How to edit the Shortcut name in App-V 5.0

Ques: I have sequenced an application and have succesfully tested it. Now I need to change the shortcut name as there is already another package with the same shortcut name in the same start menu location that exists on the client machine.When I opened the .appv file for editing using the App-V sequencer, I am not able to see the Shortcuts and FTA tab visible in the package editor. How can I edit the shortcut name now. Do I need to re-sequence again?

Ans: No need to re-sequence the application again.Open the .appv file using Microsoft Virtualization Sequencer 5.0 SP3 and select the Update Application in Existing Package option instead of Edit package.In the select Installer phase, select perform a custom installation option.Do not install anything, Just select I am finished Installing and proceed by clicking next-next.Select modify package using package editor. Now you will be prompted with Shortcut and FTA tab where you can edit the shortcut name.

  

Another easy way is to edit the shortcut tag in the  _DeploymentConfig.xml file .

Before:

After:

                      

<Shortcuts Enabled="true">

        <Extensions>
          <Extension Category="AppV.Shortcut">
            <Shortcut>
              <File>[{Common Programs}]\Mozilla Firefox 41.0.lnk</File>
              <Target>[{ProgramFilesX86}]\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe</Target>

NOTE: While testing using powershell, the deployment config file needs to be added using the -DynamicDeploymentConfiguration parameter.If not added then the change made to the shortcut name will not reflect.

Add-AppvClientPackage "path to .appv" -DynamicDeploymentConfiguration "path to deploymentcofig.xml" | Publish -AppvClientPackage -global

A simplified Microsoft App-V 5.1 Management Server upgrade procedure

Check this official Microsoft Technet Link to know more about how to upgrade App-V 5.1 Management Server

http://blogs.technet.com/b/appv/archive/2015/09/23/a-simplified-microsoft-app-v-5-1-management-server-upgrade-procedure.aspx

Comparision between Native connection group and SCCM 2012 virtual environment in App-V 5.0

Native & Full Infrastructure	SCCM 2012
Ø       Setting dependency to other virtual applications is done through Connection group.	Connection group is achieved through creating virtual environments  in the SCCM console.
Ø       Connection groups can be published either globally or to user.	Virtual Environments are published globally to the system alone.
Ø       Connection groups can contain a mixture of both user and globally targeted packages.	It cannot contain a mixture of both user and globally targeted packages. SCCM 2012 will only deliver connection groups if all member packages are targeted to either user or machine exclusively. Mixed member targeting is not supported with Virtual Environments in SCCM.
Ø  Connection groups targeted globally cannot contain any user targeted Packages.Connection groups targeted at the user alone can contain both user and computer targeted packages. Mixed scope connection groups always need to be targeted at the user.
Ø       Packages in a connection group set to use any version or set as optional will always use the latest version in cache when initially delivered.	Use any version is not available with SCCM. However we can use the "OR" operator in the console.
Ø      Connection groups can be enabled or disabled to a specific user by an administrator using PowerShell.	Not available as virtual environments are enabled for system only.
Ø      There are two levels of priority with connection groups that can be set in full infrastructure & native.       1. Packages within a connection group can have priority over each other.        2. It can have priority between connection groups.	Virtual Environments can only handle priority between members of a connection group.This is handled by ordering the members in the console.It doesn’t handle priority between connection groups themselves.SCCM currently does not give the ability to set the priority of a virtual environment.So if Package A is a member of two separate connection groups and a user launches Package A, it will fail to launch.
Ø       Packages will fail to unpublish if they are set as mandatory in a published connection group.	Packages that are mandatory can be uninstalled in a virtual environment successfully.SCCM client will create a new connection group which excludes the uninstall package.

User settings and Connection Group in App-V 5.0

User settings from a connection group member packages will not be transferred to its Connection Groups. Similarly, once the Connection Group is disabled, user settings from the Connection Group will not be transferred to its member packages.

Example:

1.     Sequence Google chrome application using App-V 5.0.

2.     Sequence Adobe shockwave Player using App-V 5.0.

3.     Add/Publish/mount Google chrome App-V Package.

4.     Launch Google chrome shortcut and set www.google.com as homepage.This setting will be stored in user profile location.

5.     Add/Publish/mount Adobe shockwave player.

6.     Now create a connection group for Google chrome and Adobe shockwave Player packages.

7.     Open Google Chrome and now you can see google.com is not seen as home page. This is because user settings will not be transferred to the connection group.

8.     Now set www.homepage.com as the new homepage. Close the shortcut and open the Google chrome package again. You can see the www.homepage.com been set as homepage.

9.     Now disable the connection group and re-launch the Google chrome shortcut, you can see the home page will be set to www.google.com and not www.homepage.com. This is because since we have closed the connection group, the user settings that was set inside the connection group will be broken and not reflected back to its member package.