Microsoft Releases Service Pack 2 for App-V 4.5

  • By Kurt Mackie
  • 06/03/10

Microsoft has released Service Pack 2 for its App-V 4.5 application virtualization solution.

This new service pack fixes problems described by customers using App-V 4.5 SP1. Still, the issuance of a new service pack for App-V 4.5 may seem somewhat confusing because Microsoft announced App-V 4.6 as part of its Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack (MDOP) 2010 set of tools back in late February.

By the way, for those using App-V 4.6, Microsoft just published a white paper on using application virtualization with remote desktop services via Windows Server 2008 R2.

A Microsoft FAQ (Word doc download) explains the reason for the backtracking to App-V 4.5 SP2. Microsoft still recommends that customers move to latest App-V 4.6 version, which features application virtualization support for Office 2010. However, some organizations can't make that move. Consequently, Microsoft released App-V 4.5 SP2 to fix some issues on the server side while also providing support for organizations wanting to virtualize Office 2010.

App-V 4.5 SP2 is available from Microsoft's Volume Licensing Service Center here, the Microsoft Download Center here, or Microsoft Update. An evaluation copy can also be accessed via Microsoft's MSDN and TechNet portals. Microsoft plans to include the SP2 version in the "next scheduled MDOP refresh," according to the FAQ.

Microsoft is touting the high availability and "enhanced failover protection" enabled with App-V 4.5 SP2. Those capabilities are supported through SQL mirroring, which also helps in disaster recovery scenarios and allows maintenance tasks to be performed using server recycling. Microsoft recommends separating the management server from the database to optimize this SQL mirroring capability.

Additionally, App-V 4.5 SP2 now allows data replication across geographies. That capability can help when recovering from site-wide failures.

The release notes to App-V 4.5 SP2 are available here. This service pack is considered "cumulative," meaning that users don't have to install SP1 first.

About the Author

Kurt Mackie is online news editor, Enterprise Group, at 1105 Media Inc.

Featured

  • illustration of a human head with a glowing neural network in the brain, connected to tech icons on a cool blue-gray background

    Meta Introduces Stand-Alone AI App

    Meta Platforms has launched a stand-alone artificial intelligence app built on its proprietary Llama 4 model, intensifying the competitive race in generative AI alongside OpenAI, Google, Anthropic, and xAI.

  • laptop screen with a video play icon, surrounded by parts of notebooks, pens, and a water bottle on a student desk

    Studyfetch AI Tool Generates Video Explanations Based on Course Materials

    AI-powered studying and learning platform Studyfetch has introduced Imagine Explainers, a new video creator that utilizes artificial intelligence to generate 10- to 60-minute explainer videos for any topic.

  • interconnected geometric human figures forming a network

    CoSN: School Staffing Is the Top Hurdle to K-12 Innovation

    Hiring and keeping educators and IT staff remains the top challenge for K-12 education in 2025, according to the latest Driving K-12 Innovation Report from the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN).

  • glowing digital brain made of blue circuitry hovers above multiple stylized clouds of interconnected network nodes against a dark, futuristic background

    Report: 85% of Organizations Are Leveraging AI

    Eighty-five percent of organizations today are utilizing some form of AI, according to the latest State of AI in the Cloud 2025 report from Wiz. While AI's role in innovation and disruption continues to expand, security vulnerabilities and governance challenges remain pressing concerns.