Create the Updated ThinApp Package

The AppID and VersionID values of the currently managed ThinApp package are used for creating the updated package. The updated package uses the same AppID value and a higher VersionID value.

Sometimes the updated ThinApp package is provided to you by another team in your organization. The person who creates the updated ThinApp package can use one of the described methods.

Prerequisites

Verify that you have the AppID and VersionID values of the current ThinApp package by completing the steps in Obtain the AppID and VersionID values of a Managed ThinApp Package.

Verify that you have a version of the ThinApp program that is compatible with your version of VMware Identity Manager. For information about specific ThinApp versions, see the VMware Product Interoperability Matrixes at http://www.vmware.com/resources/compatibility/sim/interop_matrix.php.

Procedure

♦ Using a version of the ThinApp program that is supported by VMware Identity Manager, create the updated ThinApp package using one of the available methods.

Option Description

Recapture using Setup Capture.

Option	Description
Recapture using Setup Capture.	Use this method when the project folder for the existing ThinApp package managed by VMware Identity Manager is unavailable. To create an updated package with Setup Capture, you need only the following items: The application executables from the existing ThinApp package The application installer Setup Capture and the ThinApp program at a version supported by VMware Identity Manager. During the capture process, select to manage the package with VMware Identity Manager and that the package is an update of an existing base ThinApp package. Browse to the folder that contains the executables for the currently managed ThinApp package. Point to the folder, and not to specific executables. With this method, you do not need to obtain the AppID or VersionID values in advance of creating the updated package. After you designate the package as an update and point to the prior version in Setup Capture, the capture process reads the AppID of the prior package and reuses it for the updated package. The process also provides an incremented VersionID for the updated package, and assigns the same InventoryName.
Update the Package.ini file manually and then rebuild the package.	Use this method when you do not have the application installer for the recapture process, or when you need to update the package to a newer ThinApp version and want to update more than what the relink command would handle. Because rebuilding a package incorporates changes to the file system and registry which come in a new version of ThinApp, a rebuild would pick up those changes, such as when a new ThinApp version provides a new Package.ini parameter that you want to set. To mark the new package as an update, edit the following VMware Identity Manager parameters in the `[Build Options]` section of the Package.ini file: Set the AppID parameter to match the AppID value of the currently managed ThinApp application. You cannot reuse a value of genid for AppID, because then a new AppID value will be generated for the updated package and VMware Identity Manager will not recognize the new package as an update to the existing one. Increment the value of the VersionID parameter to a higher integer than the currently managed ThinApp package. If there is no VersionID parameter set for the currently managed package, its value is 1 by default, and you would add a line for the VersionID parameter to Package.ini and set it to a value of 2 (`VersionID = 2`). Make sure the InventoryName parameter value matches the InventoryName value of the currently managed package. The InventoryName values for the current package and the updated package must be identical.
Use the relink -h command with the AppID and VersionID options.	Use this method in one of the following situations: You do not have the project folder for the application. You have already captured, built, and tested the package outside of a VMware Identity Manager environment, and the only remaining steps are to enable the updated package for VMware Identity Manager and place it in the network share used by VMware Identity Manager. You are updating the package only to update the ThinApp runtime for the package to incorporate bug fixes available in that new ThinApp version. For example, if you have changed the project directory, including the Package.ini file, for a virtual application, rebuilt the package, and tested the package, the test environment might not have been VMware Identity Manager. The final stage of updating the application is to enable it for VMware Identity Manager. At that point, the easiest route is to use the relink -h command, instead of recapturing or rebuilding. Note: The ThinApp runtime is always updated when you run the relink -h command on a ThinApp package. You can run the relink command from the ThinApp Program Files directory to get help on the command's syntax. When the existing ThinApp package is already enabled for use by VMware Identity Manager, you can run the following command to reuse the package's existing AppID and increment the VersionID: relink -h -VersionID + `executable-folder`/. Where `executable-folder` is a folder containing the executables of the ThinApp package you want to update. Important: When you use the relink command, you cannot point it directly to the folder of package executables on the network share used for the ThinApp packages in the VMware Identity Manager environment. The command converts the old executables to BAK files when it updates the ThinApp runtime, and it writes those BAK files, as well as the new files, to the folder. Because the network share typically does not allow writing to it, you must point relink to a copy of the folder of executables. Other use cases for the relink command, including enabling a ThinApp package for use in a VMware Identity Manager environment, are covered in the VMware knowledge base article at http://kb.vmware.com/kb/2021928.

