An App-V 5.0 connection group allows you to run all the virtual applications as a defined set of App-V 5.0 packages in a single virtual environment. For example, you could virtualize an
application and its plug-ins using separate packages, but run them together in a single connection group.
A connection group is defined on the computer running the App-V 5.0 client using an XML document. The following section is an example of the document:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-16"?> <appv:AppConnectionGroup xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/appv/2010/virtualapplicationconnectiongroup" xmlns:appv="http://schemas.microsoft.com/appv/2010/virtualapplicationconnectiongroup" AppConnectionGroupId="61BE9B14-D2B4-41CE-A6E3-A1B658DE7000" VersionId="E6B6AA57-F2A7-49C9-ADF8-F2B5B3C8A42F" Priority="0"
DisplayName="Sample Connection Group"> <appv:Packages> <appv:Package PackageId="A8731008-4523-4713-83A4-CD1363907160" VersionId="E889951B-7F30-418B-A69C-B37283BC0DB9" /> <appv:Package PackageId="1DC709C8-309F-4AB4-BD47-F75926D04276" VersionId="01F1943B-C778-40AD-BFAD-AC34A695DF3C" /> <appv:Package PackageId="04220DCA-EE77-42BE-A9F5-96FD8E8593F2" VersionId="E15EFFE9-043D-4C01-BC52-AD2BD1E8BAFA" /> </appv:Packages>
The previous section is a sample connection group file. This file is used to specify the packages that are in the connection group. The fields that you must update are:
AppConnectionGroupId - This is the unique GUID identifier for this connection group. The connection group state is associated with this identifier. You will only specify this identifier when you create the connection group. You can create a new GUID using PowerShell by typing: [Guid]::NewGuid()
VersionId - This is the version GUID identifier for this version of the connection group. When you update a connection group, for example by adding a new package or when a package is updated, a new version GUID will be created.
DisplayName - This is the display name of the connection group.
Priority - This is the optional priority field for the connection group. Refer to the associated documentation for a description of this field.
Each package in the connection group is in the list of packages. Use the package identifier and version identifier for the package. If you update a package, the package version will also need to be updated. Consequently this connection group file will need to be updated to a new version. <appv:Packages> <appv:Package PackageId="A8731008-4523-4713-83A4-CD1363907160" VersionId="E889951B-7F30-418B-A69C-B37283BC0DB9" /> <appv:Package PackageId="1DC709C8-309F-4AB4-BD47-F75926D04276" VersionId="01F1943B-C778-40AD-BFAD-AC34A695DF3C" /> <appv:Package PackageId="04220DCA-EE77-42BE-A9F5-96FD8E8593F2" VersionId="E15EFFE9-043D-4C01-BC52-AD2BD1E8BAFA" /> </appv:Packages> </appv:AppConnectionGroup>
Name the Connection Group - Specify the name of the connection group for the
DisplayName value of the XML document.
Identify and set the Version for the Connection Group - Each Connection Group is uniquely identified by a GUID. The connection group identifier is represented by the
AppConnectionGroupId value. The version of the connection group uniquely identifies the specific connection group. The version is updated any time the connection group document requires an update. For example, if a package contained in the connection group is updated, the connection group version number will be updated as well. The VersionId value defines the version.
Populate the List of Member Packages - The packages you want to include in the connection group are displayed in the Packages list. Each package in the list is identified by its unique package identifier value and the version identifier of the package you want to use in the
connection group. For each package, specify the PackageId and VersionId values for the package.
The following connection group example consists of two packages and is called ―Financial Applications‖: <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-16"?> <appv:AppConnectionGroup xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/appv/2010/virtualapplicationconnectiongroup" xmlns:appv="http://schemas.microsoft.com/appv/2010/virtualapplicationconnectiongroup" AppConnectionGroupId="3EC6BB31-650D-41ef-995A-9883DBDB374F" VersionId="15C3D968-97F4-45cc-9E10-0C675B107A72" Priority="0" DisplayName="Financial Applications"> <appv:Packages> <appv:Package PackageId="742f02ad-a197-44a4-87c0-135df50a722f" VersionId="b7d5948a-067b-4694-821d-aa55230efd9e" /> <appv:Package PackageId="6041267d-edfe-4d80-b916-0360b21cbcfc" VersionId="14fa137f-5825-4cac-899f-067bb3dd1528" /> </appv:Packages> </appv:AppConnectionGroup>
Use the following procedure to deploy a connection group using PowerShell.
1. To add and publish the App-V 5.0 packages to the computer running the App-V 5.0 client type the following command:
Add-AppvClientPackage –path c:\tmpstore\quartfin.appv | Publish-AppvClientPackage. 2. Repeat step 1 of this procedure for each application contained in the connection group.
1. To add the connection group: type the following command: Add-AppvClientConnectionGroup –path c:\tmpstore\financ.xml. 2. To enable the connection group type the following command:
Enable-AppvClientConnectionGroup –name “Financial Applications”.
When any virtual applications contained in the member App-V 5.0 packages are run on
To add and publish the App-V 5.0 packages in the Connection Group
the target computer, they will run inside the connection group’s virtual environment and be available to all the virtual applications in the other packages that you have put inside the Connection Group.