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Job Title:
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What if Applications Could be -- Select # of employees --
-- Select your department --
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Are you trying to solve any of the following issues?
Centralizing application deployment and management
Eliminating the need to install and regression-test software
Strategic Solutions and Technical Benefits of the
Eliminating application conflicts
Server consolidation
SoftGrid® Application Virtualization Platform
XP Migration

Do you manage Windows Desktops, if so, how

many?

Do you manage Terminal Servers, if so, how

many? May 2005
If Yes to the above question, how many end-users
do they serve?
Contents
Introduction.......................................................................................................................................................................................................................1
What If You Could Manage Applications Like You Manage Data?..............................................................................................................1
What is Application Virtualization?...........................................................................................................................................................................2
Separating Application Assets from the Operating System .....................................................................................................................2
Separating Application Preferences from Windows Profiles....................................................................................................................2
SoftGrid – Strategic Solutions.....................................................................................................................................................................................3
Centralized Application Management...............................................................................................................................................................3
Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery for Applications ...................................................................................................................3
Application Replication and Branch Offices....................................................................................................................................................4
Application Roaming ................................................................................................................................................................................................4
Hoteling/Free-Seating ..............................................................................................................................................................................................4
Usage Monitoring.......................................................................................................................................................................................................5
Mergers & Acquisitions ............................................................................................................................................................................................5
“Virtual IT”......................................................................................................................................................................................................................5
Technical Benefits of Application Virtualization .................................................................................................................................................7
Image Consolidation, Standardization and Stability ...................................................................................................................................7
Operating System Portability ................................................................................................................................................................................8
Package Consolidation and Tracking.................................................................................................................................................................8
Application Dependency Management............................................................................................................................................................8
Windows Profile Consolidation, Lockdown and Stability..........................................................................................................................9
Applications Requiring Elevated User Privileges........................................................................................................................................ 10
Conclusion....................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 11
Softricity : Take Control of Your Software™........................................................................................................................................................ 11

Copyright

This material is protected by the copyright laws of the United States and other countries, and is the property of Softricity, Inc. It may not be reproduced,
distributed, or altered in any fashion by any entity (either internal or external to Softricity), except in accordance with applicable agreements, contracts or
licensing, without the express written consent Softricity. Softricity shall have no liability for errors, omissions or inadequacies in the information contained herein
or for interpretations thereof.

Trademarks

Softricity, SoftGrid and SystemGuard are trademarks or registered trademarks of Softricity, Inc. Microsoft, Windows and Terminal Services are trademarks or
registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. Citrix, Citrix ICA, Citrix MetaFrame, Citrix MetaFrame XP, Citrix NFuse, and other Citrix product names referenced
in this white paper are registered trademarks of Citrix Systems, Inc. Other names appearing in this white paper are trademarks of their respective owners.

Notice

The information in this publication is subject to change without notice.

THIS PUBLICATION IS PROVIDED “AS IS” WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING ANY WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR NON-INFRINGEMENT. SOFTRICITY, INC SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR TECHNICAL OR EDITORIAL ERRORS OR OMISSIONS
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Strategic Solutions and Technical Benefits of Softricity’s SoftGrid Platform i

 Introduction
The purpose of this white paper is to discuss the ways in which Softricity’s SoftGrid application virtualization platform
transforms enterprise
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solve application deployment challenges that plague IT daily (such as packaging, regression testing, installation, and
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application conflict). While significant, this only scratches the surface of the solutions and benefits derived from
deploying applications virtually and transforming them into portable objects. This paper will highlight the significant
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consolidation, OS portability, package consolidation, application development efficiencies, and Windows profile
enhancements.

If you do not have working knowledge of the SoftGrid platform it is highly suggested that you first read, “SoftGrid
Under the Covers: Exploring SoftGrid,” which can be downloaded at http://www.softricity.com/news/ecollateral.asp.

What If You Could Manage Applications Like You Manage Data?

What if applications were data? What if they were truly portable…if you could manage them the same way you
manage data files, making them available for use on any system at any time by simply transferring them across the
network? What if you could do this without ever having to install applications again? What would that mean for your
productivity, your agility and most importantly, your business?

