Packaging SQL 2012 Management Studio

[bwboyd4341]

I am attempting to package SQL 2012 Management Studio as a Thinapp. With exceptable performance I would obviously prefer to deliver this app as a streamed application. My first attempt at doing so was not all that successful. When I attempt to launch the streaming app from my VM I get an error that pops up that says invalid license data. Reinstall is required. While I'll admit that this looks like an issue with the capture process I am looking for anyone that can shed some light on the error so I don't do it again.

Capture machine - windows 7 w/ SP1

SQL components installed - Management tools - complete

I have attempted to delete the sandbox and relaunch. (I mention that only because that seems to be the default response that everyone gets when posting).

So first of all, can it be packaged and deployed as a Thinapp? If so, does anyone have a recipe to make it work? Does it work as a streamed app? And does it work well as one?

Any other info that is needed please let me know and I'd be glad to provide it.

Thanks in advance.

[admin]

Does the package work on the capture machine?

[bwboyd4341]

Well, that is a very good question. I put the cart before the horse and reverted back to snap (don't ask why because I don't honestly know). Tomorrow I plan on repackaging it and I'll post the results. 

[bwboyd4341]

Ok, so this morning I attempted to repackage with the same results in the end. To answer Yang-PA1's question, yes everything works just fine on the capture machine. that is both the stream package and the msi install package. But in the end when I attempt to deploy it to my VM I get the same error as before. I have decided to table this particular project in favor of some of the lower hanging fruit for now and may come back to it later.

[admin]

OK, according to the "invalid license data" error and the fact it works on the capture machine, it is most likely to be a known issue on licence check with Windows CryptProtectData/CryptUnprotectData APIs. We are still working on the issue.

[VSTCVENT]

when saving the project file then it gives  following error:

After this again it goes to the entry points selection stage..Please help on this....I am using thinapp version 4.6.0

[oliAH]

The path is probably too long. Try saving the capture at the root of the C drive.

[Oizo]

Just a quick update with this thread...

You should be successful to package the 32bit version of SQL 2012 Management Studio on a Win7 32, using ThinApp 4.7.3, and running it on a Win 7 32 on the exact same machine.

I receive this exact same error when running the 32 bit package on a Win 7 64, though.

VSTCVENT :

- Did you try to use 4.7.3..?

- And the path is too long! During the capture process, instead of using the default location path for the capture, choose a folder very close to the root of the drive.

Edited - 27 Sept 2013

It seems to have something left over, or linked to that Capture Machine...

I can pass Dirty, Washed and Clean test (on same machine), but not the Production...

[logiboy123]

I know this is a very old post, but I'm having exactly the same issues. Did you ever get this to work.

Some research shows me that App-V has the same issue, the resolution for them was to install the Visual Studio 2010 SP1 framework on the capture workstation and then try to capture the management studio. Then the Visual Studio 2010 SP1 would have to be in the base image. I've noticed that when doing dependency installations the management console wants to install Visual Studio 2010 Shell (Isolated), since this is only 160MB instead of 1.5GB I might try that first. If I have any success I will reply to this thread.

Regards,

Paul

[Smoke14]

I'm having the same issue and have not found a solution. I think I'm going to put a SR into support, because not much out on the communities on this issue.

Oh, I can get the package to work on clean Win7x64 VMs, but the issue comes up when i try to launch it on a Win8.1u1x64 VM. I tried capturing directly on that OS and it failed on the clean VM.

Regards,

Mike

[Oizo]

Hi Mike,

We are already aware of this, and a PR was raised.

We must wait for them to come with a code fix.

The issue is based on the fact that MS includes a licensing mechanism, even if you do not have to enter a key during install, like this product.

That licensing mechanism dislike being virtualized, and therefore refrain form starting.

Thanks, and regards,

Jonathan

[kleegeek]

Have you tried downloading just the SQL Server Management Studio executable from the following link and installing it via Thinapp?

Download Microsoft® SQL Server® 2012 Express from Official Microsoft Download Center

[Smoke14]

I was given the full version, not express, to ThinApp. thanks for every ones comments.

-Mike

[Smoke14]

Oizo, do you think we have to install it like the Office 2013 products? Just thinking of that, because you mentioned the whole licensing, that may be the same licensing service.

I guess I could try this out and see if that does the trick.

-Mike

[logiboy123]

I was able to get this package working actually, but only for my vanilla Windows 7 Ent x64 packaging workstation. When I try to run the application on a domain connected workstation I still get the "Invalid license data. Reinstall is required.".

But when I run this on my vanilla workstation is has no problems.

[Smoke14]

I had placed a SR with VMware Support, here is their response.

First of all, I need to set expectations up front that bypassing the licensing error you're seeing would involve highly complicated programming around security APIs, requiring a very large effort on the part of our developers.  Due to this, product management made a decision to not support SSMS or any software suite that includes it as a component.  Unfortunately, this means that we can't troubleshoot or provide solutions to problems with this product.

Having said that, there is a potential workaround that's been identified and which *may* work for you - although there are no guarantees.  I will pass it on, but if it doesn't work I'm afraid there isn't going to be anything more I can do to help you get around the issue.

Here's the procedure:

1. On a clean Windows 7 machine, take a prescan immediately followed by a postscan.  (Don't actually capture anything.)
2. Accept the entry point "cmd.exe".
3. When prompted, select "Restricted write access (WriteCopy isolation mode).  (This is not the default.)
4. Build the project.
5. Launch the resulting virtual command prompt.
6. From the virtual command prompt, navigate to the SSMS 2012 installation directory and run the command to install it.
7. After installation, run SSMS, verify it's working as expected, then exit the application.
8. Exit the command prompt by entering the command "exit".
9. Click Start > Run.
10. Enter the command "%appdata%".
11. Navigate to the "thinstall" folder.
12. Copy "SSMS" to "C:\Program Files\VMware\VMware ThinApp\Captures\SSMS", creating a subdirectory  (Note: Replace "SSMS" with the actual name of the project.)
13. Launch a normal command prompt.  (Not a virtual command prompt.)
14. Navigate to "C:\Program Files\VMware\VMware ThinApp".
15. Enter the command "sbmerge -projectdir captures\ssms -sandboxdir captures\ssms\ssms".
16. Wait for this to finish, then in the project folder ("captures\cmd"), double-click build.bat. to rebuild the cmd application.
17. Launch a virtual commmand prompt again.
18. Navigate to the directory to which SSMS was installed.
19. Execute SSMS.
20. Confirm if works.
21. If it fails, we won't be able to help any further.  If it works, however:
21. a) Take the contents of the bin folder for cmd and copy it elsewhere.
21. b) Revert the Windows 7 machine back to a clean state.
22. c) Copy the cmd bin folder to the reverted VM.
23. d) Run the virtual command prompt and repeat executing SSMS manually.

I was not able to get these steps to work in the sort time that I tried. I will continue to try and see if the steps need any tweaking to get them to work.

I get the same results as logiboy123.

[Identitas]

Hi all

I have the same problem "Invalid license data. Reinstall is required".

Is there any solution for this. Is it possible to thin app SQL Management Studio 2012??

[Lakshman]

SQL 2012 cannot be packaged using ThinApp. This is due to the Cryptographic API's that activates on the packaging machine and enables the ThinApp to work only on the packaging machine.