App-V FAQ: What 3rd party tools are there for managing App-V?

08 Sep 2010 in Faqs on App-v, Appvfaq

Even in the absence of an App-V SDK, the 3rd party tools available for App-V are wide and varied. Here’s what I hope is a complete list. If I missed anything out, please let me know.

Paid Tools

• GridMetric Application Virtualization Explorer – view and edit SFT and PKG files
• GridMetric Lib-V – integrate SFT management into your own applications
• GridMetric SFT Encoder – a command line SFT encoder tool
• AppPlus OSD+ – Launch packages, edit OSD files, create manifest files, plus a number of other functions
• Immidio AppScriber – Self-service portal for applications
• Flexera AdminStudio – Convert MSIs into App-V packages
• TMUrgent PimpMy for SoftGrid and App-V – add-ons tools for monitoring your App-V environment and tools for help desk troubleshooting

Free Tools

• Login Consultants App-V Add-on ADM 2.0 – extend Group Policy support beyond the Microsoft provided administrative template
• Login Consultants App-V Client Diagnostic and Configuration tool (ACDC) 1.1 – launch applications and provides shortcuts to various App-V client actions for troubleshooting
• Login Consultants App-V USB Tool 1.0 – for automatically loading App-V packages from a USB device
• Login Consultants App-V Migration Tool 1.1 – automate conversion of application installs to App-V packages
• Login Consultants App-V OSD Editor 2.1 – a GUI editor for OSD files
• Login Consultants App-V Client Setup Kit – create automated installs for the App-V client
• Immidio App-V Ping Tool – part of the Immidio Resource Kit. Use the App-V Ping Tool to check that the Management Server is contactable
• TMUrgent AppV_DeployApp and AppV_PublishApp – deploy and publish App-V packages (naturally)
• TMUrgent LaunchIt – use this to launch multiple child processes in an App-V package
• TMUrgent OSD Illustrated – want to know the options available in the OSD file? This it it
• TMUrgent PkgView for App-V – view user PKG files
• AppPlus Batch+ – edit OSD files and manage App-V packages (the free version of OSD+)
• SoftBar by Greg Brownstein – launch applications and provides shortcuts to various App-V client actions for troubleshooting
• SoftGrid Visio Stencils – stencils for placing in your Visio diagrams (of course)
• App-V Helper by Johri Mayank – an App-V package management and deployment solution
• Softricity File (SFT) Checking Utility by Kalle Saunamäki – command line tool to output information from SFT files
• LogTools for SoftGrid Client by Kalle Saunamäki – tools for querying the App-V client log file
• SFT Encoder Express Edition by Kalle Saunamäki – a command line SFT encoder tool, the free version of SFT Encoder
• SeqTypes by Kalle Saunamäki – App-V Sequencer attribute tagging editor
• Add OS to OSD by Fabian Meister – a tool to add OS tags to your OSD files
• OSD File Change by Thomas Klawun – a tool to add OS tags to your OSD files

Scripts

• PowerShell Script Lists App-V Package Dependencies by Helge Klein
• SoftGridProfileJanitor by Kalle Saunamäki – cleanup/maintenance script to be run under user’s context in order to clear out leftover files from App-V data directory
• SoftGridPreloadApps by Kalle Saunamäki – package pre-loading script that can be run on client machines to cache all applications to 100%
• SoftGrid/App-V Preload Client script by Erwin Koekoek – another package pre-loading script to cache applications to 100%

Resources

• Application Virtualization Volume Format Specification
• Application Virtualization File Format Specification
• Hat tip to Wilco van Bragt’s articles on SoftGrid/App-V tools – here, here, here and here