These are some of the compelling questions raised by Softricity’s SoftGrid application virtualization platform. They are
the kinds of questions that raise eyebrows throughout IT management because of their impact on enterprise
computing environments. An organization that manages its applications as data and eliminates application
installation could spend a lot less time on the tedious, mundane aspects of IT and a lot more time on strategic and
transformational technology projects.

SoftGrid lays the foundation for a dynamic computing infrastructure. Whether referred to as Utility, On-Demand,
Dynamic, Adaptive, Autonomous, Grid, or Software-as-a-Service, it all means the same thing: enabling IT to deliver
computing resources instantly based on real-time needs, regardless of whether the client is a server, desktop or
laptop. To fully realize this vision, all aspects of the IT infrastructure must be virtualized, from hardware and operating
systems to the applications that run on them. SoftGrid helps make this possible.

SoftGrid transforms applications from products that must be installed locally into virtual services that are centrally
managed and deployed on-demand. It does this with absolutely no changes to the source code of the applications,
enabling the move to a utility model that requires no investment in application recoding. In addition, SoftGrid is
extremely scalable (on the order of 1,000 users per server), combining the benefits of centralized application
management and deployment with the power of distributed processing.

By virtualizing applications and treating them like portable data, SoftGrid delivers order-of-magnitude improvements
in the way IT operates and the way it facilitates business growth.

Strategic Solutions and Technical Benefits of Softricity’s SoftGrid Platform 1

 What is Application Virtualization?
SoftGrid’s patented application virtualization technology enables a range of strategic IT solutions and technical
benefits.
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form. applications from Windows client systems, removing the traditional bond between them. It does so in two crucial
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Separating Application Assets Operating
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Softricity’s application virtualization technology separates an application’s assets (e.g., files, registry settings, COM
objects) from the underlying operating system. Normally, an application is installed on to an operating system, at
which point the application and OS become statically bound. However, with application virtualization, this is
decoupled.

SoftGrid Sequencer: The SoftGrid sequencer allows for one or more applications and their dependencies (e.g.,
MDAC, JRE) to be installed, configured, executed and tested into a single data file (.sft), very much like the way
VMware allows for the installation and configuration of an OS into a single file (.vmdk or .dsk.) During this process,
the application is genericized along with most of the machine-specific installation settings (e.g., application and
OS paths, current user registry settings.) This allows the application to be delivered to systems that are not
necessarily configured identically.

SoftGrid Client: The .sft file created on the sequencer is placed onto a SoftGrid server infrastructure where it can
be delivered on-demand to a client without any installation or configuration. Although the application executes
on the client and consumes local resources, it is unable to change the configuration of the file system or registry
of the underlying OS.

Separating Application Preferences from Windows Profiles

Softricity’s application virtualization technology separates an application’s preferences from their normal location
in the Windows profile.

SoftGrid User Profile: When a SoftGrid application is run on a client system, all application preference and state
changes are stored in a SoftGrid User Profile as opposed to the standard locations in the Windows Profile
(NTUSER.DAT for registry-based settings and profile folders for file system-based settings.) This allows
administrators to store all application preference and state changes on the network, where they will persist
regardless of the user’s location, device, etc.

Strategic Solutions and Technical Benefits of Softricity’s SoftGrid Platform 2

 SoftGrid – Strategic Solutions
The SoftGrid platform uniquely enables several strategic IT solutions that are of benefit to both IT administrators and
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Centralized Application Management
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without location. Whether running
needing to register again. on desktops, laptops or servers, applications are easily and quickly
deployed, updated, supported and terminated with the click of a mouse. For instance, integration with Active
Directory enables IT to assign or terminate rights to an application – eliminating the need to install and uninstall
applications when employees no longer need the software, leave the company, or require an upgrade. Enterprise-
wide updates are rolled-out in minutes instead of weeks or months by simply sequencing the new version and
then providing access to all authorized users. Even support is enhanced: if users have problems with an
application, they merely clear it from their cache and then double click on the application icon to get a clean,
fresh version. This saves significant help desk time previously spent troubleshooting application issues.

Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery for Applications

By virtualizing applications, SoftGrid turns applications into data files. As a result, these virtualized applications
can be treated – and replicated – just like data, making them much easier to manage.

This enables seamless, synchronized disaster recovery for applications: Applications are kept up-to-date between
live sites and back-up sites by automatically replicating virtualized applications files on the live sites' SoftGrid
servers with the SoftGrid servers at the back-up site (using third-party tools). This not only provides dramatic time
savings – the alternative is to install applications to each terminal server and desktop at the back-up site each time
a change is made at the live site – it also reduces end-user downtime to minutes instead of hours or days in case
of a disaster. In addition, if administrators configure SoftGrid user profiles to persist on the network, all user-
specific application preferences can also easily be replicated to a back-up site. This means that when users bring
up their applications in the back-up site, not only will they be running the latest versions but they will also see the
applications in the same state they left them the last time they were run at the primary facility.

This same capability also impacts day-to-day operations and recovering users from desktop failures. Normally,
rebuilding a user’s system is a complicated, lengthy process that involves both the user and an administrator and
can take anywhere from a few hours to several days. The majority of rebuild time is spent customizing the
company’s core image to the user’s needs. This involves both the installation of user-specific applications and the
recreation of the user’s application preferences. If software installation is performed manually, the rebuild process
can be extremely lengthy. Even with the assistance of an Electronic Software Distribution (ESD) system (e.g.,
Microsoft SMS, Marimba Desktop/Mobile Management) the procedure is still time-consuming. This is because
with ESD, application installation events must be scheduled. This can cause delays, especially in environments
with highly utilized ESD systems where substantial queues (sometimes measured in hours) can form.

With SoftGrid, a user can sit down at a new desktop system with just a core image loaded and upon logon, receive
all the icons for their personalized applications. When the user clicks on an application icon, the software is
brought down from the network on demand. If the user’s SoftGrid application preferences were configured to
persist on the network, these settings will automatically propagate to the new system, greatly reducing the
amount of time the user and administrator spend on the rebuild.

Strategic Solutions and Technical Benefits of Softricity’s SoftGrid Platform 3

 Application Replication and Branch Offices

The ability to replicate SoftGrid applications from one site to another is not just beneficial for business continuity
and disaster recovery scenarios. It is also a great way to manage applications for users at branch office locations.
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SoftGrid server at the main data center, the change is automatically replicated by third-party tools to branch office
servers, which then serves the change to local end-users. This greatly reduces WAN traffic, and enables IT to
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Application Roaming

The SoftGrid platform supports multiple Windows client environments, including desktops, laptops and Terminal
Servers. All of these environments can be served by a single, centrally managed SoftGrid infrastructure. Therefore,
users can seamlessly travel from one physical environment to the next throughout the day and have their
applications and preferences roam with them. For example, a user could log onto a desktop at one corporate
location in the morning, a second desktop at another facility in the afternoon, their laptop while on the train
home and a Terminal Services session via their home computer in the evening. In each of these environments,
they can be presented with a common set of applications and preferences. On the other hand, an administrator
could change the available applications based on operating system (e.g., Windows XP vs. Windows Server 2003
Terminal Services) and cause the user to see a different set of applications depending on the environment they
were using.

Application roaming can be used in conjunction with SoftGrid’s application replication capabilities to ensure that
no matter the location of the user, their application requests are always fulfilled by a local SoftGrid server,
ensuring optimal performance and conserving WAN bandwidth.

Hoteling/Free-Seating

With SoftGrid, all applications and user preferences can be configured to persist on the network. In addition,
SoftGrid ensures that applications cannot make changes to the local operating systems on which they execute.
Therefore, SoftGrid allows organizations to move to a hoteling or free-seating model, something that has never
been viable before using solely Windows desktop operating systems. With SoftGrid, it is possible for users to share
Windows desktops or laptops in a successive fashion.

