We regularly receive questions from customers seeking clarity about the contents of their AppVolumes packages. A common question is: What exactly is inside my package, and how can I view it?
For experienced administrators, techniques like disabling the filter driver or analyzing the “AppDB.txt” file are familiar and easy to execute. But that’s not always the case for everyone.
New in Version 2509
With version 2509, AppVolumes introduced a valuable enhancement. When creating a package, the system now automatically generates additional JSON and HTML files that provide a clear overview of:
- Folders and files
- Registry keys and values
- The overall structure of the package
This makes troubleshooting much easier for many users and also helps you clean up your packages more effectively.
Creating a Package
Here’s the command I used to create a package for Notepad++:
cd "C:\Program Files\Omnissa\AppVolumes\Agent\"
appcapture.exe start /name NotepadPP /format vmdk /upgradecode {8e14035b-2fcc-49c6-814d-7ae010c445b8}
Once the capture process has started, you can proceed to install the application as you normally would. In this case, I downloaded and installed Notepad++, making sure to complete the installation fully, including any optional components or settings relevant to the package.
Of course, these installation steps are automated using deployment tools or scripts, ensuring consistency and saving time during packaging.
After the installation is complete and the application is ready to use, you finalize the capture process with:
cd "C:\Program Files\Omnissa\AppVolumes\Agent\"
appcapture.exe finalize
In the default output folder (C:\ProgramData\Omnissa\AppVolumes\Packages\), you’ll now find the following files:
NotepadPP.vmdk— the virtual disk containing the applicationNotepadPP.json— metadata about the packageNotepadPP.report.html— a visual report of the package contentsNotepadPP.report.json— a structured report for automated analysis
These new report files provide detailed insights into the folders, files, registry keys, and values included in the package, making troubleshooting and cleanup much easier.
The Report Files
You can open the .report.html file in any browser to get a clear, scrollable view of the package contents. Below is an example of how the html is displayed:
The layout is clean and categorized, making it easy to spot unnecessary entries or validate that all required components are included.
The .report.json file is ideal for scripting or integrating with other tools. You can parse it to:
- Compare packages
- Detect changes between versions
- Generate cleanup scripts
This structured format opens the door to smarter package management and auditing.
Analyzing Existing Packages
Want to analyze an existing package? You can use the following command:
appcapture.exe packagereport /file "C:\Path\To\Your\Package.vmdk"This generates both the HTML and JSON report files into the package’s contents.
It’s great to see a powerful product like AppVolumes continue to evolve and become even more user-friendly for both administrators and end users.
For more information on release notes and command-line parameters, check out:
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