Silvia Club of NSW

Hey this is a question for the MS Sys Admin's out there...

Has anyone ever used "SoftGrid" before? (http://www.softricity.com/index.asp)
If so.. is it any good?

For those who don't know it.
Softgrid is an application virtualization package.
It enables applications to run without the need to install on the client, it virtualizes per user, per application instance, every key application component, as well as Windows Services.
It also covers policy mangement & asset tracking, if you have a windows server environment this software looks like the shit!

But anyone actually used this package before?

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Because I can.

haha i was reading up on this the other day actually, havent tried it yet, but i think that it still downloads some of the application to the system, which is not what i'm after, but i did find it when i was looking at citrix presentation server, which i think is more what i am looking for...but interesting none the less...

I am going to obtain a copy to put on a test server just to have a play around with it tho...see what it can do

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Yeah that what im doing atm, but the whole app backs into AD, you you'll need to make a test domain as well.

And it doesn't install anything, just copies to memory & runs from there.
Went to the whole MS tech demo thing a little while back.
Im actually liking this better than citrix as with it backing into AD means you can serve out your apps on a per user/group basis.

Open user in AD, and go (this is from memory O_O) programs add >office 2003
Then shortcut appears on desktop.

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Because I can.

nice nice, yeah i already got the test server ready to go

i am trying to find something to do app deployment via Remote Desktop, keeping the whole app on the server etc..but not sending the whole desktop just having the app seem to be running locally...

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Im not 100% sure if it actually sends the whole desktop or not..

Will have to check, must admit my test environment is coming along much slower, im being lazy & its not progressing particularly quickly :/

Can i just borrow yours

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Because I can.

Just checked.

Its doesn't virtualise the desktop, the apps are cached on the local pc (can also be set to decay).
But the obviously you would GP the crap out of the desktop..

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Because I can.

Beauty of SoftGrid is that you can also set applications to run in an offline state, so still virtualised in a sense that nothing was installed via MSI or InstallShield, but when a notebook user takes his machine home, his virtual install of Adobe writer is still around. The great thing about this is that the next time he plugs into the LAN, if Adobe requires to be updated it is automatic and requires no user intervention.

Now that MS have bought it though no doubt it will become a lot more integrated with SMS which should help out more. Problem at the moment is that it only relies on one site distribution point, which is no good if you have offices across a WAN (like we do). But the next version will supposedly be supporting multiple DP's so that should see SoftGrid completely piss off Citrix right out of the water

Cheers,
Theo

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SHARKS, they only bite if you touch their private parts...

Hope you guys are a big fan of Software Assurance (I am). The MDOP (Microsoft Desktop Optimisation Package) is only available as an additional subscription service for customers that have SA. Softgrid is available as one of the components of the MDOP.

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I didn’t break it, I just modified the operational status...
There are 10 types of people in this world, those that understand binary, and those that don't.

Gold Partner - ftw

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Because I can.

I have a copy of the DOP in the cupboard right next to me, I should pop it in and have a look at the SoftGrid.

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I didn’t break it, I just modified the operational status...
There are 10 types of people in this world, those that understand binary, and those that don't.