this is a OS version check only. There aren’t any compatibility layers adjusted on the client nor does the Sequencer check for technical constains. It’s nothing more then “The Sequencing Engineer thinks that this application could run on OS XYZ”…

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Posted in App-V, Tools
Tags: App-V, Tools