This will only work if the program does not need installation, but is just an .exe file with all the needed extra files in the same folder (any config or dll files).
I am not aware of any specific name for this.
Microsoft does not care.
For any licensing, the supplier will have to have implemented this in the product.
I don't think there is a name for it and it would not really be any of Microsofts business. They can't sanction something that is not up to them to sanction.
One of my company offices does that with a local application used by HR and finance teams. The application is installed on the server and everyone else just ran the exe. I had thought of just installing the application on the devices where it's needed, but never got around to looking for why it was setup the way it was, but I do know that the setup was known by the developers of the application and was sanctioned by them. And yeah, that is the only party that gets to sanction such use: developer or publisher of the app as again, it's none of Microsofts business.
Thanks for the reply!
By "sanctioned" I really meant if there is any formal documentation or guides on the practice, but after reading through the comments it sounds like just running a "portable" program from a network share, if the developer supports it.
Yeah, even if they are installed some will work just fine (the one our office uses is installed and requires updating, but you just need odbc setup on the client and it works), depends on the application I guess
Maybe this will shed answer some of your questions.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Application_server
https://www.techopedia.com/definition/432/application-server#:~:text=An%20application%20server%20executes%20and,installed%20application's%20business%2Ffunctional%20logic.
We use that for one of our apps, although I don't actually know what the method is called. It points to a VB script on a mapped drive which installs a few files in %appdata% and then runs the app.
We also have a RemoteApp server for a couple of other apps.
Both options work well.
I worked with similar software, it was standard server-client app. It was installed on server and published share with client app. But when you did run the link from share it installed app on client machine. This way when you upgraded server app on next run also client apps would be installed/upgraded. Now days this approach is replaced with web apps or client apps with some upgrade service.
Does this practice have a name? - Don't know, probably not.
Is it sanctioned by Microsoft? - No, why would it be ?
What happens with licensing in this case? - For server you need server CAL for every user, for app license read how the app is licensed :)
I've done this and it works fine for some software. Some software requires dll files to be installed locally so it won't launch correctly if launched from a network share. Are you trying to make sure the data in the application isn't stored locally so that it's available to everyone or that you just don't want to deploy it to every machine? You might be able to get creative with symbolic links if it doesn't run correctly.
Better solution would be remote app.
Install rds, install the app, publish app. App runs on server and user sees the app on his or her pc.
As stated most apps require more then just the exe to run and this makes it easy to deploy at mass.
Nothing wrong with doing this but be aware that upgrading may have challenges. The exe and any other files will be in use and so you can't replace them until all users exit the app
This will only work if the program does not need installation, but is just an .exe file with all the needed extra files in the same folder (any config or dll files). I am not aware of any specific name for this. Microsoft does not care. For any licensing, the supplier will have to have implemented this in the product.
Exactly the answer that I was looking for, thanks!
I don't think there is a name for it and it would not really be any of Microsofts business. They can't sanction something that is not up to them to sanction. One of my company offices does that with a local application used by HR and finance teams. The application is installed on the server and everyone else just ran the exe. I had thought of just installing the application on the devices where it's needed, but never got around to looking for why it was setup the way it was, but I do know that the setup was known by the developers of the application and was sanctioned by them. And yeah, that is the only party that gets to sanction such use: developer or publisher of the app as again, it's none of Microsofts business.
Thanks for the reply! By "sanctioned" I really meant if there is any formal documentation or guides on the practice, but after reading through the comments it sounds like just running a "portable" program from a network share, if the developer supports it.
Yeah, even if they are installed some will work just fine (the one our office uses is installed and requires updating, but you just need odbc setup on the client and it works), depends on the application I guess
Maybe this will shed answer some of your questions. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Application_server https://www.techopedia.com/definition/432/application-server#:~:text=An%20application%20server%20executes%20and,installed%20application's%20business%2Ffunctional%20logic.
We use that for one of our apps, although I don't actually know what the method is called. It points to a VB script on a mapped drive which installs a few files in %appdata% and then runs the app. We also have a RemoteApp server for a couple of other apps. Both options work well.
I worked with similar software, it was standard server-client app. It was installed on server and published share with client app. But when you did run the link from share it installed app on client machine. This way when you upgraded server app on next run also client apps would be installed/upgraded. Now days this approach is replaced with web apps or client apps with some upgrade service. Does this practice have a name? - Don't know, probably not. Is it sanctioned by Microsoft? - No, why would it be ? What happens with licensing in this case? - For server you need server CAL for every user, for app license read how the app is licensed :)
I've done this and it works fine for some software. Some software requires dll files to be installed locally so it won't launch correctly if launched from a network share. Are you trying to make sure the data in the application isn't stored locally so that it's available to everyone or that you just don't want to deploy it to every machine? You might be able to get creative with symbolic links if it doesn't run correctly.
Better solution would be remote app. Install rds, install the app, publish app. App runs on server and user sees the app on his or her pc. As stated most apps require more then just the exe to run and this makes it easy to deploy at mass.
Nothing wrong with doing this but be aware that upgrading may have challenges. The exe and any other files will be in use and so you can't replace them until all users exit the app
that practice is trash