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VMware, Inc. 51
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You can update virtual applications with different utilities depending on the extent of change and
dependencies on other applications.
This information includes the following topics:
 “Application Updates That the End User Triggers” on page 51
 “Application Updates That the Administrator Triggers” on page 58
 “Automatic Application Updates” on page 61
 “Upgrading Running Applications on a Network Share” on page 62
 “Application Synchronization Using Group Policy Object” on page 63
 “Updating the ThinApp Version of Packages” on page 65
Application Updates That the End User Triggers
ThinApp provides the Application Sync and Application Link utilities to update applications with new
versions or new components. The Application Sync utility updates an entire application package.
The Application Link utility keeps shared components or dependent applications in separate packages.
Application Sync Updates
The Application Sync utility keeps deployed virtual applications up to date. When an application starts with
this utility enabled, the application queries a Web server to determine if an updated version of the executable
file is available. If an update is available, the differences between the existing package and the new package
are downloaded and used to construct an updated version of the package. The updated package is used for
future launches.
The Application Sync utility is useful for major configuration updates to the application. For example, you
might update Firefox to the next major version. Remote users or users who are not connected to the corporate
network can make use of the Application Sync utility by embedding update settings within the package and
using any Web server to store the updated version of the package.
Using Application Sync in a Managed or Unmanaged Environment
If you use virtual applications that update automatically in a managed computer environment, do not use the
Application Sync utility because it might clash with other update capabilities.
If an automatic update feature updates an application, the update exists in the sandbox. If the Application Sync
utility attempts to update the application after an automatic application update, the version update stored in
the sandbox take precedence over the files contained in the Application Sync version. The order of precedence
for updating files is the files in the sandbox, the virtual operating system, and the physical machine.
If you have an unmanaged environment that does not update applications automatically, use the Application
Sync utility to update applications.
Updating and Linking Applications
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