For example, one user can sit down at a desktop in the morning hours, log in and receive icons that represent
applications that are specific to them. As the user executes those applications, they are cached to the desktop or
laptop but run in SoftGrid SystemGuard, a virtual environment that protects applications from each other and
which also protects the underlying OS from any application-specific modification. The user logs off a few hours
later, freeing up the machine. Then, a second user can log on and receive a different set of application icons which
may or may not include some programs that overlap with the first user. As the second user starts using their
programs, the applications will either be sent from a SoftGrid server and cached locally or will be loaded from the
local cache if they were used by a previous user. The SoftGrid cache, therefore, is shared and persistent, which
means that applications only need to be accessed one time per system. However, because of the platform’s
security capabilities, only users with permissions to run an application will see the icon for that application appear
on their desktop, Start menu or quick launch bar.

Hoteling/free-seating models can be a powerful approach for a wide variety of IT environments including
hospitals, schools, libraries and training rooms/labs. Several Softricity customers have implemented hoteling/free-
seating as part of their business continuity or disaster recovery strategies. Because any user can log onto any
machine at any time and receive their applications and preferences, this model can provide powerful options for

Strategic Solutions and Technical Benefits of Softricity’s SoftGrid Platform 4

 BC/DR. One financial services customer, for example, has a plan to transport their traders to an alternate location
where they can instantly use other machines to resume mission critical company business.

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view into application usage and, as a result, enhances licensing compliance
and optimizes license purchases. This is because users cannot access a SoftGrid-enabled application without the
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• Automated Desktop Configuration: SoftGrid's desktop configuration capability makes the system aware of
which applications each user is entitled to access. When users log in for the first time, SoftGrid automatically
delivers shortcut icons to the desktop based on their applications rights.
• Real-time Authentication: Each time an end user requests an application, SoftGrid immediately
authenticates and authorizes it based on license compliance and access rights.
• Usage Logging: SoftGrid records all requests, providing a wealth of information about application usage.
When a session ends, the SoftGrid Server records usage data, including application, end user, time and length
of use. Detailed, customizable reports enable IT to manage application assets much more effectively.

By tracking usage, SoftGrid enables IT to determine, for instance, which applications are underutilized and can be
redeployed, and whether they should re-adjust license agreements. IT can build policies regarding how to extend
licenses and, if someone isn’t meeting the threshold, can reclaim the license token, eliminate the user’s right to
the application, and extend it to another user. In addition, because no one can use software who isn't authorized
to do so, usage policies and license agreements can be 100% enforced – without time-consuming, labor-intensive
administration.

Mergers & Acquisitions

The proliferation of M&A activity has had a huge impact on IT administration. Often, employees who come from
different companies use different versions of the same software. Typically the newly formed company does not
have the resources needed to rationalize the different versions. Because these versions cannot run on the same
computer at the same time due to conflicts with different versions of the same DLLs, the only solution for server-
based environments is to build out a farm of servers that provide remote access for these conflicting applications,
adding an extra infrastructure and management layer. Along these lines, many applications, such as AutoCad,
don’t have backwards compatibility: data needs to be viewed and run in the application version in which it was
created. Whether applications ultimately run on servers or desktops, it means IT has to support many versions of
the same applications, spending too much time regression testing and rolling them out.

With SoftGrid’s application virtualization, however, different versions of applications can run on the same
computer at the same time making it much easier to integrate IT support in M&A situations. In addition, SoftGrid’s
centralized management capabilities enable IT to perform all application management functions from a single
console, saving time traditionally spent visiting all the offices to install, uninstall and support applications.

“Virtual IT”

Traditionally, all layers of computing environments have been static, configured (usually manually) to support a
single computing solution. This is a result of all components being treated as products, installed and configured
for specific computers. For example, hardware is assigned for specific uses (e.g., web server or database); the OS is
tied to the hardware (one box runs Windows, the other a Unix OS); and storage is designated to specific locations.
On top of all this are the applications, which are installed to run inside this specific, static environment. The result
is a tightly bound configuration that does not adapt well to changes in demand or the introduction of updates

Strategic Solutions and Technical Benefits of Softricity’s SoftGrid Platform 5

 and new applications. It also suffers from significant testing requirements since all layers of this environment have
to be hard-coded to work with one another.