Use this method when the project folder for the existing ThinApp package managed by VMware Identity Manager is unavailable. To create an updated package with Setup Capture, you need only the following items:

The application executables from the existing ThinApp package
The application installer
Setup Capture and the ThinApp program at a version supported by VMware Identity Manager.

During the capture process, select to manage the package with VMware Identity Manager and that the package is an update of an existing base ThinApp package. Browse to the folder that contains the executables for the currently managed ThinApp package. Point to the folder, and not to specific executables.

With this method, you do not need to obtain the AppID or VersionID values in advance of creating the updated package. After you designate the package as an update and point to the prior version in Setup Capture, the capture process reads the AppID of the prior package and reuses it for the updated package. The process also provides an incremented VersionID for the updated package, and assigns the same InventoryName.

Update the Package.ini file manually and then rebuild the package.

Use this method when you do not have the application installer for the recapture process, or when you need to update the package to a newer ThinApp version and want to update more than what the relink command would handle. Because rebuilding a package incorporates changes to the file system and registry which come in a new version of ThinApp, a rebuild would pick up those changes, such as when a new ThinApp version provides a new Package.ini parameter that you want to set.

To mark the new package as an update, edit the following VMware Identity Manager parameters in the [Build Options] section of the Package.ini file:

Set the AppID parameter to match the AppID value of the currently managed ThinApp application. You cannot reuse a value of genid for AppID, because then a new AppID value will be generated for the updated package and VMware Identity Manager will not recognize the new package as an update to the existing one.
Increment the value of the VersionID parameter to a higher integer than the currently managed ThinApp package. If there is no VersionID parameter set for the currently managed package, its value is 1 by default, and you would add a line for the VersionID parameter to Package.ini and set it to a value of 2 (VersionID = 2).
Make sure the InventoryName parameter value matches the InventoryName value of the currently managed package. The InventoryName values for the current package and the updated package must be identical.

Use the relink -h command with the AppID and VersionID options.

Use this method in one of the following situations:

You do not have the project folder for the application.
You have already captured, built, and tested the package outside of a VMware Identity Manager environment, and the only remaining steps are to enable the updated package for VMware Identity Manager and place it in the network share used by VMware Identity Manager.
You are updating the package only to update the ThinApp runtime for the package to incorporate bug fixes available in that new ThinApp version.

For example, if you have changed the project directory, including the Package.ini file, for a virtual application, rebuilt the package, and tested the package, the test environment might not have been VMware Identity Manager. The final stage of updating the application is to enable it for VMware Identity Manager. At that point, the easiest route is to use the relink -h command, instead of recapturing or rebuilding.

Note: The ThinApp runtime is always updated when you run the relink -h command on a ThinApp package.

You can run the relink command from the ThinApp Program Files directory to get help on the command's syntax.

When the existing ThinApp package is already enabled for use by VMware Identity Manager, you can run the following command to reuse the package's existing AppID and increment the VersionID:

relink -h -VersionID + executable-folder/*.*

Where executable-folder is a folder containing the executables of the ThinApp package you want to update.

Important: When you use the relink command, you cannot point it directly to the folder of package executables on the network share used for the ThinApp packages in the VMware Identity Manager environment. The command converts the old executables to BAK files when it updates the ThinApp runtime, and it writes those BAK files, as well as the new files, to the folder. Because the network share typically does not allow writing to it, you must point relink to a copy of the folder of executables.

Other use cases for the relink command, including enabling a ThinApp package for use in a VMware Identity Manager environment, are covered in the VMware knowledge base article at http://kb.vmware.com/kb/2021928.

Results

You have a set of files (EXE files, and optionally DAT files) for the updated ThinApp package.

What to do next

Copy the files to a new subfolder on the network share, by completing the steps in Copy an Updated ThinApp Package to the Network Share.