Microsoft has recently unveiled the latest App-V 5.0 SP2. With it, new questions have arisen regarding supportability and backwards compatibility. My aim is to clear all your doubts in the following passages. Run down below to know more –

The Architecture of App-V 5.0 SP2 Supports:

• 32-Bit sequencer is compatible in 32-Bit client and 64-Bit client machines.
• 64-Bit sequencer is compatible only in 64-Bit client machine. It does not support 32-Bit client.

It implies that the package which was sequenced in 32-bit sequencer will support both 32 & 64 bit client architecture machines. But, there is a limitation if you use 64-bit sequencer. The application which was sequenced in 64-bit sequencer machine will add and publish in 64-Bit client machine only. It will not support to add & publish the package in 32-bit client machine.

The Version Support of App-V 5.0 SP2:

Immediately after this announcement, 5.0 SP2 Sequencer and clients have updated new changes and integrations like ‘SP2 packages will likely still work with previous clients’.

If one look at the supportability aspect, App-v 5.0 package can support –

• App-v 5.0 client
• 5.0 SP1 client
• 5.0 SP2 client machines

However, App-v 5.0 SP1 Package will support –

• App-v 5.0 client
• 5.0 SP1 client
• 5.0 SP2 client machines.

Likewise, App-v 5.0 SP2 package will support only App-V 5.0 SP2 client machine only. It will not support 5.0 client and 5.0 SP1 client machines.

Shell Extensions Support with App-V 5.0 SP2:

Before delving into this topic further, let me just explain what shell extension is all about?

Shell extensions are program codes written by third party developers who modify the operating system in such a way that the shell interacts with the Kernel. Shell extensions are one of the key new integrations with App-v 5.0 SP2. It is because these are architecture specific and App-V can support them only on the same architectural base where they were sequenced. For instance:

A package with shell extensions is sequenced in 32-Bit machine will only be able to publish in 32-Bit 5.0 SP2 client machine. But it will fail to publish in 64-bit 5.0 SP2 client machine.

Similarly if a package with shell extensions which is sequenced in 64-Bit machine will only get published in 64-Bit 5.0 SP2 client machine and it will fail to publish in 32-bit 5.0 SP2 client machine.

Posted by-

Raju Konduru

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