VMware THINAPP 4.6 - Forcing an Application Sync Update on Client Machines; Updating Applications with Runtime Changes

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Chapter 4 Updating and Linking Applications
Forcing an Application Sync Update on Client Machines
YoucanusetheAppSynccommandtoforceanApplicationSyncupdateonaclientmachine.Youmightwant
toupdateapackagestoredinalocationwherestandardusersdonothavewriteaccess.Inthissituation,you
cannotuseApplicationSyncparameterstocheckforupdateswhenanapplication
startsbecauseusersdonot
havetherequiredrightstoupdatethepackage.YoucanscheduleadailyAppSync.exerununderanaccount
withsufficientprivileges.TheApplicationSyncparameters,suchasAppSyncUpdateFrequency,inthe
Package.inifiledonotaffecttheAppSynccommand.
ToforceanApplicationSyncupdate,use
theAppSync <Application_Sync_URL>
<executable_file_path>command.ThevalueoftheURListhesameastheApplicationSyncURLinthe
Package.inifileandtheexecutablefilepathisthepathtotheexecutablefilethatrequirestheupdate.
Updating Applications with Runtime Changes
Thesbmerge.exeutilitymergesruntimechangesrecordedintheapplicationsandboxbackintoaThinApp
project.Atypicalworkflowforthisutilityinvolvesthefollowingtasks:
 Capturinganapplication.
 Buildingtheapplicationwiththebuild.batfile.
 Runningacapturedapplicationandcustomizingthesettingsandvirtualenvironment.ThinAppstores
thechangesinthesandbox.
 Runningthesbmerge.exeutilitytomergeregistryandfilesystemchangesfromthesandboxintothe
ThinAppproject.
 Rebuildingthecapturedapplicationwiththebuild.batfile
 Deployingtheupdatedapplication.
Merge Sandbox Changes with Firefox
Thisprocedureforthesbmerge.exeutilityusesFirefox2.0.0.3asanexampleofacapturedapplication.
Merge sandbox changes with Firefox 2.0.0.3
1CaptureFirefox2.0.0.3.
2Double‐clickthebuild.batfileinthecapturedapplicationfoldertorebuildtheapplicationpackage.
Forexample,aFirefox2.0.0.3pathtothebuild.batfilemightbeC:\Program Files\VMware\VMware
ThinApp\Captures\Mozilla Firefox 2.0.0.3\build.bat.
3 CreateaThinstalldirectory
inthebindirectoryforthesandboxlocation.
4StartFirefoxandmakeachangetothesettings.
Forexample,changethehomepage.
5Fromthecommandline,navigatetothedirectorywheretheThinAppprojectfolderresides.
Forexample,navigatetoC:\Program Files\VMware\VMware ThinApp\Captures\Mozilla
Firefox 2.0.0.3.
6Fromthecommandline,typethe"C:\Program Files\VMware\VMware ThinApp\sbmerge" Print
command.
ThinAppprints
thechangesthataffectedthesandboxfolderwhenusingthecapturedapplication.
7Fromthecommandline,typethe"C:\Program Files\VMware\VMware ThinApp\sbmerge" Apply
command.
ThinAppemptiestheThinstallfolderandmergesthesandboxchangeswiththeapplication.