Unveiling the Future of Windows App Accessibility: A Deep Dive into KASM's Innovative Approach

Alternative Access Opportunities for Windows Apps by Ray Dusseault

Across my entire career, when architecting application strategy approaches for enterprises, I am constantly asked, “Will this app run on Mac or Linux endpoints?” It always frustrated me that my answer was the same every time, “No, Windows apps don’t work that way sorry”.?

There are obviously ways to pull off the above scenario, which often includes a VDI client like Citrix, providing access through XenAppo or XenDesktop, that has the Windows app running inside it. This is a perfectly plausible approach, but over the years customers have become concerned with a number of elements. Cost, complexity, management, and licensing just to name a few.

Over the last few months with KASM, as my onboarding and integration were picking up speed, I was shocked to discover a new approach to Windows application access. Kasm Technologies at its core provides Streaming access to containerized apps and desktops to end-users. The Workspaces platform provides enterprise-class orchestration, data loss prevention, and web streaming technology to enable the delivery of containerized workloads to your browser. Additionally, because this technology was born from a government-funded project, the entire platform is highly secure out of the gate.?

Embedded in all this groundbreaking technology was something called “Casting Links”. What we discovered was that we could build a workflow that allowed the administrator to simply email a LINK to the user that contained direct access to the application hosted in the corresponding KASM environment.

Basic Workflow

? Create the KASM Application Host instance

? Install the KASM Windows Remote App Tool

? Install the Target Application

? Configure the KASM Windows Remote App Tool

? Configure the KASM Application Host

? Create the new Casting Link

? Deploy the Casting Link and Test Launch the Application

Let's break down how we achieved this workflow.

Step one: The initial step involved building a KASM application host within your preferred cloud or physical environment, serving as our application host. Add to the Kasm Console

Step two: was to install the KASM “Windows Remote App” workflow on the application host. Essentially this process installs a KASM application that acts like a traffic cop, directing application usage requests to this individual host. Additionally, the Windows Remote App tool will create RDS shortcuts that both KASM and Windows will be able to communicate through.

Step three: was to install the target application following typical or enterprise methods. Essentially, install the application as you normally would on a traditional desktop.?

Before we move on to the publishing steps, we have an opportunity to showcase and integrate enhanced enterprise application delivery strategy as part of the process. For this test, we opted to leverage the FlexApp ONE technology from Liquidware .

The FlexApp technology redirects Windows applications into virtual disks that can be snapped onto the Windows operating system like puzzle pieces. Traditionally, FlexApp is managed and deployed leveraging the ProfileUnity platform from Liquidware. ProfileUnity is a robust profile and environmental management solution.

“FlexApp layering dynamically delivers applications to any Windows desktop environment without affecting the underlying base image or operating system. The solution supports VDI, physical PCs and laptops, and cloud-based workspaces such as Microsoft AVD (formerly WVD), Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops, VMware Horizon, Nutanix Frame, and Amazon WorkSpaces. The new FlexApp One feature enables seamless deployment and distribution by any file transfer method for flexible online and offline use! Innovative and industry-first features such as Click-to-Layer (apps on-demand), FlexApp Cache, and seamless support of cloud object-based storage, make FlexApp the logical "go-to" application layering choice for any organization.”

The FlexApp layering technology essentially allows the administrator the ability to eliminate the installation of the application. Rather, steps can be taken to automate the delivery of the FlexApp Layer to the endpoint, where it attaches like a puzzle piece seamlessly with the operating system. The operating system thinks it is installed, but in reality, it can be unsnapped like a puzzle piece seamlessly without leaving the trail of breadcrumbs that all traditional applications ultimately leave behind.

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For our testing, we leveraged a new technology from Liquidware called FlexappOne ONE. Where the individual FlexApp layer, is now self-contained into an executable. Once executed, this single executable interacts with the operating system in a traditional FlexApp fashion, without the need for the full-blown management requirement of the ProfileUnity platform. This has critically beneficial integration opportunities for existing customer platforms for both on-prem and cloud-based deployments.

The FlexApp ONE packages we selected launched as expected alongside the other traditionally installed applications on the KASM application host.

Step four: is to launch the Windows Remote App tool on the KASM Application host. From here we can select the individual applications to publish by simply browsing to the location of the corresponding EXE. Additionally, an RDS shortcut is created by highlighting the newly added application in the Remote App tool list and clicking “Create Client Connection”. This will provide redirection or routing information when an access request is received by the KASM application host.

Step five: Upon accessing the KASM management console, our next step involves enabling and configuring routing information on the KASM Application host. This process sets the stage for Casting Link creation. By incorporating specific JSON code into the relevant server details, we establish a direct link to the KASM application host instance. This code effectively redirects users to the intended individual application or FlexApp ONE instance on the KASM application host.

Step six: is where we complete the process by creating the Casting Link to the individual application. We create a new Casting link for the corresponding application. At this point, the critical component is matching the same JSON code that is configured on the corresponding server (KASM application host)?

Step seven: is where we copy the new Casting Link and deploy it to a user for testing. This process could be as simple as providing it via email to the user or providing it as a new shortcut to the user's desktop via the corporate application deployment/management infrastructure like Intune or SCCM. There are no limits as to how these links could be deployed to users.?

As suggested in the name of this Article, this link can be launched from any traditional endpoint, windows, Linux, Mac, or even mobile devices.

Step eight: is where the user executes the new application from the Casting Link. There are three distinct phases that take place after the execution of the link:

? Phase 1 – KASM authentication takes place. Once authenticated the user is provided access to the corresponding KASM environment

? Phase 2 – At which point the corresponding casting link redirects the user to the target application

? Phase 3 – the application launches in the browser window providing full access to the user

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Summary

This advancement by KASM is truly providing an Alternative access opportunity for not only Windows-based applications but essentially any application enterprises could require.

By leveraging the Casting Link orchestration, KASM has provided the application access opportunity for users on most platforms:

?Enterprises have spent years optimizing application lifecycle management capabilities. To that end, leveraging a platform like FlexApp ONE from Liquidware alongside the KASM Application Strategy provides tremendous automation benefits long term.?The KASM application hosts are still Windows endpoints that will ultimately need to be managed. Reducing the amount of application reinstalls or potential breakage ultimately reduces complexity, which promotes healthier uptime for customers.

Additionally, emerging technologies from companies like Rimo3 will further enhance application lifecycle management through features like inter-application dependency analysis, cloud-first management capabilities, and web-based upload refactoring automation to name a few.

Additional items to consider

How many Citrix farms or VMware Horizon environments are running for just a single application?

How many applications do enterprises actually use in production?

How is employee productivity analyzed or calculated within enterprises today?

How much of an employee's daily workload is browser-based?