Applications

This property page associates applications with the workstations that are members of the group. After an application is associated with the workstation group, Novell^® Application Launcher^TM can display it on the workstations, if the application has been made available (Application object > Availability tab).

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

Associations
The Associations list displays the Application objects that are associated with the workstation group. You can add Application objects to the list and delete objects from the list.

Add
To associate an Application object with the workstation group, click Add, browse and select the object, then click OK. By default, the Application object receives the characteristics (Force Run, App Launcher, Start Menu, Desktop, System Tray, Quick Launch, Force Cache) that are defined as the Application object's default characteristics (Application object > Associations tab). After you add an object to the list, you can modify the characteristics for that association by selecting or deselecting the desired check boxes. For a description of each characteristic, see Associations Key below.

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

Associations Key
You can associate the characteristics described below with an Application object. 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.

Force Run
Automatically runs the application. With a user-associated application, the application is run immediately after Application Launcher 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 > Applications page), as soon as the Application object is distributed it runs one time and is then 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 or workstation group, 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
This option 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 to the Windows Start menu. The application is added to the top of the Start menu, unless you assign the application to a folder and use the folder structure on the Start menu. See the Application object's Identification > Folders page.

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

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

Quick Launch
This option displays the application's icon in 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, the application can be launched while in disconnected mode as long as it is already distributed (installed) to the workstation. With Force Cache enabled, the application source files and other files required for distribution are automatically copied to the workstation's cache directory. The application can then be installed or repaired while the workstation is 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 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:

• Workstations 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 to authenticate to eDirectory. 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.
• Workstations 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 workstations 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.

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