Virtualization frees each element of this system from the other. Each layer is designed so that it can use resources
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data. Instead, each element is dynamically assigned to whatever purpose or task most needs the resources. This is
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SoftGrid plays an integral role in Virtual IT by enabling existing applications – without any new development or re-
write of source code – to be delivered and managed as virtual services. Its SystemGuard technology enables
applications to run on computers without the need to install – and without altering the host operating system of
the computer the applications are running on. In effect, applications are freed from being tied to specific systems
and departments – and can be used on any system, in real-time, on an as-needed basis. This makes it much easier
to add, update and support applications and systems. It also directly impacts total cost of ownership and capital
savings such as server consolidation.

Strategic Solutions and Technical Benefits of Softricity’s SoftGrid Platform 6

 Technical Benefits of Application Virtualization
SoftGrid’s application virtualization delivers numerous technical benefits that can transform the way that
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Image Consolidation, Standardization and Stability
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needing to register again. of system images as well as the number of images that must be
maintained across the environment for different user communities.

Reduction of Image Size: Because SoftGrid can deliver applications on-demand without installation, it reduces
the need to pre-install applications in an OS image. This reduces the size the image and allows for quicker
deployment and recovery times (via imaging deployment technologies like Ghost and RIS) and faster boot times.
An image only needs to contain the standard set of corporate utilities (e.g., antivirus, personal firewall) and
applications (such as “core” versions of Microsoft Office, Adobe Acrobat Reader, and WinZip). This reduction in
image size also has significant benefits in environments that are using VMware to manage Windows client OS
environments. The smaller the image, the smaller the VM and the easier and quicker it is to move around the
network.

Image Standardization and Consolidation: By removing applications from the OS image, SoftGrid allows
organizations to standardize and consolidate their images and move closer to the goal of a “single image.”
Normally administrators must maintain separate images for each user community based on their specific
application needs. SoftGrid changes this paradigm by allowing administrators to “layer” applications on top of a
standard image based on a user’s Active Directory group membership. This is different than the layered approach
offered by ESD systems which actually modify the OS when user- or group-specific applications are deployed and
thus “brand” the machines, tying them specifically to users or group of users. This causes administrators to have to
worry about application state on every system and have a means of protecting users against system failures,
disasters and other outages.

Image Stability: Separating applications from the OS image also provides the benefit of a cleaner and more
orderly operating environment. Because SoftGrid delivers applications virtually, as opposed to installing them, it
keeps the OS free from something Softricity calls “software rot.” This is the wear and tear that application
installations, tweaks, preference modifications and removals inflict on the OS over time. It is these types of
changes that tie a system to a particular user and again cause administrators to have to worry about the state on
each machine and the ramifications of backing up (or not backing up) each and every device in their enterprise.

In addition, SoftGrid allows administrators to avoid excessive re-imaging of machines. For example, when there is
a difficult and prolonged application support issue, it is not uncommon for administrators to re-image a user’s
machine to solve the problem. SoftGrid solves these types of support issues by allowing administrators to revert
individual applications back to their original state, which usually resolves the application issue being experienced.
In addition, when PCs get reassigned to users within an organization, it is standard practice to re-image the
systems even if they are running the latest version of the corporate image. This is due to the aforementioned
“software rot” as well as system and user-specific modifications that have tied the machine to its prior owner. By
abstracting all these types of changes away from the OS, SoftGrid allows administrators to repurpose desktop
machines without re-imaging them.

Strategic Solutions and Technical Benefits of Softricity’s SoftGrid Platform 7

 Operating System Portability

While not designed to guarantee OS portability, the SoftGrid platform does provide a level of application
portability across different operating systems. This includes portability across both different OS families (e.g.,
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with OS migrations (e.g., Windows 2000 to XP). For more information on how SoftGrid can be used as a
strategic tool for Windows XP migrations, please see “Application Virtualization: Accelerating Enterprise Microsoft
Tocompleting
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Portability Across OS Families: Through years of real world implementations, Softricity has discovered that
SoftGrid allows for portability of applications across OS families. This portability allows applications to be
sequenced on one OS family (such as Windows 2000) and deployed on another (such as Windows XP). The
portability is most successful in an upward fashion, which is why Softricity normally recommends sequencing
applications on the lowest common denominator OS in the environment (e.g., Windows 2000 Pro). Softricity
estimates upward portability across OS families to have a success rate of better than 80%. However, remember
that OS portability is not guaranteed and that separate sequences will be required for certain applications.

