Application Management and Delivery

In this chapter, you will learn how to deploy and manage your Microsoft 365 and line-of-business (LOB) applications to your Windows devices, which is a very important element in every Windows Enterprise deployment. Applications are what make end users productive, but applications can also be tools that help either the end user or the IT admin.

In this chapter, we will cover the following topics:

• Application delivery via Microsoft Intune
• Different application types you can deploy
• LOB applications
• Win32 apps
• Deploying Microsoft 365 apps
  • Office Customization Tool
  • Microsoft 365 Apps admin center
• Deploying Microsoft Teams
• Deploying OneDrive
• Deploying Microsoft Edge
• What is WinGet? What is MSIX?

Application delivery via Microsoft Intune

We’ve been explaining the benefits of using a modern unified endpoint management solution from the same management experience we have covered in the previous chapters of this book. Of course, the same benefits apply to delivering applications to your endpoints, whether they’re running Windows Enterprise on a virtual cloud or physical endpoints via Microsoft Intune.

Another important layer is security. Normally, installing apps would require installation rights, such as local administrator permissions on your Windows Enterprise endpoint. Delivering your app via Microsoft Intune allows you to assign and install apps – in a modular fashion – without the need to make the user a local administrator.

Adding applications modularly (separately) from the image would also drastically simplify your image maintenance process. For example, within a legacy virtual desktop infrastructure, you would have created a so-called...

Different application types you can deploy

Delivering applications to your end users, whether they are working primarily on a physical or virtual cloud desktop, is a very important factor for enterprises.

Most enterprises have been doing this for years with SMS and Microsoft Configuration Manager (to their on-premises infrastructure and on the internet with the cloud management gateway). Within Microsoft Intune, the process is easier as the backend infrastructure is pre-built to start deploying apps almost immediately!

So, what format of apps are supported as delivery types for each operating system (OS)? Let’s give you a complete rundown so that you can decide what the best approach is for your business.

When you create a new app in Microsoft Intune, you start by selecting an app type that is appropriate for the app you want to deliver to your devices:

Figure 8.1: Select app type

Supported Windows app delivery types are covered in more detail in the...

Deploying Microsoft 365 apps

Office Click-to-Run is the new way of deploying Microsoft 365 apps – Office to your endpoints. The installation takes place in the following five different stages, as the following example describes, and involves active downloading from the internet. Therefore, the installation elements are very small.

Microsoft 365 apps are not like other apps in Microsoft Intune, as there is a policy that is deployed to the managed devices. The policy is similar to other CSPs deployed through the MDM channel to the device:

Figure 8.39: Office CSP

As it is a CSP policy and not a Win32 app, that is also the reason why you cannot use it as a dependency in a Win32 app. The CSP writes to the registry key Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\OfficeCSP, where it creates a default key with the value http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=829801, at which point the setup.exe file downloads the file to the local device together with the XML file...

Deploying Microsoft Teams

MSIX packages are a container format for Windows applications that provide a modern packaging experience and simplify the deployment and updating of applications. Read more about the MSIX app format later in this chapter.

You can download an MSIX package for Microsoft Teams MSIX.

Microsoft provides an executable (.exe) file for the new Teams client so you can upgrade the application directly to the computers in your organization using your choice of software management tools, such as Intune or Configuration Manager.

The Teams installer installs the Teams MSIX package on a target computer, making sure that Teams can interoperate correctly with Office and other Microsoft software. As Intune natively supports MSIX, you can use the file directly instead of creating a Win32 app with teamsbootstrapper.exe that downloads and installs the Teams MSIX installer.

To download the MSIX package, you can follow these links:

Download Teams MSIX x64:

...

Deploying OneDrive

OneDrive isn’t part of the Microsoft 365 app delivery process for the simple reason that OneDrive is mandatory for Windows Enterprise and is therefore included in the OS.

OneDrive automatically updates based on either the Insiders, Standard, or Deferred ring cycle. OneDrive checks for available updates every 24 hours when it’s running as part of your endpoint.

The production ring (which is the default) receives updates every 20 days, whereas the deferred ring gives you a bit more flexibility as it updates every 2–3 months. During this timeframe, customers can deploy updates on their own, allowing them to record precisely when their software is updated. When the number of days is exceeded, the update will apply automatically:

Microsoft reserves the right to bypass the 60-day grace period for critical updates.

Figure 8.61: OneDrive update schedule

You can put your OneDrive client inside the Deferred ring via...

What is WinGet?

WinGet is a command-line tool that enables advanced users and admins to discover, install, upgrade, remove, and configure applications on Windows devices. It is the client interface to the Windows Package Manager service. The tool is designed to make it easier for users to manage their applications and keep them up to date. The tool is available as part of the app installer. If you have already installed the app installer, make sure it is updated with the latest version.

If you are a developer, you can also try the latest Windows Package Manager features by installing a preview build:

• Windows Package Manager v1.6.3421

The WinGet command-line utility enables installing applications and other packages from the command line:

• Usage: winget [<command>] [<options>]

The following commands are available:

• Install: Installs the given package
• show: Shows information about a package
• source: Manage sources...

What is MSIX?

MSIX is a Windows app package format that provides a modern packaging experience to all Win32, UWP, and Windows apps. It’s a new way of doing application virtualization compared to technologies such as App-V.

Here are some of the advantages packing an application as MSIX:

• Simplified installation: This format eliminates the need for an account with administrative privileges to install, update, or remove the application.
• Greater security and better performance: The application installation keeps all application files and registry keys in the application directory (C:\Program Files\WindowsApps). This avoids the application compatibility problem, keeps files safe, as it is not possible to change any files or keys in the application directory, and preserves the performance of the OS since the OS files and registry keys are not changed.
• Access to Windows APIs: After packaging to the APPX/ MSIX format, the application will have access to all...

Summary

In this chapter, you’ve learned about all the different options to configure and distribute applications as regards both your physical and cloud endpoints. As this is a very important factor of the modern desktop, you are one step closer to becoming a modern workplace rockstar.

In the next chapter, we will deep dive into another important element of the modern desktop, which is policy management!

Questions

1. What is the preferred and most comprehensive application deployment type for Windows applications (Win32)?
   1. LOB app
   2. Windows app (Win32)
   3. Web link
   4. Microsoft Store app
2. What is the Edge release channel called for production usage workloads?
   1. Canary
   2. Stable
   3. Dev
   4. Beta

Answers

1. (b)
2. (b)

Further reading

If you want to learn more about Microsoft Intune application deployment options, please use one of the following free online resources:

• Windows 10 app deployment by using Microsoft Intune | Microsoft Docs: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/mem/intune/apps/apps-windows-10-app-deploy
• Assign apps to groups with Microsoft Intune | Microsoft Docs: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/mem/intune/apps/apps-deploy

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