What does a VAA do when it arrives at a server?

• VAA is uncompressed into a subdirectory
• VAA can be edited -- Items can be added, changed or deleted
• VAA files are kept in a subdirectory with the same structure that is used by the application
  • Additional folders for XML template, logs, settings, etc.
• VAA registry is in a file but is visible to regedit and other tools

When you move a fully configured server app inside a single VAA file into a new environment, the very first thing we do is uncompress it.  We lay down that application into a special subdirectory that AppZero creates, and the contents of the VAA are placed in the subdirectory.

It is just a normal disk structure, so we’re not some proprietary cloud format and you can go in on the command line to see things, rename things – add/delete – just like a normal disk.  And because it’s in the VAA subdirectory, changes will become part of the VAA.  We also have other files around that hold registry entries or templates so other constructs are available as well, once the VAA has been expanded.