Portability Across OS Classes: SoftGrid’s application virtualization solves many application integration issues
that are encountered when trying to install software on Window Terminal Services Servers. For more information
on the benefits of using SoftGrid in a Windows Terminal Services/Citrix MetaFrame Presentation Server
environment, please see “Best Practices for Integrating Softricity SoftGrid® with Citrix® MetaFrame XP™” which can
be downloaded at http://www.softricity.com/news/ecollateral.asp#whitepapers.

In addition, Softricity has found that application portability across OS classes within the same family (Windows
2000 Pro and Windows 2000 Terminal Server) is successful more that 90% of the time. This means that in an
environment standardized on a single OS family, an administrator will typically only need to sequence a package
once. The same package can be deployed without modification to both Windows desktop or laptop clients and
Terminal Servers. Again, SoftGrid does not guarantee this, but the process has been quite successful based on the
company’s extensive deployment experience in server-based computing environments.

Package Consolidation and Tracking

SoftGrid allows owners of large application package libraries (e.g., MSI) to consolidate the number of individual
installers that they have to maintain and to better track packages and their purpose. This is due to SoftGrid’s
sequencing methodology, which requires that all updates be part of a self-contained package. In a SoftGrid
environment, the concept of creating a separate installer for a minor update goes away because the update is
always applied to a sequenced package and never directly to a system or group of systems. These types of minor
update installers can double or even triple the number of packages in an enterprise environment’s library. It is also
difficult, if not impossible, for administrators to keep track of the purpose of each installer, the user(s) it was
created for and the system(s) to which it has been applied. Because all SoftGrid packages have to be assigned via
Active Directory, the platform provides an inherent way of tracking which users are using a particular iteration of a
package.

Application Dependency Management

SoftGrid allow administrators to deal with the ever-growing challenge of application dependency management.
Enterprise applications normally depend on specific versions of helper applications. Common examples of these
are database clients (e.g., Microsoft MDAC or SQL, Oracle, Sybase) or legacy Microsoft Office components (e.g.,
custom Access databases, Excel Macros) for client/server applications. For web applications, there are numerous
Internet Explorer components (e.g., JVM, JRE, ActiveX/Java plug-ins) and configuration (e.g., browser security)

Strategic Solutions and Technical Benefits of Softricity’s SoftGrid Platform 8

 dependencies. These are nearly impossible to efficiently manage in an enterprise with a large application library
and consequently, many conflicting dependencies.

SoftGrid allows dependencies to be packaged along side applications inside a single virtual environment. This
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2003 without conflict.

SoftGrid also allows administrators to determine whether or not they want to bundle dependencies with
sequenced applications. If an administrator knows that a particular dependency (e.g., MDAC 2.7) is required by an
application but that dependency in part of the standard corporate image, the admin can choose to leave that
dependency out of the sequenced package. In that case, when the package was run on a system, the virtual
application would see and could leverage the locally installed dependency.

Windows Profile Consolidation, Lockdown and Stability

By separating application preferences from their normal location in the Windows user profile, SoftGrid enables
administrators to alleviate many of the challenges associated with profile management.

Windows Profile Consolidation and Lockdown: SoftGrid separates application preferences, normally the most
critical element, from a user’s Windows profile and allows them to persist on the network (e.g., a user’s home
directory, separate SoftGrid profile share). This means that administrators can move away from having to maintain
a traditional read/write profile for each user and towards a mandatory profile environment. Mandatory profiles
have never been feasible to implement in enterprises with large application libraries because of the need of
applications to write user personalization to the profile. However, with SoftGrid this changes and administrators
can implement mandatory profiles while still allowing users to customize and personalize their applications. The
implementation of mandatory profiles not only great reduces the variability of user environments (and therefore,
the number of support issues) but also enables profile consolidation by eliminating the need to maintain a profile
per user.

