The type of Application object and file package you create for distributing a terminal server application depends on several factors. The following list describes each type of Application object and package you can use and when you would want to use them:
Terminal server application: You should use a terminal server Application object when the application is installed on the terminal server and Application Launcher is installed on users' workstations, not on the terminal server. When a user starts Application Launcher on his or her workstation and double-clicks a terminal server Application object, Application Launcher calls the RDP or ICA client on the workstation, which then opens a client session with the terminal server and launches the application in the session.
Do not use a terminal server Application object when users are running Application Launcher inside a client session. This is not supported, even if the application is hosted on a different terminal server than the one running Application Launcher. If you do so, the user receives the following error: “Unable to get attributes for Application object...”. The alternatives are to 1) configure the application as a simple Application object or 2) run Application Launcher on the user workstation, rather than the terminal server, and configure the application as a terminal server Application object.
For instructions about creating a terminal server Application object, see Section 28.2, Configuring the Application in eDirectory.
Simple application: You should use a simple Application object when the application is already installed on the terminal server and Application Launcher is running on the terminal server (in other words, the user opens a client session to the terminal server and then runs Application Launcher in the client session). The simple Application object just points to the application executable file on the terminal server.
You could also use a simple Application object to have Application Launcher install an application to the terminal server when the user launches it. This should only be done with applications that require minimal files to be copied or configuration settings to be changed. Otherwise, an AOT/AXT Application object or an MSI Application object should be used.
For instructions about creating a simple Application object, see Section 28.2, Configuring the Application in eDirectory.
.AOT/.AXT application: You should use an AOT/AXT Application object when the user is running Application Launcher from the terminal server, you want the application distributed to the terminal server when the user launches it, and the application is too complex to be distributed as a simple Application object.
The user must have sufficient file system and registry rights to copy files and registry settings to the locations defined in the Application object. If multiple users install the application, only user-specific files and registry settings are distributed after the first distribution.
For instructions about creating an AOT/AXT Application object and file package, see Section 28.2, Configuring the Application in eDirectory.
.MSI application: You should use an MSI Application object when the user is running Application Launcher from the terminal server, the application is a Microsoft Windows Installer (MSI) application, and you want it distributed to the terminal server when the user launches it.
The user must be a member of the Administrator group. Microsoft Windows Installer does not allow non-administrator users to do installations through a terminal server client session.
For instructions about creating an MSI Application object and file package, see Section 28.2, Configuring the Application in eDirectory.