Associations

This property page lets you associate the Application object with the users and workstations to which you want the application distributed.

You can associate the Application object with individual users or workstations by selecting the appropriate User or Workstation objects. You can also associate it with groups of users or workstations by selecting Group, Workstation Group, Organizational Unit, Organization, and Country objects.

Associating an Application object with a Group, Workstation Group, or other container object is the preferred method of associating the Application object in eDirectory. Associating the application to a large number of User or Workstation objects (for example, more than 250) might cause increased server utilization.

Although you are not restricted from associating Application objects with Alias objects, do not do so; Alias objects are not a supported object for associations.

Associations
The Associations list displays the objects associated with the Application object and lets you add or delete objects.

Add
To associate an object with the Application object, click Add, browse and select the object, then click OK. All objects receive the default characteristics (Force Run, App Launcher, Start Menu, Desktop, System Tray, Quick Launch, Force Cache) selected in the Defaults for Subsequent Associations list. After you add an object to the Associations list, you can modify its characteristics by selecting or unselecting the appropriate check boxes in front of the object.

Delete
To disassociate an object from the Application object, select the object in the Associations list, then click Delete.

Defaults for Subsequent Associations
When you add an object to the Associations list, the object receives the default characteristics selected in this box. The characteristics determine the locations (App Launcher, Start Menu, Desktop, System Tray, and Quick Launch) where the Application object's icon is displayed and the actions (Force Run and Force Cache) that are performed on the application. If you change the characteristics that are selected, any objects you add after that have the new characteristics.

Force Run
Automatically runs the application. With a user-associated application, the application is run immediately after Novell^® Application Launcher^TM starts. With a workstation-associated application, the application is run immediately after the workstation starts up (initial startup or reboot).

You can use the Force Run option in conjunction with several other settings to achieve unique behaviors. For example, if you use the Force Run option with the Run Application Once option (Run Options tab > Application page), as soon as the Application object is distributed it will run one time and then be removed from the workstation. Or, suppose that you want to run the Application object immediately one time at a predetermined time. If so, select Force Run, select the Run Application Once option on the Application page (Run Options tab), and define a schedule using the Schedule page (Availability tab).

If you want to force run several applications in a specific order, mark each of them as Force Run. Then give each Application object a numeric order by using the Determine Force Run Order option on the Icon page (Identification tab).

IMPORTANT: When using the Force Run option for an MSI application associated with a workstation, you must also turn on the Distribute in Workstation Security Space if Workstation Associated option (Distribution Options tab > Options page) and assign the workstation the appropriate file system rights to access the network location where the source .msi files reside. Otherwise, the distribution and subsequent forced running of the application fails.

App Launcher
Adds the Application object's icon to the Application Window, the Application Explorer window, and the Application Browser window.

Start Menu
If the workstation is running Application Explorer, this option adds the Application object to the Windows Start menu. The Application object is added to the top of the Start menu, unless you assign the Application object to a folder and use the folder structure on the Start menu. See the Application object's Folders page (Identification tab).

Desktop
If the workstation is running Application Explorer, this option displays the Application object's icon on the Windows desktop.

System Tray
If the workstation is running Application Explorer, this option displays the Application object's icon in the Windows system tray.

Quick Launch
If the workstation is running Application Explorer, this option displays the Application object's icon on the Windows Quick Launch toolbar.

Force Cache
This option applies only if the Application object is marked as disconnectable (Identification tab > Icon page).

Without Force Cache enabled, users can launch the application while in disconnected mode as long as the application has already been distributed (installed) to the workstation. With Force Cache enabled, Application Launcher automatically copies the application source files and other files required for distribution to the workstation's cache directory. The user can then install or repair the application while disconnected from Novell eDirectory^TM. The files are compressed to save space on the workstation's local drive.

When distributing an MSI application, you must use the Force Cache option if users or workstations do not have network client access to the source .msi files. The Microsoft Windows Installer requires file access that is provided by a network client but not by the ZENworks Desktop Management Agent. Consider the following examples:

• Users outside your firewall need an MSI application but have no network client access to the source .msi files on a server inside your firewall. They log in to the ZENworks Middle Tier Server and Application Launcher displays the MSI application. For successful distribution to occur, the MSI application must be marked as Force Cache so that the source .msi files are copied to the user's cache directory (through the Middle Tier Server) and then distributed from the cache directory.
• Users inside your firewall need an MSI application. They don't have the Novell Client installed, so they log in to the ZENworks Middle Tier Server to authenticate to eDirectory. The users are part of an Active Directory domain, and the source .msi files are located on a Windows share that they have rights to. The distribution succeeds without force caching the application because the Microsoft network client provides file access to the source .msi files.

A trademark symbol (^®, ^TM, etc.) denotes a Novell trademark. An asterisk denotes a third-party trademark. For information on trademarks, see Legal Notices.