Application breaks in published image.

[Darin McClain]

I have an application that did not work right (long delays in opening, logging in, running queries) in an app layer, so we resorted to putting it straight on the OS layer. It works fine on the OS layer, but when deployed to an image, it breaks when tested on the image. I tried deploying a second image with just the OS layer (no platform layer and no app layers) and it still breaks. Any tips/tricks to try before I do a ticket?

 

Darin

[Rob Zylowski]

When you say it works in an OS layer what does that mean.  Do you mean in a packaging machine before you finalize it? When including an App Layer in a published image there is not much difference in putting an app in the OS layer or an App Layer.  What does the application do?  

 

Also do you enable elastic layering in your published images?  If so test without enabling elastic layering and see if it works better just as another datapoint.

 

Lastly does break mean you have the same issues of it takes along time to start up etc..  

[Darin McClain]

Yes, works in packaging machine. Yeah, has the same long delays when published as it did when I tried to layer it.

 

I published another image without layering, and it works fine. Only 2 apps mount by default when layering is on for a domain user. Do we think it's just layering in general breaking it, or maybe one (or both) of the layers being mounted causing it?

 

Darin

[Rob Zylowski]

The VDA works differently with elastic layering enabled.  One thing that is different is that if files that exist in the image or a layer are modified, they first have to be copied to the writable partition and then they can be modified.  When elastic layering is not used they can be modified in place.  So if there are alot of files like that or very large ones that can make an app take a lot more time to open.  If you use procmon to watch the app when its opening you should be able to see this type of issue.  

 

That particular issue normally does not stop the app from working well after its open.  I think you said it also doesn't perform well after opening.  I have only seen that as an issue when the app opened many many small files. I suppose you could run this app as a published app from a virtual app server that does not have elastic layering enabled.  Another thing you could try if you can figure out which files the application is opening causing the slowness (assuming it is actually that) you could script a "touch" for the files on machine boot to automate pulling them into the writable part of the VDA ahead of when users need them.

[Darin McClain]

Yeah, we think it opens many small files even after launched. Any example "touch" scripts you could reference for us? We don't do published apps, haven't had a need to try it out yet, don't think we're licensed for that either. ?

 

Darin