Glossary

Aug 14, 2017

• action RAG

  The RAG (red, amber, green) status of an application as it would be after the defined remediation actions have been implemented. For example, if the standard RAG is amber but remediation options are available, the action RAG would typically be green. However, if the standard RAG is red and the only remediation option is to redevelop the application, the action RAG is also red to indicate that complex development and/or replacement is required. The action RAG is sometimes known as the after action RAG or remediation RAG.

Active Directory

A directory service from Microsoft, which provides a central location for network administration and security, single sign-on for user access to networked resources, standardization of access to application data, deployment and update of applications, and synchronization of directory updates across servers. All of the information and deployment settings are stored in a central database.

Action View

A report view that provides a breakdown of the prevalence of the actions required to remediate the applications in your portfolio.

algorithm

AppDNA uses algorithms to validate the suitability, interoperability, conflicts, and performance of applications on a variety of target platforms and virtualization environments. The algorithms are heuristic rather than based on rigid rules and are grouped into reports that relate to a target technology (such as Windows 7). Each algorithm is designed to identify applications that would potentially have a specific issue on the target platform. Applications that are identified as having this issue are said to trigger the algorithm. Algorithms are sometimes referred to as rules.

application DNA

Metadata about the building blocks of an application, such as files, registry keys, and text-based information extracted from file headers. AppDNA uses this information to predict how the application will behave on a target platform.

application report view

A report view that comes in two flavors, both of which provide access to detailed remediation reports for each application included in the report – Application Issues provides a summary of the standard and custom RAGs for the applications included in the report and shows the number of times each application has triggered an algorithm in each algorithm group; Application Actions provides a summary of the standard and action RAG status of the applications included in the report, and of the actions required to remediate them.

client instruction files

Control files used by the Self-Provisioning client to perform the capture or packaging task. Client instruction files are not human-readable instructions intended for end users.

complexity RAG

An indicator of the complexity of an application. This is based on the number of files and registry entries the application has. You can set thresholds that define the three complexity levels (simple, normal, and complex) in Reporting Settings. The complexity RAG of an application is generally indicated by one or more circle. One circle indicates a simple application, two indicates a normal application, and three indicates a complex application.

custom RAG

The standard RAG status of an application is determined by the algorithms built into the report. However, sometimes organizations want to raise an amber status to red or lower it to green, for example, depending on their specific needs. You can set the custom RAG for each algorithm in the Algorithm Groups screen. By default, the custom RAG is the same as the standard RAG.

Custom Report Manager

Provides the ability to create new reports, algorithms, and algorithm groups based on existing algorithms or on new ones that you define yourself.

Direct Import

The method by which a Windows application is imported into AppDNA when an .msi, .sft, or .appv file is available. This is the quickest way to get the application’s DNA imported into the database.

discovered applications

Applications whose usage has been tracked by SysTrack across the organization. Discovered applications are listed on the Discover Applications screen.

Effort Calculator

Estimates the time, cost, and effort associated with migrating a portfolio of applications to a new platform.

Estate View

A report view, available only for trial licenses, that provides a high-level overview of the state of your application portfolio on the target technology.

execution profile

Controls the tasks and resources that are run on the virtual machine during an Install Capture. The default execution profile defines three stages, which analyze the virtual machine’s state (including its complete file system and registry), installs the application, and then performs a second analysis of the virtual machine’s state, respectively. The difference between the state of the virtual machine before and after the installation represents the changes made by installing the application. Execution profiles are also used in a similar way by Self-Provisioning.

external data

Compatibility and remediation data that originates outside of AppDNA. For example, Microsoft provides information about applications that are known to work on Windows 7 and the Program Compatibility Assistant (PCA) database.

fingerprint

A combination of an application’s product name, manufacturer’s name, version number, and the number of files and registry entries it has. When a Windows application is first imported into AppDNA, its fingerprint is stored. If the application is imported into AppDNA again, by default the application is considered the same if the fingerprint is the same or has not changed by more than 10%. However, you can override this behavior.

Forward Path

A business decision engine that makes it possible to model different deployment scenarios and compare their impacts.

group

A logical container for applications in AppDNA. Groups are similar to folders in Windows Explorer – they provide a way of structuring your application portfolio by user group, location, or application type, for example. Groups make it easy to review and report on the applications in the group separately from the rest of the portfolio. A group does not have an overall RAG status and it is not shown as a separate item in reports.

import

The process by which application and OS image DNA is loaded into the AppDNA database.

Install Capture

The process by which Windows applications are imported into AppDNA when an .msi, .sft, or .appv file is not available. Install Capture installs the application within a virtual machine and creates an MSI file which is then imported into AppDNA. Generally the MSI that is created simply captures the application’s DNA for import into AppDNA and is not suitable for actually installing the application. With the necessary additional software, the capture process can create App-V sequences or XenApp packages.

integrated login

An optional feature that enables AppDNA users to be logged into AppDNA automatically using their Windows user account credentials. This means that the logon screen is by-passed and the user does not need to enter their username and password.

