Configuring RES PowerFuse App-V integration for SCCM

The latest versions of both App-V and System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM) can work together to deliver virtual applications to the user. Some minor changes needed to be made to RES PowerFuse to support the executable (VApplauncher.exe) used by this new method.

This blog describes the way to configure RES PowerFuse to handle App-V applications distributed by SCCM. 

Browse for the App-V XML file belonging to the application you’re adding.

Click [Next >]. Add information as needed and click [Next >]. 

N.B. Be careful to type a new subfolder to the share otherwise all other applications in that folder will be gone!! 

Click [Next >] and change the security as needed. Click [Next >] again. If all information shown is correct, hit [Next >] again. The actual import starts now. This will take some time, depending on the size of the package. 

If all goes well you’ll see: 

On the Data Source share, you’ll see the newly created folder (for example \\RESQA-SCCM\DataSource\Excel) containing the imported package.
After closing the wizard, you’ll see your newly created package under the packages node. 

Publishing the package
Right-click this package and choose Distribute -> Software. This activates the “Distribute Package Wizard”. Click [Next >]. Tag the required server(s) and click [Next >]. Keep the setting “Advertise” on “Yes” and hit [Next >] and [Next >] again. In the next screen you can select the clients (think “Wisdom Agents”) to which this package will be distributed. This is done by choosing a collection (think “Wisdom Team”). Browse to the one you need (for example “All Desktops and Servers” ) and select it. 

Click [OK] and [Next >]. Type in the name you want the distribution to have. Click [Next >] three times. 

In this screen you can choose to “Assign” the application.

Assign means “mandatory” or “push”. Not assigning will make it “pull”. Since RES PowerFuse cannot force SCCM to distribute, PowerFuse needs that application to be available. So, it has to be “Yes, assign the virtual application”. Click [Next >] and finish the wizard.

Creating the application in RES PowerFuse
Open the RES PowerFuse Management Console and check the settings for the “SoftGrid Integration” under the “RES PowerFuse Setup” node. Make sure the settings are exactly as shown here.

Go to “Application Management”. Select the menu node the application needs to be added to and hit the “Add Application” button. Click the [Next >] button and browse to the data source share (e.g. \\resqa-sccm.resqa.res.nl\DataSource\Excel). Select the OSD file and click [OK].
Walk through the wizard and select the settings you need and hit [Finish].

In the “Edit application” window select go to the application command line and browse to “C:\WINDOWS\System32\CCM” (or “C:\WINDOWS\SysWOW64\CCM” on a x64 system) , select “VAppLauncher.exe” and click [Open].

Then select the “Settings” tab under “Properties”. Check the “Hide application if executable was not found” setting: 

The combination of the executable on the “Command line” and the “Hide application…” setting tells the workspace manager to hide the application from the start menu until SCCM has distributed the application. 

As soon as the application is available and the menu is refreshed the application will become available.