Application virtualization--App-V for short--is awesome. In a nutshell, it liberates applications from the OS and allows them to run as network services. That simplifies both delivery and management of apps in the enterprise.

Tim Mangan is the co-author (along with Kevin Kaminski) of the new book for IT folks: The Client Book About Microsoft App-V. It covers installation, configuration, and general operation of the App-V client.

At his eponymous blog, virtualization expert Brian Madden has an extensive and informative interview with Mangan. In it they talk a little about the book and a lot about App-V, shedding some very interesting light on the latter. Here's an excerpt:

Brian: So based on your experience with lots of apps and lots of customers, what's the one thing you wish that every App-V admin knew?

Tim: That they can throw away the servers and use the App-V client in what I call "server-less" mode. I've become really big on this in the last year. (I also built some free tools to help with this.)

If you have even the slightest interest in App-V, this is one interview you must read. It taught me more about the technology than the last five articles I've read combined.