Ignition 7.3 does not include the Native Client Launcher; the launcher was introduced in Ignition 7.5, making an upgrade prerequisite for testing this app-only RemoteApp approach.
Can the request reach an Ignition project through this launch path?
Trace the launch in hops before configuring the thin client. The user starts a published RemoteApp in a Windows RDS session. That session runs the Ignition Native Client Launcher, which is configured to open a designated Ignition project. The launcher then connects to the Ignition Gateway serving that project. ACP ThinManager assigns the published application to the thin client; it does not replace the launcher or the Gateway connection.
This separates two issues that are easy to conflate: whether RDS can start the launcher as a RemoteApp, and whether that launcher can reach and open the intended Gateway project. Publishing a Gateway URL can expose a browser-based client, but it does not meet the stated requirement to launch Ignition as an application without exposing the desktop.
Map the path using the actual server and Gateway names in the installation. Record where the launch stops: application does not start, launcher opens but cannot reach the Gateway, or Gateway responds but the project does not open. Each result points to a different layer to check.
Does the installed Ignition version provide the launcher?
Check the Ignition version before attempting RemoteApp configuration. The installation described runs 7.3, while Native Client Launchers were introduced in 7.5. An upgrade to a version that includes the launcher is therefore necessary for this proposed method. The project already includes an upgrade, but validate the exact target version and its supported operating systems against the product documentation before deployment.
Do not treat the launcher as an RDS setting that can be enabled on the existing 7.3 installation. If the upgrade is not ready, retain the existing client method or evaluate the URL-based option separately; it has different behavior and does not satisfy the app-only objective by itself.
| Check | Known condition | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ignition | 7.3 | Native Client Launcher is not available in this version. |
| Launcher introduction | 7.5 | Upgrade to a launcher-capable release before this test. |
| Target release | Not specified | Confirm target release compatibility with the chosen Windows and RDS configuration. |
Check: identify the installed and proposed Ignition versions, then confirm the launcher is present on the target installation before proceeding.
Can RDS start the launcher as the published application?
On a test RDS host, configure a RemoteApp entry for the Native Client Launcher rather than a general desktop session or a Gateway URL. The practical question is whether the RDS host can start the launcher in the user session and maintain that process as the published application. The available implementation details—such as the executable location and the exact RemoteApp configuration fields—depend on the installed release and RDS setup, so use the installed product files and Microsoft RDS configuration rather than copying paths from another release.
- Install or upgrade Ignition on the intended host and locate the Native Client Launcher supplied with that installation.
- Configure a test RemoteApp entry to start the launcher under a test account.
- Assign that published entry to a single ThinManager thin client, leaving other production launch paths unchanged.
- Connect from the thin client and observe whether the launcher starts in the RDS session without exposing a Windows desktop.
Keep the test narrow: one client, one account, and one published entry. If RDS cannot start the launcher, resolve the executable or session configuration problem before troubleshooting Gateway connectivity.
Check: verify that the assigned thin client opens only the published launcher and that closing it returns to the expected ThinManager experience, not an unrestricted desktop.
How should the launcher select the project?
Configure the Native Client Launcher to open the intended Gateway and project directly. The launcher can be configured to bypass the gateway-selection and project-selection phases, which avoids presenting those chooser screens to an operator. This is the part that turns a general launcher into a dedicated station application.
Use the actual Gateway destination and project name for the installation. The evidence does not specify address formats, ports, command-line arguments, or launcher configuration fields; read those values and options from the installed Ignition release rather than inventing them. Confirm that the Gateway and project are reachable from the RDS session host, because that host—not necessarily the thin client itself—executes the launcher and makes the application connection.
| Configuration item | Value to set or inspect | What it proves |
|---|---|---|
| Gateway destination | Installation's configured Gateway endpoint | The session host can address the correct Gateway. |
| Project | Exact intended project | The launcher targets the required application. |
| Selection behavior | Direct launch; bypass chooser phases | Operators do not have to select a Gateway or project. |
Check: start the launcher interactively in the test RDS session and verify that it opens the chosen project without prompting for a Gateway or project.
What should be checked when the launch fails?
Diagnose in path order, from execution to session connectivity to project selection. This avoids changing Gateway settings when the RDS host never launched the client, or changing ThinManager assignments when the project name is wrong.
| Observed result | Likely layer | Next check |
|---|---|---|
| No launcher window | RemoteApp execution or assignment | Confirm the published entry targets the installed launcher and is assigned to the test client. |
| Launcher opens, Gateway unavailable | Network path from RDS session host | Test name resolution and connectivity from that host to the configured Gateway; inspect firewalls and routing on that path. |
| Gateway opens, wrong project or chooser appears | Launcher project selection | Recheck the Gateway destination, project selection, and direct-launch configuration. |
| Desktop is visible | RemoteApp or ThinManager presentation | Verify the client is starting the published application rather than a full desktop session. |
Do not assume that a successful URL launch proves the RemoteApp launcher path works. The URL test validates browser access; the launcher test additionally validates the application process, session, and project-selection configuration.
Check: record the last successful hop and test the next one from the RDS session host before changing configuration.
Does the complete thin-client workflow meet the requirement?
Run the end-to-end test with the actual assigned thin client, not only from an administrator's interactive desktop. Verify startup, project selection, operator use, and exit behavior. Since the deployment is intended to replace Windows XP clients with Windows 7 clients and Windows Server 2008 with Windows Server 2012, test the exact planned client/server combination and target Ignition version; a successful test on a different combination does not validate the planned rollout.
- Sign in through the normal ThinManager-assigned application path.
- Confirm the launcher opens the designated project without a Gateway or project chooser.
- Exercise the normal operator workflow and confirm the application remains connected during use.
- Close or sign out using the intended operator procedure and confirm no desktop is exposed.
- Repeat after an RDS session reconnect and a thin-client restart to check that the same application path is restored.
Record the tested Ignition release, Windows client and server versions, RemoteApp assignment, Gateway destination, and project selection. Promote the configuration only after these checks pass on the target platform.
Frequently asked questions
Can Ignition 7.3 use the Native Client Launcher?
No. Native Client Launchers were introduced in Ignition 7.5, so the 7.3 installation needs an upgrade before this approach can be tested.
Does the launcher open a specific Ignition project?
Yes. Configure it for the intended Gateway and project, and set it to bypass the Gateway and project selection phases.
Can I publish a Gateway URL instead?
A URL can be made available through RemoteApp, but that is a browser-based route and does not by itself provide the requested application-only launcher behavior.
Can I assume the launcher works on my planned RDS server?
No. Test the exact Ignition release and Windows/RDS combination selected for deployment, starting from the assigned ThinManager client and confirming that the desktop remains inaccessible.