Issue View

A report view that provides a breakdown of the number of applications that triggered each algorithm within the report.

managed application

An application that is deployed through Active Directory or Configuration Manager.

module

A collection of reports for a particular context, such as Windows client or server. A report is made up of a suite of algorithms that relate to a target technology, such as Windows 8 or Windows Server 2012, against which the application DNA is evaluated. The algorithms are organized into algorithm groups.

MSI file

Windows application installation package file. MSI files contain a relational database of text information about the application’s files and registry entries. Some MSI files also contain the application’s binary files, and sometimes the binary files are compressed and packaged in one or more separate CAB files or are uncompressed and unpackaged.

MST files

Files used in conjunction with MSI files to transform or manipulate the installation package. MST files are not relevant to non-MSI installation files.

MST fix

The way that MST files are delivered in AppDNA. The MST files contain modifications that are applied to an MSI file during installation to correct issues.

Non-MSI file

A Windows application installation file that is not in the form of an MSI file. Typically non-MSI installation files are in the form of an EXE and sometimes they contain one or more MSI files.

RAG

Refers to whether the application is marked as red, amber, or green. Green means that the application is likely to work on the target platform as it is and is ready for user acceptance testing (UAT) (although there may be issues that need to be addressed); amber means that it may fail or have impaired functionality although remediation is possible; red means that the application is likely or certain to fail. Some report views also provide the after action RAG (or remediation RAG), which shows what the RAG status would be after all the defined remediation actions have been implemented.

remediation report views

Report views that provide detailed remediation information for individual applications along with an MST fix option, where relevant. There are two views – Remediation Issues and Remediation Actions. Web applications that have been captured by using the AppDNA directed spider have an additional Site Map view.

Remote Admin

An AppDNA agent that runs within the virtual machine during operations (such as Install Capture) that take place on a virtual machine. Remote Admin provides support for AppDNA to communicate with the virtual machine.

replaceable

A placeholder in an execution profile that is replaced by a value provided at run time.

reports

Reports contain the algorithms that encapsulate the analysis that AppDNA performs on your applications to determine whether the application will have any compatibility issues on a particular platform or technology. The results can be presented in a variety of report views – Application Issues, Application Actions, Issue View, Action View, and the detailed Remediation report views. Trial licenses also provide an Estate View, a high-level view helpful for proof-of-concept installations.

scenario

A script that defines the logic for a Forward Path report. The logic is applied to each application that is selected for inclusion in the report. The report has columns for application name, manufacturer, version, and source path, and the scenario logic provides values for an Outcome column and optionally for Cost, RAG, and Description columns, and up to 20 custom columns. If the logic puts RAG values in any of the custom columns, AppDNA automatically generates a pie chart summary of the results for that column when you run the report.

Self-Provisioning

An alternative mechanism for capturing desktop applications for import into AppDNA and, depending on which execution profiles are available, for packaging applications for App-V or XenApp, for example. The capture and packaging take place on a separate machine from AppDNA. This can be any type of machine (virtual, physical, or VDI). Self-Provisioning can be used to delegate the responsibility for capturing and packaging applications to end users.

SFT file

• The largest and most important file in an App-V application. It contains all of the application’s assets, including files and registry entries. In App-V 5.0, there is no longer an .sft file – it has been replaced by the .appv package.

shim

A general computing term that refers to a small file of executable code that allows legacy applications to work after features that they rely on become obsolete. Shims are not intended to be a permanent solution but rather a temporary solution until the applications can be updated to no longer use the obsolete features.

site

A named database and AppDNA web site combination. You specify which site you want to use when you log on to AppDNA. AppDNA then uses the site to connect the AppDNA client to the specified AppDNA web site and database. Once you are logged in, you can switch site (and therefore database) by using the Switch Site pop up list in the lower left corner of the main AppDNA screen. The ability to have multiple databases is useful for companies who want to test their web applications separately from their desktop applications, for example. Using multiple databases is also useful for system integrators who need to test several customers’ application portfolios at the same time.

spider

A program that automatically crawls over web pages, following links, and creating copies of all of the pages visited.

standard RAG

The RAG (red, amber, green) status of an application determined by the algorithms built into the report.

System Center Configuration Manager

A Microsoft systems management tool for managing large groups of Windows-based computer systems. Configuration Manager provides remote control, patch management, software distribution, operating system deployment, network access protection, and hardware and software inventory. Like Active Directory, all of the information and deployment settings are stored in a central database.

SysTrack

A suite of IT business intelligence products from Lakeside Software. SysTrack includes functionality that audits and tracks application use within the enterprise. AppDNA uses the results of this tracking in the Discover Applications screen.

task script

A script that defines an action to be performed for a value in the Outcome column generated by a Forward Path scenario. For example, if an application virtualization scenario marks an application with a green RAG status, a task script can automatically sequence that application using the App-V sequencer and publish the sequence to a test environment for immediate testing.

virtual machine configuration

A collection of configuration settings that enables Install Capture to fire up and communicate with the virtual machine and retrieve the generated output. You can create multiple virtual machine configurations to meet different requirements and then select the one you want to use when you start the Install Capture.