Windows Profile Stability: In a typical Terminal Services configuration, user sessions are load balanced across
multiple servers in a farm so high availability may be maintained. Since the user will be using multiple machines,
the look and feel of the desktop as well as the personalization of the applications must remain consistent. This is
typically achieved by implementing roaming user profiles. A roaming user profile allows a user to change the look
and feel of their environment and upon logout of the session, copy the profile structure to a central storage
location. The next time the user logs into a server, the profile is copied to the local machine and the settings
implemented before the Windows explorer is presented to the user.

Over time, the profile is copied thousands of time from the network storage location. As this event occurs, the
profile, primarily the NTUSER.DAT file, is susceptible to corruption from a number of sources. Once the
NTUSER.DAT becomes corrupt, then the user loses all of their preferences and must recreate them. This can be a
time consuming event and a drain on productivity.

When Citrix MetaFrame Presentation Server (MFPS) and published applications are added to the configuration,
the problem is compounded as the user may be simultaneously logged into multiple servers with multiple
instances of the profile. Upon log out, the changes from each of the servers must be merged together into the

Strategic Solutions and Technical Benefits of Softricity’s SoftGrid Platform 9

 single NTUSER.DAT and copied back to the network location. Again, this operation is susceptible to corruption for
a multitude of reasons.

SoftGrid can significantly reduce or eliminate profile corruption. As mentioned earlier, SoftGrid separates the
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folder to the user home directory, on the network instead of being copied locally repeatedly. This essentially
allows the users’ preferences to follow them to whatever client or server they are currently using outside of the
general scope of the profile.

Applications Requiring Elevated User Privileges

Many popular enterprise applications require that users have elevated or administrator equivalent privileges to
their client computing environment. These rights are required because the applications call for users to be able to
write to parts of the file system or registry that are normally protected (e.g., %SYSTEMROOT%,
\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE, etc.). This presents a serious challenge for the security teams in today’s
enterprises which are constantly trying to reduce the level of privileges that users need to do their jobs. This is an
especially difficult problem in Terminal Services environments, where giving users administrative privileges to run
a particular application also means giving them the ability to shutdown the server and consequently, disrupt
service for many users.

SoftGrid solves this issue by providing users with administrator equivalent privileges inside each SystemGuard.
This provides the applications with the level of access they need without compromising the state of the operating
system. SystemGuard protects the OS from any modification and contains all changes within the virtual
environment.

Strategic Solutions and Technical Benefits of Softricity’s SoftGrid Platform 10

 Conclusion
Managing applications like data that is truly portable can have a profound impact on the way IT operates and the
extent to which itplease
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To learn how SoftGrid can help you please call us at +1 877.763.8737 or email info@softricity.com.
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without needing to register again.

Softricity : Take Control of Your Software™

Softricity® helps enterprises simplify and accelerate software management with SoftGrid®, the industry’s first
application virtualization platform. The award-winning SoftGrid utility computing solution transforms applications
from products that must be installed locally into virtual services that are centrally managed and deployed on-demand
to any Windows desktop, laptop and Terminal Services/Citrix MetaFrame Presentation server. By eliminating
application conflicts and regression testing, and increasing change management responsiveness, SoftGrid expedites
deployment, upgrades, patches and terminations. Global 2000 companies, including AIG, Mercedes and Merrill Lynch,
use SoftGrid to save tremendous time and money, enhance IT service quality, and transform into more dynamic
businesses. Softricity has a multiyear Strategic Alliance with Microsoft Corporation and is Gold Certified Partner.
Softricity is also a Microsoft Terminal Services Industry Partner, a member of the VMware Technology Software Alliance
Program, and a member of the Hewlett-Packard Developer & Solution Partner Program (DSPP).

Softricity, Inc.

Headquarters:
27 Melcher Street
Boston, MA 02210
Tel: +1 617.695.0336
Fax: +1 617.338.7769

EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) Office:

Weena 290 (Regus building)
3012 NJ Rotterdam
The Netherlands
Tel: +31 10 282 1410
Fax: +31 10 282 1222

www.softricity.com

Strategic Solutions and Technical Benefits of Softricity’s SoftGrid Platform 11