Package Types Supported By the Import Wizard

AdminStudio 2021 | 21.0 | Application Manager

Edition:Application Manager is included with AdminStudio Professional and Enterprise Editions.

You can use the Import Wizard to import the following package types into the Application Catalog:

Data Types Supported By the Import Wizard

Data Type

Description

Windows Installer Packages, Transforms, and Patches

You can import Windows Installer packages (.msi) with any associated transforms (.mst) and patches (.msp) into the Application Catalog. You have several available options when importing Windows Installer packages:

Importing a Single Package File
Importing a Folder of Multiple Applications
Importing From ConfigMgr (Formerly called as System Center Configuration Manager)

Microsoft UWP App Packages (.appx)

You can import Microsoft UWP app packages (.appx) into the Application Catalog. UWP is the packaging format used to distribute and install apps on Windows 8.x and 10, and is the only format allowed for Universal Windows Platform (UWP) apps. You have several available options when importing Microsoft UWP app packages:

Importing a Single Package File
Importing a Folder of Multiple Applications
Importing From ConfigMgr (Formerly called as System Center Configuration Manager)

Note:You can also upload Windows 8 apps (.appx) using these methods.

Microsoft MSIX Package (.msix)

You can import Microsoft MSIX packages (.msix) into the Application Catalog.

Virtual Packages: Microsoft App-V, Citrix XenApp, VMware ThinApp

You can import virtual packages in Microsoft App-V (4.x and 5.0), Citrix XenApp, VMware ThinApp (4.x and 5.0). You have several available options when importing virtual packages:

Importing a Single Package File
Importing a Folder of Multiple Applications
Importing From ConfigMgr (Formerly called as System Center Configuration Manager)

Virtual packages are associated with their source Windows Installer package by matching Package Codes. Virtual packages that were created by AdminStudio include a metadata.ami file that identifies the Package Code of the virtual package’s source Windows Installer package.

To manually associate a virtual package with its source Windows Installer package, you can use the Associate Package function, as described in Associating a Virtual Package with its Source Windows Installer Package.

PowerShell Wrapped Package Files (.ps1)

You can import PowerShell wrapped package (.ps1) files into the Application Catalog. When a PowerShell script is imported into AdminStudio, the underlying package is also imported into the Application Catalog and can be tested. You have several available options when importing PowerShell wrapped package files:

Importing a Single Package File
Importing a Folder of Multiple Applications

macOS Desktop Applications

You can import the following macOS desktop applications into the Application Catalog, which will enable you prepare those applications for deployment, and then deploy them to JAMF Casper Suite.

Local file—The following types of macOS desktop applications can be imported:
Apple disk image package (.dmg)—When you double-click a .dmg file, an Apple disk image is “mounted” as a volume within the Finder. To install the application, you usually drag the application icon from the disk image into the Applications folder.
Apple installer package (.pkg)—Double-clicking a .pkg file launches the Apple installer application, where the package is installed by proceeding through an installation wizard.
Public store link—Link to macOS desktop application in the Apple Mac App Store.

For more information, see:

Importing a Single Package File
Importing a Folder of Multiple Applications
Importing Links to Public Store Applications

Legacy Applications

You can import non-MSI legacy setup types (such as InstallShield Professional or ISMP installations) into the Application Catalog using any of the following methods:

Importing a Single Package File
Importing a Folder of Multiple Applications
Importing From ConfigMgr (Formerly called as System Center Configuration Manager)

When you import a legacy installer (.exe), you are prompted to select a setup configuration file (.ini) to include with the imported package. For more information, see About Legacy Installer Packages.

Complex Installer Executables

You can import complex installer executable files that contain bundled Windows Installer packages, including:

InstallShield InstallScript .exe files
InstallShield Basic MSI installers that are compressed into a setup.exe file
InstallShield Suite Installer .exe files
Wise Package Studio .exe files
Other executable file types that can be uncompressed by 7-ZIP
InnoSetup
Nullsoft
WiseScript
WiX Burn
Advanced Installer
InstallAnywhere

Note:If AdminStudio is unable to identify the .exe type of an imported package, by default it is categorized as a legacy installer.

You can import these executables using any of the following methods:

Importing a Single Package File
Importing a Folder of Multiple Applications
Importing From ConfigMgr (Formerly called as System Center Configuration Manager)

When you import one of the complex installer executables, you can view the names of bundled Windows Installer packages and perform operating system compatibility, application virtualization compatibility, and best practices testing on those bundled packages. For more information see:

Viewing Bundled Packages of Complex Installer Executables
Viewing Combined Test Results of Child Windows Installer Packages of Complex Installer Executables

Mobile Apps

You can import the following mobile apps into the Application Catalog, which will enable you prepare those applications for deployment, and then deploy them to System Center 2012 Configuration Manager or Workspace ONE.

Apple iOS mobile app 
Local file—Mobile app file (.ipa).
Public store link—Link to mobile app in the Apple App Store.
Google Android mobile app 
Local file—Mobile app file (.apk).
Public store link—Link to mobile app in the Google Play Store.
Microsoft Windows mobile apps 
Local file—UWP app package (.appx) or Windows 8 package (.appx).
Public store link—Link to mobile app in the Microsoft Windows Store.

You have several available options when importing mobile apps:

Importing a Single Package File
Importing Links to Public Store Applications
Importing a Folder of Multiple Applications
Importing From ConfigMgr (Formerly called as System Center Configuration Manager)

Edition:Support for mobile apps is included when you purchase AdminStudio Professional or Enterprise Edition with Mobile.

Note:To import a link to a mobile app in a public store, see Importing Links to Public Store Applications.

Web Applications

You can import a local web application or a deployed web application by specifying a URL. See Importing Web Applications.

Web Deploy Packages

You can use the web deploy package format to streamline the deployment of web applications to Microsoft IIS web servers or to Microsoft Azure websites. In a web deploy package, the content, configuration, databases and other artifacts of a web application are packaged in a .zip file.

You can import web deploy packages (.zip) into the AdminStudio Application Catalog so that you can test them for compatibility with the Windows Server 2012 R2 operating system and the Microsoft Azure remote application publishing platform, as well as test them for best practices and browser compatibility.

See Importing a Web Deploy Package.

Merge Modules

A merge module (.msm) is a package containing all of the logic and files needed to install distinct pieces of application functionality such as run-time .dll files and virtual machines.

For optimal performance, Merge modules should be imported into an Application Catalog database prior to importing Windows Installer packages. This ensures that conflicts resulting from not using available merge modules are correctly identified. For more information, see Importing Merge Modules.

OS Snapshots

You can import OS Snapshot (.osc) files into the Application Catalog to use to determine conflicts between an operating system and a package. See Importing OS Snapshots and About Legacy Installer Packages.

Note:In previous releases, if you were connected to a Software Repository-enabled Application Catalog, it was possible to use the Import Wizard to perform an ad-hoc import of a transform or patch file (importing a transform or patch file after their associated Windows Installer package had already been imported). Beginning with AdminStudio 11.5, this option is no longer available. Transform and patch files always have to be imported along with their associated Windows Installer package.