Failed install of apk in VDI environment

Devices \ Emulators Applications
#1

We are using VMware Horizon VDI environment. Phone is connected to VDI via USB (Developer tools and USB debuggin on, device authorized). I am able to add phone in Appium Studio. But when i try to load/install apk i am only able to install it when i load apk from mapped drives. It fails with a timeout from desktop or C drive probably because of profile redirection and UNC paths.

Install works when i connect to VDI from the local network. But it fails with “Failed to install application” when i try to connect from external LTE hotspot (VDI is accessible from the internet with MFA auth). The only difference i see is latency.

Local network - 120-125 ms round trip.
Hotspot - 155-160 ms.

Difference doesn’t seem huge, but maybe Appium is sensitive about such things? I guess real cause is something else though. How can i troubleshoot this further, what logs to get?
failed-from-local-disk

#2

Is it your mandatory requirement to install from network ?

Appium Documentation mentions that is supports , local or http url
See - http://appium.io/docs/en/writing-running-appium/caps/ , see the “app” capability.

#3

No, there is no requirement to install from a network. The need some working way. Local disk is fine. URL is not as developers would have to upload it somewhere every time. The main question is why it works from a local drive when i connect to VDI from a LAN and it doesn’t work when i connect to VDI from an external network (from internet). The only difference i can see is latency, but it is a rather small difference. I need a more verbose error than “Failed to install” to try to troubleshoot this further.

#4

Okay. As I have mentioned in previous message please check the doc again the “app” capability only supports local disk and http url per documentation
See - http://appium.io/docs/en/writing-running-appium/caps/ , see the “app” capability.

#5

We are using local disk.

  1. I am on a local network, login to VDI, open Appium, connect a phone, load application from H disk (this is a network drive mapped as local drive). INSTALLATION WORKS FINE.

  2. I am connected to mobile hotspot (internet). Login to VDI, open Appium, connect a phone, load application from H disk. It fails.

Both time same local disk is used. Only connection is different. Maybe mobile hotspot has too high latency for Appium. But “Failed to install” is not giving enough information.

We are using Enterprise version, so maybe i can have a ticket opened for this?

#7

Had a call today with Arundoss. He explained that Appium is not designed to work in emulated USB environment and it is better to use cloud devices (which we actually have, not sure why these developers tried to do a workaround and connect phones directly to VDI…). Cloud option works ok. Most probably high latency is the cause of it not working properly on hotspot or from our developers location.

#8

Thanks for the update Oleg,