Previously known as SVS (Software Virtualisation Solution)!

Yes it is in Beta Test, the newest release of SVS from now on known as SWV (Symantec Workspace Virtualization)!

And there are some real cool features build in:

The release notes states as follows:

Supported Platforms

Microsoft Windows Vista SP1 32-bit
Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional SP4 or later
Microsoft Windows 2000 Advanced Server SP4 or later when used as a client
Microsoft Windows XP Professional SP2 or Home Edition SP2 or later
Microsoft Windows Server 2003 or later when used as a client
Microsoft Windows Server 2008 when used as a client

Known Issues

The following table contains a list of the known issues for this release.

Features in this release

The following new features are contained in this release:

Layer Isolation and Visibility

Isolation lets you control and isolate layers by turning off visibility between layers and the base. Isolating layers makes it easier to use separate versions of the same program to open associated files.

For example, if a user has a single Java application that requires Java 5, while all other Java applications require Java 6, isolating a layer that contains Java 5 can essentially make it invisible, allowing Java 6 to be the default environment for running Java applications.

By using both layer isolation and dependencies, priorities can be set as to which layers containing different versions will open certain files. In this example, the application requiring Java 5 would add a dependency to the Java 5 layer. The Java 5 layer would then be isolated from other layers and from the base.

A layer is isolated when all three visibility restrictions are active. Isolated layers are visible only to layers ot which the isolated layer is dependent.

Changing layer visibility

1. Select a layer.
2. Right-click a layer and select a visibility option:
· Hide From Other Layers: This option hides the selected layer from all other layers, while still allowing it to be visible to the base.
· Hide From Operating System: This option makes the selected layer invisible to the base, while still allowing it to be visible to all other layers.
· Hide Other Layers From This Layer: This option makes all other layers invisible to the selected layer, while still allowing it to be visible to the base.

Creating a Patch Layer

To create a layer patch file (VPA or Virtual Patch Archive), you need a layer containing the existing version of an application and a second layer containing the updated version of the same application. For example, if you have distributed Firefox 3.01 and want to distribute the updates contained in Firefox 3.02, you can use a VPA file to update the existing layer.

To create a layer patch file

1. If not already imported, import the layer containing the existing version.
2. Create a layer containing the updated version of the application.
3. In the Admin tool, on the File menu, click Create patch...
4. On the Create Layer Patch Archive File dialog box, do the following:
· Select the original layer from the Original layer dropdown menu.
· Select the updated layer from the Updated layer dropdown menu.
· Click Browse and select the name and file path for the layer patch file. Click Open.
· Click OK.

To apply a layer patch file

1. In the Admin tool, on the File menu, click Apply Patch...
2. Click Browse and select the name and file path for the layer patch file. Click Open
· Click Patch existing layer to apply the patch to an existing layer. This will perform an “in-place” update of the existing layer.
· Check the Export before patching box to create a .VSA file of the layer in its original state prior to the application of the patch. The Patch existing layer operation will overwrite the original layer to create the updated, patched layer. Select this option to preserve a copy of the original layer in the event a failure occurs during the patch operation. The original layer can be re-imported to establish the original layer state.
· Click Create new layer to apply the patch to a new layer. This will leave the original layer intact.
· Check the Copy writeable sublayer from existing layer box to copy the data contained in the writeable sublayer of the original layer to the newly created patched layer.
3. Click OK.

Dependent Layers

Dependent layers let you specify an association between layers. Dependent layers are checked for files and services before the base or other layers are checked.
For example, if you have a Java application, you can install a JRE into a dependent layer. The Java application in your layer will then use the JRE from this dependent layer, rather than any JRE installed in the base or another layer.
A layer can alway see any dependent layers. This overrides layer visibility settings, such as other layers cannot see this layer. In this case, only the layer containing the dependency can see the dependent layer.
Dependent layers are activated automatically when any layers containing the dependency are activated. However, if a dependent does not activate (e.g. it has not been imported or an error occurred on activation) the main layer will still be activated. An error message will be returned if any dependent layers do not activate. When a layer is deactivated its dependent layers will not be deactivated.
If a dependent layer is deactivated, users will not be warned of the missing dependency.

Adding a layer dependency

1. In the Symantec Workspace Virtualization Admin tool, select the layer to which you want to add a layer dependency.
2. Click Layer > Properties..., then click the Dependent layers tab.
3. Right-click and select New Dependent Layer...
4. Select the layer you want to add as a dependent layer and click OK.

Removing a layer dependency

1. In the Symantec Workspace Virtualization Admin tool, select the layer from which you want to remove a layer dependency.
2. Click Layer > Properties..., then click the Dependent layers tab.
3. Right-click a layer and select Remove Dependent Layer, then click Yes.

