To support disconnected mode, Application Launcher/Explorer creates a cache directory on the workstation's Windows* drive (the drive containing the SYSTEM32 directory). This directory, called NALCACHE, is created as a hidden directory at the root of the drive. If necessary, the location can be changed (see Configuring Application Launcher/Explorer ).
The NALCACHE directory contains subdirectories for each application associated with the user. Each application's folder contains the following two types of cache:
Application Launcher/Explorer automatically creates an application's launch cache when the application is distributed to a user or workstation. The launch cache contains all the NDS information Application Launcher/Explorer needs to launch and run an application while disconnected. This cache also contains the information needed to uninstall the application.
The launch cache files are stored in the NALCACHE\NDS_TREE\APP_OBJECT directory, where APP_OBJECT is the NDS context of the Application object and NDS_TREE is the tree where the Application object resides. By default, all files except those containing application files, INI settings, shortcut icons, and registry settings are refreshed each time Application Launcher/Explorer performs a timed or manual refresh. These files remain the same until the Version Number (Application object > Distribution Options tab > Options page) is changed so that the application can be successfully uninstalled.
The following table explains the files that may reside in the launch cache. An asterisk next to a file name indicates that Application Launcher/Explorer does not update that file when it refreshes.
Application Launcher/Explorer creates an application's install cache only if you select the Force Cache option when associating the Application object with users or workstations, or if individual users use Application Launcher/Explorer's Application Management feature to cache the application. The install cache contains the application source files needed to install or verify an application while disconnected. Although the files are compressed, they can still require a large amount of disk space on the workstation local drive, so an application should only be cached if users will need to install the application or verify (fix) the already installed application while disconnected.
IMPORTANT: An application can still be run in disconnected mode without being cached to the install cache. To run in disconnected mode, an application needs only to have been distributed (installed) on the workstation. Caching an application to the install cache only enables the application to be installed while in disconnected mode, or to be verified (fixed) if a problem occurs.