App Volumes Ansys and Addins

[mboye_grundfos]

Hi everyone.

So I am pretty new to App Volumes, but I am starting to get the hang of it for standalone applications.

My issue at hand is with applications that depends on other applications.

To give an example. We are heavily using Ansys for simulation. In addition we use a lot of Ansys addins, as part of these simulation.

My issue is that when installing these addins, they expect Ansys to be present on the server, which I have not found a good workaround on how to solve. I have tried to force mount the app stacks to my provsioning VM before starting the new Provisioning, but then App volume manager refuse to use the VM.

The software in question is CADNexus (Depends on CATIA and Ansys), OptiSLang, Granta Gateway, Tribo-X etc.

I can see one solution is to make a massive AppStack, with Ansys and all the addins. Would that be the right way to go about it, or is there a better alternative?

Best Regards,

Mads.

[Micheal_A · Accepted solution]

Mads,

You can not have a AppStack mounted on a provisioning VM, when your trying to provision another application or a component of one. Like your add-ins.

Here is your two options:

1. Build one big AppStack with everything in the one package.
2. Install the main application on the provisioning VM and then make a snapshot of that install to be your base image.
   1. Then you can provision each add-in separately or all in one add-in package.

These options will be up to how you manage your appstacks and if one makes better since from an update management view.

Let us know if you have any further questions around this process.

-Michael

[mboye_grundfos]

Hi Michael.

Thank you for the fast reply.

So I guess there is pros and cons with both setups, so better get down to testing 🙂

I think from the "Build one big AppStack..." is easiest to maintain as of now. Is there a limit to how large an appstack VMDK can be? I see there is a limit of 512 GB for the Horizon VM disks, but I have not found anything related to AppStack VMDK, only the sizing guide for amount of AppStack pr. Horizon Desktop etc.

Best Regards,
Mads.

[Micheal_A]

I tell my clients, when packaging with AppVolumes, you have to think about how you do the following with native installs.

• How frequent are there application updates (security patches)
• Will it be easier to update the appstack as a whole then having an update appstack for patching the main appstack
  • Just remember, AppVolumes makes updating the Appstacks a lot easier than native installs.
  • AppVolumes 4.x makes Application packaging easier by having each application in its own appstacks.

The AppStack template comes as a 20Gb sized vmdk. I have never seen a client in my career go over that. I have been doing this for over 30 years.

FYI, take the Native install of an application and times it by 3, that will be the most space you need for the application install.

I have a lot of client make 2, 5, and 10Gb templates to use for their application AppStacks, 90% of the time they use 2gb and 5gb templates. 

[mboye_grundfos]

Thank you for the input.

I guess it is seldom we will need to update the appstack, as Ansys release new versions 2-3 times a year, where the addins will be updated accordingly to newer versions, so it will be more like doing a new appstack package when a new release hits. At somepoint the older version will no longer be needed and can be deleted.

In terms of storage I think I will be breaking those limits. Full Ansys install is 60 GB and extensions is around 10 from my remote desktop setup. I have already created a template VMDK for 100GB, and will see if that suffice, otherwise I will try and go bigger. I will give it a spin and see how it goes 🙂

I would definitely prefere to have it in AppStacks and not installed natievly in the Horizon image.

Best Regards,

Mads.

[Micheal_A]

An other thought;

Does the addins need to be for every user or split across LOBs?

You may want to provision the addins by LOB's and use AD groups to mount which users get them. Specially if they are licensed or permission add-in components.