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VMware App Volumes 2.12 and upgrade from 2.11 to 2.12

VMware Release Notes

Release Notes

What's New?

The latest release of App Volumes includes many enhancements that improve end user login times, security, Microsoft Office support, and Windows 10 support.

Performance improvements for faster user login and application launch

  • Optimized handling of application registry hives by not blocking end-user login.
  • Addressed a bug that caused the App Volumes agent to scan Appstacks and Writable Volumes before the Windows explorer shell is available.

Integration with Active Directory

  • You can manage application and writable volumes assignments across multiple Active Directory domains and forests.
  • You can add multiple domain controllers that App Volumes Manager leverages to query Active Directory users, computers, groups, and OUs.
  • You can move and retain application and writable volumes assignments even when Active Directory objects are moved out of an OU or Group.

Security Enhancements

  • By default, communication between App Volumes Manager and agent occurs over HTTPS. The App Volumes Manager is installed with a port number of 443. See KB 2148178 for more information.
  • By default, certificate validation is required for all communication between the App Volumes Manager and vSphere. See the SSL section in the App Volumes User Guide for detailed information.
  • Ruby version in App Volumes Manager is upgraded to 2.2.4.

Support for Delivering Office 365 (Office 2016) Applications Through AppStacks

You can deliver Office 365 (Office 2016) applications through AppStacks. See KB 2146035 for detailed information.

Support for Windows 10 Anniversary Update (AU) build 1607

You can now deliver applications, user-installed applications, and profiles through AppStacks and Writable Volumes to Windows 10 version 1607 (Windows 10 Anniversary Update) on Current Branch, Current Branch for Business and Long-term Service Branch. Windows 10 version 1511 is not supported with App Volumes 2.12. See KB 2148177 for more information.

Tech Preview Features

See the following VMware Knowledge Base articles to learn about the Tech Preview features that are included with App Volumes 2.12.
  • Centralized Log Collection - You can redirect logs from all App Volumes Managers and agents to a central location. This helps in uploading the logs more easily to VMWare Support and also makes troubleshooting easier. See KB 2148180 for more information.
  • Read-only Administrator - A read-only administrator can only log in to App Volumes Manager and view the App Volumes configuration details but cannot make any modifications. See KB 2147984 for more information.
  • Asynchronous Mounting - You can configure asynchronous mounting of AppStacks on App Volumes Manager to improve scalability. See KB 2147985 for more information.
    • Note - The Tech Preview features and capabilities are not supported for production deployment, rather they are available as a preview of potential upcoming innovations to test in a lab or UAT environment. You can provide feedback to improve these features through VMWare Communities.

Upgrading from 2.11 to 2.12:


The below process will take into account that you plan to keep the same servers you are using with 2.11.

To start the upgrade process of App Volumes from 2.11 to 2.12 perform the following steps:
  1. Remove the first App Volumes Manager Server from the Load balancer.
  2. Log in to the first App Volumes Manager Server
  3. Right Click Start ===> Control Panel
  4. Click Programs and Features
  5. Highlight App Volumes Manager and Click Uninstall


  6. Click Next when the uninstaller starts


  7. Click Remove (Do not select unmount all attacked volumes Final uninstall) 


  8. Click Finish
  9. Reboot the App Volumes Manager Server (This is not required just something I like to do)
  10. Now run the Setup file for App Volumes 2.12 on the App Volumes Manager Server

  11. Click Next to get started


  12. Accept the EULA and click Next


  13. Select the App Volumes Manager option and click Install


  14. Click Next


  15. Make sure to select Connect to an existing SQL Server Database and click Next


  16. Select the correct SQL server. Configure the SQL log in information. Select the Database. DO NOT check the Overwrite existing database check box then click Next



  17. Confirm the ports are correct and click Next (Note this page has changed in 2.12 App Volumes now communicates over https and has http disabled by default.)


  18. Confirm the install location and click Next

  19. Click Install



  20. Click Finish



  21. Add the App Volumes server back in to the Load Balancer.
  22. Next follow these steps for all additional App Volumes Manager servers.

    23. After completing the upgrade process on all your App Volumes Manager Servers you will need to do a few other tasks.

  • Upgrade App Volumes Templates
  • Upgrade App Volumes Agents
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