Multiuser environments

Individual users on shared systems, such as Citrix and Terminal Server, now have their individual settings stored with a layer. Previously, all changes made by any user on the system were stored in the same location.

Start Automatically in Layer

You can set a program to automatically activate a layer and run from it. When run from the layer, the program's processes will be run from the layer instead of the base. Any files created or changes made to existing files will be saved in the layer, rather than the base.

For example, if multiple users are using the same machine for Internet browsing, an Autorun Entry can be created for Firefox, causing the browser to be run from a layer, rather than the base, without having to capture the application to a layer of its own. If any users accidentally download any spyware, resetting the layer will remove any spyware that was saved to the layer while it was active, leaving the base unaffected.

Creating an Autorun Entry

1. In the Admin tool, right-click a deactivated layer. Click Properties...
2. On the Layer Properties window, click the Autorun Applications tab.
3. Right-click inside the tab and click New Autorun Entry.
4. Type in or browse to the application path and click OK. The application must be specified using a full path (e.g. c:\windows\system32\notpad.exe). A shortcut cannot be used to specify an application.

Removing an Autorun Entry

1. In the admin tool, right-click a deactivated layer. Click Properties...
2. On the Layer Properties window, click the Autorun Applications tab.
3. Right-click on an autorun entry and click Remove Autorun Entry. Click Yes.

Modifying an Autorun Entry

1. In the admin tool, right-click a deactivated layer. Click Properties...
2. On the Layer Properties window, click the Autorun Applications tab.
3. Right-click on an autorun entry and click Modify Autorun Entry.
4. Type in or browse to the application path to which you would like to change the Autorun Entry and click OK.

Deactivate on Last Process Exit

Deactivate on last process exit allows you to have a layer automatically deactivate itself after the last process running from the layer has closed. Although this feature can be used stand-alone, it can also be used in tandem with Autorun From Layer to automatically deactivate a layer that may have been automatically activated when it trapped a process.
For example, if multiple users are using the same machine for Internet browsing, an Autorun Entry can be created for Firefox and setting the layer to deactivate on last process exit will cause the layer to deactivate when Firefox has been shut down.
To set a layer to deactive on last process exist, open the Admin tool and right-click on layer you want to deactivate on last process exit. Click Deactivate when last process exits.

Run From Layer

Run from layer allows you to execute a program and its processes from a layer. It is a similar feature as the Autorun From Layer, but allows you to run a program from the layer once, rather than automatically.

Running a Program From Layer

1. In the Admin tool, activate the layer from which you want to run a program. Once activated, right-click on the layer and click Run Application From Layer...
2. Browse to the program that you want to run from the layer. Click OK.

Clone Layer

Cloning a layer allows you to create an identical copy of an existing layer with a new GUID.

Cloning a layer

1. In the Admin tool, right-click on the layer you wish to clone and click Clone...
2. In the Clone Layer dialogue box, enter the name for the new layer. Checking the Copy writeable sublayer from existing layer box will cause the new layer to have the same writeable sublayer as the original layer. Unchecking the box will create the new layer with an empty writeable sublayer.
3. Click OK. A confirmation window will appear.

Keep in Layer

Keep file changes in layer enables you to always save changes made to the files in a layer, regardless of how the changes were made.
Typically, layers only save changes that are made by the processes that exist within the layer. If a file is changed by an external process (such as Notepad), the file is copied to the base and changes are not stored in the layer.
With keep changes in layer enabled, any time a file in the layer is modified by any process (such as Notepad) the change is saved in the layer.
When the layer is deactivated, if this file exists in the base it is in the same state as before the layer was activated.
Keep file changes in layer works with global and layer excludes, as well as data layers.
For example, you have an application in a layer that uses a file stored at C:\myapp\settings.ini for configuration. This file contains the following:

Servername:server1 & port:2112

Let’s say you need to change the port used by this application. With this layer active, if you open C:\myapp\settings.ini in notepad and change the following:

Port:8008

This change is not saved in the layer since it wasn’t made by a process in the layer. The original ini file in the layer with the port set to 2112 is still being used by processes in the layer.
With keep file changes in layer enabled, the port change made by notepad will be saved in the layer and the processes in the layer will begin using the new port.
To keep file changes in a layer, open the Admin tool. Right-click on the layer that you want to keep file changes in. Click Keep File Changes in Layer.

New Reset Point

This operation copies the existing contents from the writable sublayer to the read-only sublayer. This can help prevent data loss when resetting layers, and simplifies updating a layer before exporting.